The Small Kitchen Upgrade That Makes Everyday Items Look Better

Whatever aesthetic is right for you, we are all about following design trends that truly personalize your kitchen. For all the time you spend there, it should be a space that feels like you — and that makes you happy to look at. Think beyond the minimalism that prevailed in kitchens for years to embrace more eclectic, stylized touches and find opportunities to elevate even the most basic staples. One game-changing approach is to transfer anything you can — from hand soap and olive oil to spices and seasonings — into your own lovely containers.

This simple move essentially replaces disposable packages covered in branding (none of which matches each other or your space) with kitchen decorations that are actually useful. Find vessels that bring you joy and fit into your home aesthetic. You can go with coordinating sets or opt for a mix-and-match approach in the same color palette. It works wonders to simply swap that hand soap out into a ceramic dispenser or pour your oils and vinegar into elegant glass bottles. Transfer salt into a vintage pot or salt cellar and pepper into a sophisticated wooden mill.

Additionally, it will be more visually appealing to move your various spices into glass jars. If you have teabags or Keurig pods to corral, place them in decorative boxes or baskets. Similarly, you can make any packaged items look chic by popping them into antique bowls or jars.

Of course, you don't have to break the bank to upgrade every kitchen necessity from its original packaging to something visually pleasing. This is a great opportunity to repurpose various kitchen items, for example. Save glass jars from sauces and salsas, clean them, remove their labels, and voila: You have farmhouse-chic storage for dried goods and seasonings. Is your wood cutting board past its prime for chopping? Turn it into a rustic tray where you keep ceramic salt and pepper shakers and glass olive oil bottle — cooking essentials never looked so pretty.

You can further style things up from there, especially when thinking outside the box. Instead of a basic canister, keep your cooking tools in a vintage vase. Use baskets or charming antique trays to group items, like a combination of seasonings you use most or a selection of utensils and tool canisters. Additionally, consider thrifting old wooden jewelry boxes for tea, filling your grandmother's silver canister with sugar packets, or putting your kids' fruit snacks into that stunning crystal bowl you scored at a flea market.

Plus, Victorian porcelain toast racks from Etsy make great takeout menu or recipe organizers. There are no rules; it's just about identifying what you can upgrade with a more personalized, permanent, stylized container or organizer. This also means you can take your time. As you collect things at secondhand stores or markets (or from repurposing and upcycling), make swaps as you see fit.