This Might Be the Coolest Way Ever to Add Art to Your Kitchen

While the kitchen is probably one of the most fun rooms in any home (because: food), it can also look a bit… blah. With so many cabinets, appliances, and gadgets, the space can emit total utilitarian vibes that go against the how inspirational a kitchen should be. In order to combat that phenomenon, TikToker and Instagrammer Sourya Venumbaka of Sové Home wanted to add some personality to her rental kitchen after moving into her Philadelphia apartment. (Check out her full house tour here!)

“After living with the kitchen for a few months, I felt like the space needed some character,” Venumbaka told Apartment Therapy when we previously published a Before & After of the room. As part of that kitchen makeover, Venumbaka decided to throw some chic art into the equation. In order to do so, given her kitchen’s limited wall real estate, Venumbaka actually introduced framed art in potentially the most unexpected place possible: on the refrigerator. 

“I first thought of putting paintings on the fridge when I made renter-friendly changes to my kitchen,” says Venumbaka. “I had effectively transformed the whole space with contact paper, and that just made the plain, outdated fridge stick out like a sore thumb. Since I had no walls I could hang art on in the kitchen, I figured I would just put it on the fridge.”

She started by hanging her own framed creation on the refrigerator, using Command strips to keep it renter-friendly and reversible. Next, she displayed a piece she scored at a thrift store. She swapped out these pieces of art by simply hanging the new one with fresh Command strips. If you want to try this yourself and are planning to hang a lightweight frame, you could also use magnetic strips. You could even create a mini gallery wall on the front or side of your fridge if you have a couple of favorite pieces that are small enough to fit there. Try to think about the palette in the rest of your kitchen as you make your selects, too. “I look for paintings with the right dimensions and that go with the colors in the rest of the kitchen,” Venumbaka says.

For an elevated, adult version of the fridge art you made as a kid, give Venumbaka’s idea a go in your own home. Instead of showcasing your crayon drawings or showing off your good grades, you’ll display sophisticated artwork and make your kitchen an even more welcoming, colorful space.