While I am in the home stretch of getting my kitchen refresh ready to photograph, I’ve been thinking through the styling items I want to include.

Kitchens, of course, have more specific styling options; curated small appliances, cutting boards, trays, baskets, canisters, tea kettles, utensil caddies, tea towels, dishes, potted herbs or plants, flowers, fruit or vegetables, beverages, and baked goods.

This vignette with a tray of sweet treats shows off this beautiful kitchen backsplash style.

glass backsplash tile — A tray of sweets in this tiny condo kitchen

Styling a space with beautiful, edited accessories is what makes a photo of an interior sing and helps the viewer understand the story of the space.

Handpainted backsplash in this Gentleman’s Farmhouse kitchen

Well placed, colorful vegetables, cuttings boards and oils tell the story of a delicious meal in progress, while showcasing the handpainted tile mural.

coffee bar with corbel brackets — Coffee bar in and open concept kitchen space

Coffee cups and pastries tell the story of a quiet, luxurious morning, while wine and cheese signals a fun cocktail hour about to begin.

Pantry in the Gentleman’s Farmhouse project

Sometimes we set a table, sometimes we rely on flowers - you can never go wrong with flowers! Depending on the space, the flowers might be a more formal arrangement, but in a kitchen, they are usually casual bouquets. And always there is the classic shot of the sink full of flowers waiting to be arranged!

For this Gentleman’s Farm project, we used some of the clients dishes to make up the table setting in the breakfast alcove.

And we used a bowl of fresh eggs collected from the clients own chickens for the island photo.

Natural wood cutting boards warm up white cabinets and a neutral backsplash, while bright sunflowers and oranges add color in this fresh traditional open concept kitchen.