“As if I treated it like a composition,” these are the exact words I think of decor and the parts of it. Don’t take me wrong, but most decorations fail because of the lack of planning, perspective, mood, and objects. This last weekend, as I embarked on the journey of launching our YouTube videos, designing the Shorts content, and found how in recent months, our space had traveled from perfect to clutter, I took my time after recording a few starter clips and then formulated the plan to find the right things for our space, starting with kitchen, and decorate it more functionally. Knowing the elements of decor, I first decided what mood I wanted to set and how to plan the perspective of my kitchen for every element to have its own identity and make it look more arranged and formal. Further, to me, the definition of functionality is that there should be no interference from heavy appliances or clutter as I dedicate my time to preparing my meals. This is the time that makes me calm and takes me out of any thoughts that have been interrupting me that day. To respect this, I decided to have the least amount of appliances but heavily reliable kitchen essentials, one of which was decorative knives. Knives have always been my favorite objects after those shining pans and spatulas, and when I saw the opportunity to write about it, there was no way I could have ignored it.
In this article, I will explain how knives can play a significant role in decoration and recommend the perfect decorative knife that suits all your requirements inside a kitchen.
Why You Should Consider Decorative Knives at First Place?
Before we start discussing the benefits of having decorative knives in your kitchen, let me share one of the quick bits that you might have thought about if you have been to a culinary school or have a friend there who shared some information about it. There is a big difference between decorative and regular knives when we speak in their terms; the former can feature beads and artistic work, while the latter may come in handy in your cutting. Understanding we are here to value functionality, I will not pick a strictly decorative knife; instead, talk about ones that not only have blades to make you look like a sous chef but also adorably complement your walls or drawers.
1. Decorative Knives Add Texture and Art to Your Space.
When I wrote about Gaudí Buildings and how the great architect put value in his works, I saw one of the most elemental ways his buildings differentiate was by bringing expressiveness to the walls. While this can be done with textured tiles and creative palettes, you can also add functional items to a blank wall to accessorize it and give texture as well as identity to it. For instance, the nearest wall of your kitchen that may house the refrigerator alone can be turned into a smart shelf that carries different types of pans and kitchen essentials. Additionally, as these shelves create a lot more burden on a corner or a wall, you can use decorative knives that can be affordable and complement your kitchen with minimalism.
The above decoration style might not be suitable for a kitchen with an open space plan, and to serve that, I recommend arranging your drawers for ultimate usefulness and arranging your knives in such a way that they complement other items in the drawer. You can also use something sleek to house your knives and showcase your exquisite taste. I have written a few ideas in the coming sections that will further help you recognize the style that your decorative knives can boast.
2. Serves an Intent.
When I began my article, I was careful to pull one of the most common mistakes that we make in our kitchen- misplacing our knives or other accessories and then hurrying to locate them when needed. We all know that the kitchen is a space where time is highly respected and delaying even the slightest can change the way your dishes are supposed to taste. To solve this, a dedicated rack or wallboard for your decorative knives is highly preferred. Not only does it help you locate them in an instant, but also makes your island clutter-free.
3. Consider Decorative Knives as an Upgrade.
We all have blunt knives at our home, to which my Mom addresses, “Safe.” But in reality, it acts more on the contrast of my mother’s thoughts and to address this, I have only one opinion, either get it to the best blade sharpener you know nearby or simply replace it with a better control knife. I have added how to pick knives in the next section so that you can do better every time, but just in case, you were wondering, this is a reason worth considering before anything to switch to a better knife.
Lastly, adding to the previous paragraph, when we compare a regular knife to a decorative knife, one of the biggest advantages is that the latter is suitable under different working conditions and because of its ease of carry, they can be traveled with to the sites of camping or outdoor activities.
How to Pick the Perfect Decorative Knife?
Learning how the needs of your kitchen and your balance on a knife may vary, I have written a detailed guide on kitchen knives. However, these are the five tips you can refer to for finding the best decorative knife for your kitchen.
1. Pick the Right Type of Blade for Your Purpose.
When picking any knife, one of the first things that you should check is the type of blade that you are getting and how it might serve your purpose of cutting. For instance, there are cleavers, slicers, and Japanese knives. These categories are then divided into sub-categories per the tips, whether pointed or not, or in terms of length. If we were to treat our knives on a scale of royalty and if there was no cap for budget, I would have taken you to a complete account that can help you classify your needs. However, as we are focussing on decorative knives that can be useful inside and outside the kitchen for no harder tasks like cutting bones, I will recommend you prefer a blade that has a length between 8 to 22 cm and is rigid and not flexible. Additionally, you need to make sure that the spine of this blade, which is the blunt side of the knife, is polished and soft instead of being rough, which can hurt your skin while employing the knife.
2. Determine the Material of the Blade for Longer Life.
No steel is rust-free, and when you shop online or ask a salesperson to help you with your offline purchase, make sure you do not fall for marketing gimmicks. Always look for more information. For this, you can visit the company’s FAQ page to learn more about the quality of steel and its maintenance tips. When buying offline, try to ask the salesperson what type of steel is it, and how durable are the edges. One of the better parts of purchasing offline is you also get to check the knife and its handling which is important as it is always better to know if they fit rightly in your hands. In the case of online purchasing, determine the material of the handle and make sure they are secured and have a suitable design, not round but cylindrical in a way that never hurts your grip. I prefer wooden handles when purchasing decorative knives, but the preference differs a lot. While the wood requires care, plastic and steel may feel slippery to most, especially the latter, when they are not textured.
3. Consider Word of Mouth and Reviews.
A good reputation takes time, and I highly advise using the internet and recent reviews to understand the quality of any product and how well it holds up. It is also advisable to shop in official stores as the brands with good sales and names are most possibly diluted by their fakes, and knowing how knives can be an important tool, I don’t think you would like to take chances.
4. Do Not Forget Feng Shui for Stability.
According to Feng Shui, the exposure of sharp items, essentially knives, is not advisable as they attract bad luck, and for positive energy, I recommend decorative knives that can be folded into their handle.
5. Calculate Your Budget and Pick the Right Decorative Knife.
Decorative knives are available at varying price ranges, depending on the life and the brand you may end up liking the most. To help you out with this, I picked the best decorative knives by Opinel that not only check most of your boxes but are also available at affordable pricing.
How to Maintain Your Decorative Knives?
Maintaining a decorative knife is a little different from maintaining a regular kitchen knife. You should understand that if you are buying my recommendation (that I highly advise), there is a chance that the behavior of the wood change, making it difficult to open the blade. To reverse this, you can try keeping your knife in a cool dry place for a couple of days, and it will good as new.
Next, many people do not understand that maintaining a blade and sharpening a blade are different tasks. If you are looking for the former, you should use honing steel for almost every kitchen knife, including decorative knives. It is one of the best practices to keep a sharp knife sharp and not decline its edge quality within shorter periods. Remember, honing steel can not sharpen a blunt knife and you will require a good knife sharpener for that.
Ideas for Decorating With Knives.
1. Knife Cleavages for Better Arrangement Inside Drawers.
Using space inside drawers is one of the most reliable practices to always spot the cooking essential on time, and as we realize that, I highly advise you to try these knife cleavages that not only make your drawers look like a toolkit but also give you the creativity to sort them in your way and use the space to its ultimate manner.
2. Arrange the Cutting Board and Knives In Walls.
One of the ideas that captivated me in an instant is how you can use your wall space and install a slim cabinet to house your knives and cutting board. Keeping it out of sight, this idea might attract those who like to keep their kitchen island clean, and at the same time, use every little space and make every area functional.
3. Be Creative With Your Kitchen Island.
If you observe the construction of your kitchen island and furniture, you will find various brackets where the space underneath the board lies empty. By capitalizing on this opportunity, you can install a knife board that showcases only the knife handles and hides the blades cleverly. Further, this is an idea that is really outstanding in terms of reachability, unlike the second one.
4. Knife Rack With Leather Holders.
You might have seen knife racks or mounts and even have one in your kitchen. The trend of installing magnetic knife mounts has been there for quite some time now, and knowing how fabrics change the overall look of the space, I recommend using this idea. You can play around with it and design it more according to your personality. Keep in mind that we are abiding by Feng Shui here and there will be no sharp edges that repel you from the look. Lastly, wood and leather are always a classic choice.
5. Try Singular Knife Holders.
If you plan to change almost nothing in your kitchen, but still accessorize it with decorative knives- I recommend reaching out to your nearby carpenter and ask him/her to make a standing knife case that can suitably contain your knife while showing its handle.
Final Words.
Decorative knives can be a great way to bring extra charm to your kitchen, and by now, you have gained all the necessary knowledge to buy, maintain, and decorate with them. However, if you have any more questions, use the comment section, and I will reply in no time.
Resource.
Featured Image: Foldable Knives for Kitchen by Opinel; Opinel Australia.
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