How to Dress Up a Stove Top

Use a brightly colored saucepan to dress up a plain stove top.

The stove top may be the focal point of your kitchen. It also may be where you do most of your kitchen work, such as stirring soups and boiling water for pasta. A few small decorative touches can go a long way toward dressing up the stove top, both while you use it and during times it's not in use. You don't have to make drastic changes, such as painting, to improve its appearance.

Things You'll Need

• Multi-purpose cleaner
• Sponges
• Mild abrasive cleaner
• Decorative burner covers (optional)
• Enameled cast-iron pan, stainless or enameled steel teakettle or cast-iron skillet

Instructions

1. Clean and de-clutter the stove top. If you use the stove top to store saucepans, choose the prettiest one and find a new space for the others. Wipe the stove top with multi-purpose cleaner on a sponge. If the surface has burnt-on stains, use a mild abrasive cleaner and a sponge to scrub and remove the stains.

2. Cover the burners with decorative burner covers if the stove doesn't have a flat, ceramic or glass top. Use covers that fit on the burners, either circular covers that each cover a single burner or rectangular covers that each fit over two burners.

3. Set a single enameled cast-iron pan or teakettle on one of the upper stove top burners. Use an enameled cast-iron pan in a pretty color that coordinates with the rest of your kitchen. You can use a teakettle in stainless steel or enameled steel if you prefer. For a more rustic look, set a cast-iron skillet on one of the burners.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not use the stove top for cooking very often, dress it up by placing a vase full of flowers on its center between the burners. Remove the vase before turning on the stove top or oven.

References

• Country Living: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Decorating
• Southern Living: 101 Inspiring Design Ideas