This Stylish Kitchen Wall Decor Idea Uses Something Already On Your Countertop

If you've been cooking for a while, then chances are good you have quite a collection of wooden cutting boards. Maybe you have one made from hard maple wood on Alton Brown's recommendation, or you took a page from kitchen queen Ina Garten's book and pick up a Boos Block. All these specialty cutting boards, and where do you keep them? Likely they are stowed away under a cabinet, or maybe they are stacked on your countertop. Either way, they're likely taking up precious kitchen real estate, and depending on how many you have, and how large they are, that could equate to a lot of space. Here's an idea: Free up room in your kitchen by making a gallery wall with all of your wooden cutting boards.

Not only does this look stylish, it fits a lot of different kitchen aesthetics — For the maximalist with eclectic taste, it adds a major statement piece to your cooking space. If you prefer your kitchen to be functional rather than fashionable, this cutting board decor hack can be a streamlined, minimalist storage solution. And speaking of functionality, this gallery wall is not only chic and eye-catching, it also makes it easier to find the cutting board you want and start using it. No more lifting other heavy boards off to get one at the bottom of the stack, or rifling through a dark cupboard.

Achieving a Pinterest-worthy cutting board gallery wall is easy, but it does require a bit of preparation. Before you begin hanging anything, identify where you want the display to be located. A big empty wall in your kitchen is the most obvious choice, but if you don't have one of those, an adjacent space will also work (just, you know, not in your bedroom hallway). You can fill the entire wall if you have enough cutting boards — and if you want it to be a floor-to-ceiling display, but can't fill the space with what you have, try thrifting them or visiting estate sales — or keep it more confined to the upper-middle area.

If you want the display to be visually impactful (rather than merely practical), consider how you want to arrange the cutting boards, with an eye for different wood colors and textures, as well as sizes. Lay out the cutting boards on the floor in a room with space to map out how you want them to look on the wall before placing them. You can also fill in spaces with additional wooden pieces, like bowls and utensils; or even mix in framed paintings or prints.

Ideally, cutting boards should be stored slightly propped against a wall to allow for air flow, so you are breaking the rules a little bit with this gallery wall. But as long as you let your boards dry completely after use and cleaning, you should be okay.