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How Do I Choose the Best Chef Decor?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

Chef decor can range from very formal to very whimsical, so choosing appropriate items is often a matter of determining the atmosphere of the room you are decorating. There are fat chefs, French chefs and somber-looking chefs to choose from, so you can pick one style of chef decor or a combination of several. A chef holding a menu board is often a focal piece and a must-have when decorating with chef decor, and the menu board is often a functioning chalkboard for a home chef to list the day's menu.

Available chef decor items include an abundance of serving dishes, such as chefs holding up the ends of an olive dish, chefs serving as the base for a salt and pepper set, and a chef sitting atop a round dish used to cover cheese. Canister sets are available with pictures of chefs on them and also are offered in various chef shapes. Chef oil burners, cheese cutting boards and egg holders are also available. Coasters, salad serving forks and cruet sets are also available in chef motifs.

A chef's hat can be used as a decor item in a chef-themed room.
A chef's hat can be used as a decor item in a chef-themed room.

Dinnerware, including chef plates, cereal bowls and salad bowls, are available for use and display. Utensils, such as chef cake servers, bread knives and pizza slicers, are also functional chef decor items. Useful, chef-themed items are also available in the form of paper towels holders, toothpick holders and kitchen scrubber holders. Napkin rings, stove covers and place mats also are available in chef themes.

Heat protective mitts are considered a necessary accessory for chefs.
Heat protective mitts are considered a necessary accessory for chefs.

Wall clocks featuring chefs, along with wall hooks and refrigerator magnets can add to your chef decor. Chef-inspired salt and pepper mills, utensil holders and napkin holders are also available. Trivets, coffee mugs and cheese spreaders are also offered in chef themes. Other decorative utensils include basting brushes, peelers and cheese and herb shakers.

A chef is a skilled professional cook who is trained and experienced in the culinary arts.
A chef is a skilled professional cook who is trained and experienced in the culinary arts.

Textile chef decor items are numerous and include chair cushions, oven mitts and curtains. Embroidered, appliqued and printed chef-themed hand towels are also offered. Cloth mixer, blender and toaster covers are also available in chef themes. A single chef hat or an assortment of hats can also be used as chef decor.

The majority of chef decor is likely used in a kitchen or dining room, but you may want to add some chef touches to other rooms. Decorating options include a chef-themed magazine rack, throw rug or statue. There also are a wide variety of chef figurines available and many types of framed chef prints as well.

Discussion Comments

shell4life

I really think that chef décor should be confined to the kitchen. Some people collect chef figurines and art, but it just looks out of place in the living room or bedroom.

I think all that stuff should go in either the kitchen or the dining room. You wouldn't put comforters or pillows in your kitchen, so you shouldn't put chef décor in your bedroom.

My cousin has a big chef clock in her living room, and it just bothers me. In the kitchen, she has a decorative wrought iron clock that would match the living room so well, and I wish she would switch them.

OeKc05

I've never been particularly drawn to chef décor, but there was one piece that really drew me in. I saw a fat chef utensil holder, and it looked so funny that I had to buy it.

It's basically a round chef with a big bowl in his back where you put your spatulas, wooden spoons, and basting brushes. The chef has one of those little black mustaches, and the expression on his face is so serious that it cracks me up.

The whole thing is ceramic, and it has a glossy sheen to it. The chef is wearing white, and his skin is painted a flesh color. Even without the utensil holder function, it would make a funny piece of art.

seag47

@StarJo – I'm not a chef, but my brother is, and he doesn't find the décor offensive at all. In fact, he decorated his house with it.

He is overweight, and he thinks it's funny when he meets a skinny chef. After all, they have a love of food, and they are around it all the time.

My brother has gone overboard with the chef décor, in my opinion. He has silverware with chef shapes at the end of each piece, as well as salt and pepper shakers. He has chef-shaped potholders and even a chef-shaped floor mat.

He even has an apron with a big smiling chef printed on the front. He has a great sense of humor, and he just gets a kick out of all the chef stuff. He likes seeing the way people react to the visual overload of it all.

StarJo

I wonder if chefs find all the décor portraying the fat mustached stereotype offensive? No chef I have ever seen actually wears a tall white hat and sports a curly mustache.

I really don't know any chefs personally, but I would hesitate to decorate my house in a chef theme, because I would be afraid I might one day befriend one, and he might be offended at my décor.

Are any chefs reading this, and if so, are you offended by the stereotype? Do you cringe when you see fat chefs on kitchenware and in artwork?

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    • A chef's hat can be used as a decor item in a chef-themed room.
      By: dp3010
      A chef's hat can be used as a decor item in a chef-themed room.
    • Heat protective mitts are considered a necessary accessory for chefs.
      By: Africa Studio
      Heat protective mitts are considered a necessary accessory for chefs.
    • A chef is a skilled professional cook who is trained and experienced in the culinary arts.
      By: Minerva Studio
      A chef is a skilled professional cook who is trained and experienced in the culinary arts.