Ina Garten's Pro Tip For Decorating A Kitchen That's Actually Useful

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Ina Garten's brand is the epitome of quiet, understated luxury, from the French stemware and Belgian linens in her personal kitchen to her "un-cheffy" wardrobe essentials of chambray button-down shirts and loafers. The meaning of Garten's nickname, "The Barefoot Contessa," is from a gourmet food store that she once owned in New York, but the sobriquet also calls to mind rustic, carefree elegance. Garten is so committed to that lifestyle that she has sworn she would never open a restaurant because she likes the laid-back pace of her life too much. In short, Ina Garten's vibes are immaculate, which is why we trust her advice when it comes to decorating a kitchen in a way that's functional and pretty at the same time.

"I love working in a kitchen with beautiful things, but I hate anything that's purely decorative," Garten divulged on her Substack feed. "If you display dishes and trays that you actually use and love, your kitchen just feels alive." Suffice it to say, Garten is not a fan of trinkets, tchotchkes, and knickknacks in the kitchen. True to her aesthetic, she chooses to let her gorgeous cookware and serving vessels do the aesthetic heavy lifting in her cooking space. Sure, you may not have an All-Clad and Le Creuset budget like the Barefoot Contessa, but that doesn't mean you can't make thoughtful décor choices to keep things practical while still brightening your space. You just need to focus on lovely items with utility, as opposed to clutter that only has the sole purpose of looking good.

For many home chefs of modest means, the prettiest functional kitchen items they own are their dinnerware. If you've been getting by with a mismatched set of dinner plates from the thrift store, maybe it's time to start collecting a more visually pleasing set, which can do double duty by adorning shelves or open cabinets. Martha Stewart loves the milky green of vintage Fire-King jadeite dishware, but you need not shell out big bucks on yours. Even a set of colorful, lovely microwave-safe plastic dinnerware will enliven your space without costing a mint.

You can also make like Ina Garten and use your platters and trays as kitchen décor, along with other tools. Make the best of what you have! If you needed an excuse to splash out on a polished wood cutting board that looks as nice as it feels when using it, maybe this is your chance. Hang it on a peg when you aren't using it. Are you the proud owner of a KitchenAid stand mixer? Consider investing in a copper-colored bowl, which is cheaper than the brand's own real copper vessel but will provide the same touch of elegance when it's sitting on your counter. Perhaps you've accumulated a collection of shining stainless steel serving utensils from garage sales and deep retail discounts: hang a peg board and show them off! It's not necessary to have bespoke, top-of-the-line "stuff" like a celebrity chef to gussy up your kitchen with attractive items that also have a purpose.