Decorating With Kitchen Canister Sets

A kitchen accent returns to popularity

Kitchen canister sets, once a mainstay of the American kitchen, declined in popularity in the 1980s when a mania for clean lines and stark surfaces overcame the practical need for a place to store dry goods.  Briefly relegated to antique shops, flea markets, and thrift stores, the popularity of kitchen canister sets has rebounded dramatically in recent years.

Available in more materials and more shapes than ever before, kitchen canister sets are an ideal way to accent a kitchen's décor, change the mood of the space, or invigorate a design that has become static.

Material concerns

In terms of materials, canister sets come in every conceivable finish. 

Pottery canister sets, with their earth tones and rounded shapes, create a homey and down to earth sense in stark and cold spaces. 

Some earthenware or ceramic canister sets may be painted by hand.  These rich, artistic pieces communicate uniqueness and a respect for craft. 

Copper canister sets recall the bygone era of cast iron stoves and open fires.  The luster of the metal warms the kitchen with reflected light.  As the canisters age, the metal gains more personality, becoming as individual as it owner.

Novel materials like stoneware and glass can inject much-needed texture into a kitchen design. 

Stainless steel canisters give a modern edge and can easily highlight other metallic surfaces on refrigerators and ranges. 

Clear acrylic and glass canisters provide for an easy inventory of a can's contents and allow the natural beauty of the food to show through.

Bursting with color

Ceramic canister sets, with their bright colors and polished exteriors, can provide a punchy splash of color in an overwhelmingly monochromatic color scheme.  Think of creating a focal point.  Although traditional kitchen colors predominate - yellow, black, white, blue, and green - a wild color like red, pink, or turquoise can enliven a whole room.  A small expenditure for a new set of canisters can change the energy of a room dramatically.  Bright, festive tones give more bang for the buck.

Follow through

If a room has a successful theme going for it already, use kitchen canisters to pick up that thread. Many sets explore common themes such as chickens, geese, pigs, grapes or other country themes. Pick out an image from drapes, plates, or wallpaper and choose a canister with another version of the same motif.  Holiday canister sets can bring the spirit of a holiday to life with patterns, seasonal colors, and fun shapes. 

More information on kitchen canisters