The kitchen is the natural gathering point of the home, but the styling often stops at the appliances and cupboard space. The quickest and cheapest upgrades are new knobs for the doors (from DKK 30-60 each), ceramic jars for storage and a wooden chopping board displayed as decoration. Fresh herbs in stylish pot covers and colourful ceramic details tie it all together — without a single wall tile needing to be changed.
The kitchen is far more than a room for making dinner. It's where the morning coffee is brewed, the kids sit with their homework, and friends gather over a glass of wine while the onions sizzle. Yet most kitchens end up looking purely functional — neutral cupboard fronts, generic handles and no real personality. Changing that doesn't have to cost a renovation. A handful of well-chosen details make a huge difference, and here we go through exactly which ones give you the most for your effort.
Kitchen door knobs — the quickest makeover
If you only have time for one thing, make it the knobs. Replacing the standard handles from the original kitchen is one of the cheapest and most visible upgrades you can make. Most kitchens have 15-25 doors and drawers — that's 15-25 spots where a neutral metal bar can be replaced with something full of character.
Kitchen door knobs come in ceramic, brass, porcelain and stone. Prices typically start from DKK 30-60 each, and all you need to fit them is an ordinary screwdriver — about 10 minutes per knob. You can refresh the whole kitchen for under DKK 1,500.
What goes with what?
Brass knobs are an obvious choice for white and grey kitchens. Brass develops a patina over time and gets a warmer, more lived-in look than new metal — in fact, most brass knobs look better after a couple of years than on the day they're fitted. Black knobs create a sharp contrast and suit a graphic, modern kitchen well. Hand-painted ceramic knobs with geometric patterns or botanical motifs are the easy choice when you want something personal and unique.
You can also mix things up — one type of knob on the wall cupboards and another below — to create visual depth. Use brass on top and ceramic below, for instance, but stick to one metal to avoid visual clutter.
Tip: Measure the hole spacing on your existing handles before ordering new knobs. Standard is 32 mm or 96 mm centre-to-centre, but older kitchens may differ. Most single-hole knobs fit universally, while handles with two fixing points require precise measuring.
Stylish storage: jars and baskets
The kitchen worktop and the open shelves are the most visible surfaces in the kitchen — and they're the obvious place to show a bit of personality. Ceramic or stoneware jars for flour, sugar, tea leaves and snacks look far better than the original packaging they'd otherwise live in, and they keep the contents fresher at the same time.
Group jars in three sizes — low, medium and tall — for a cohesive look without it feeling forced. Three identical jars from the same series create calm; three in the same colour palette but different shapes bring life. Both work well.
Woven baskets for bread, fruit or napkins bring an organic, natural element into a room otherwise dominated by hard surfaces like stainless steel, granite and glass. A basket weighs almost nothing visually — it's soft and "rests" nicely alongside ceramic and metal.
Cups and jugs on open shelves
Open shelves are one of the most debated decisions in kitchen design. They look great, but they require you to actually put nice things on them. If you have them — or are considering fitting a few — tableware is the obvious thing to display.
Cups in stoneware or glazed ceramic are too good to hide behind a cupboard door. Stoneware is fired at a higher temperature than earthenware (typically above 1200°C), which gives a denser, more durable body with a slightly rough, matte surface — it's that texture that makes them interesting to look at and nice to hold.
Jugs serve a double purpose: they pour liquid and they look good. A jug with a bunch of dried flowers or a few twigs on the kitchen worktop is a simple detail that adds warmth without taking up cooking space. Jugs in glazed ceramic with a thick handle and a slightly uneven glaze are especially good for this — they have enough character to stand alone.
Herb pot covers — greenery by the window
Fresh herbs on the kitchen windowsill are the shortest route to a kitchen that smells good and looks alive. Basil, parsley, rosemary and thyme thrive on most south-facing kitchen windowsills, and they're functional accessories that actually get used during cooking.
The trouble with most herb pots is that they come in plastic containers that are dull to look at. Pot covers for herbs solve that: choose terracotta for a Mediterranean-inspired look — terracotta is porous and helps regulate the moisture content in the soil, which the plants appreciate. White ceramic gives a cleaner, Nordic look. Line up three to four pot covers on the windowsill or on a small console shelf near the cooker.
Remember: supermarket herbs are typically planted densely to look lush at the point of sale — split them into two to three pots and they'll live considerably longer.
Chopping boards as decoration
A chopping board in olive wood, walnut or acacia is far too nice for the drawers. These types of wood are dense, with low porosity that resists moisture better than beech, and they develop a patina with use — olive wood gets deeper grain, walnut becomes darker and more lustrous with the right oil care.
Stand the chopping board against the wall behind the cooker or along the splashback as a natural part of the decor. It takes up almost no space, but adds a warm, handcrafted element to a room that can otherwise feel clinical. Two to three boards in different sizes and types of wood combined give a rustic, lively look — and they double as serving boards for cheese and tapas when you have guests over.
Tip: Oil-treat olive wood and acacia chopping boards 2-4 times a year with food-safe oil — for example coconut oil or linseed oil. This seals the wood, prevents cracks and preserves the natural sheen. Let the oil soak in for 30 minutes and wipe off the excess with a cloth.
Colours and accessories in the kitchen
Most kitchens have a neutral base in white, grey or wood — and that's actually an advantage, because it gives you a blank canvas to work with. Colour comes in via accessories, and even relatively small elements make a surprisingly big difference.
Salt and pepper sets, dishes and bowls
Ceramic salt and pepper sets are a good place to start. They're used daily, they sit on the table or worktop, and they come in a huge range of colours and shapes — from fish and citrus fruits to sleeker, geometric versions. Dishes and bowls in glazed ceramic serve a similar purpose: they're functional, but they look great displayed on a shelf or in the middle of the table as a permanent "fruit bowl".
Green plants and seasonal colours
Beyond the herbs, larger houseplants — a monstera in the corner, a pothos on a high shelf — can give the kitchen some green volume. It's one of the most dynamic sources of colour, because the plants actually grow and change. A vase with seasonal flowers or branches is an alternative that requires a bit more upkeep, but can be swapped out whenever you want something new.
If you're after a single starting point to give your kitchen a lift, you'll find ceramics, jugs, cups and kitchen accessories in our kitchen collection.
| Element | Effect | Price level | Time required |
|---|---|---|---|
| New knobs (15-25 pcs.) | High — transforms the whole look of the kitchen | DKK 500-1,500 | 2-4 hours |
| Ceramic jars (3 pcs.) | Medium — order + aesthetics | 200-600 DKK | 15 minutes |
| Pot covers with herbs | Medium — green, lively and functional | 150-400 DKK | 30 minutes |
| Chopping board for display | Low-medium — warm, organic detail | 150-500 DKK | 5 minutes |
| Ceramic salt and pepper sets | Low — small but visible detail | 80-250 DKK | 2 minutes |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to change knobs throughout the kitchen?
With 15-25 doors and drawers, and knobs at 30-60 DKK each, you'll typically land on 500-1,500 DKK for the whole kitchen. It's one of the cheapest renovations you can do, and all you need is a screwdriver. Remember to check the hole diameter and centre-to-centre measurement before ordering.
Can you mix materials in your kitchen decor?
Yes — and that's actually what gives a kitchen character. Wood, ceramics, brass and glass complement each other, and the contrast between smooth and rough surfaces creates depth. Stick to an overall colour palette — for example warm earth tones or cool blue-grey shades — to avoid it looking cluttered.
Which knobs suit a white kitchen best?
A white kitchen is a neutral starting point that can go in many directions. Brass knobs add warmth and elegance. Black knobs create graphic contrast. Hand-painted ceramic knobs — for example with blue motifs or terracotta colours — add personality and a handcrafted detail. You can combine two types, such as brass on top and ceramic below.
What's the difference between faience, stoneware and porcelain?
Faience is fired at the lowest temperature (approx. 900-1100°C) and is porous and light. Stoneware is fired at 1200-1280°C, and is denser and more durable. Porcelain is fired at up to 1400°C and is the hardest and most transparent. For everyday use in the kitchen, stoneware is generally the most practical choice.
How do you keep herbs alive in the kitchen window?
Supermarket herbs are typically planted extra densely to look lush at the point of sale. Split them into 2-3 separate pots, water them moderately (avoid standing water at the bottom of the pot cover), and make sure they get at least 4 hours of direct light a day. Trim regularly from the top — it stimulates new growth.
Are open shelves in the kitchen a good idea?
It depends on whether you're ready to maintain them. Open shelves gather grease and dust faster than closed cabinets and require the things on them to actually look neat. On the other hand, they give a visually lighter kitchen and easy access to the things you use most. Consider starting with one shelf as a test.
Summary
A kitchen with personality doesn't have to start with a brand new kitchen renovation. The most effective changes happen at the detail level: replace the standard handles with knobs for doors and drawers in brass or ceramic, display the nice cups on the shelf instead of behind a cupboard door, and let the chopping board live on the counter rather than in the drawer. Herbs in stylish pot covers and ceramic jars for storage bring order and aesthetics at once. What all these initiatives have in common is that they're reversible, relatively cheap and make a visible difference from day one.
Explore our range of kitchen decor and kitchen accessories— from buds and jars to cups and jugs.
