Kitchen

An island or a peninsula is a work surface first. Any Christmas decor on it has to move when you start chopping, rolling cookies or setting out food. So my one rule for the island: everything lives in or next to a single container you can lift with one hand. The base: one long, low vessel A wooden dough bowl (on Amazon) is about 18 inches long and low, which is the right shape for an island. It doesn’t block the view across the counter, and it holds a surprising amount: pinecones, a few ornaments, clementines, a string of fairy lights. Put it to one side of the island, not dead center, so the middle stays free. ...

That strip of empty space between the cabinets and the ceiling is the most ignored real estate in most kitchens. In December it’s the easiest place to add a lot of Christmas without giving up a single inch of counter. The trick is to treat it as one long line, not a shelf for a dozen things. One continuous garland A garland running the full length of the cabinet tops is what makes the kitchen look decorated from the doorway. Measure along the front edge of the cabinets, including the returns at each end, and add a foot for draping. ...

The window over the sink is the one spot in a small kitchen you look at every single day. It’s also the one place where decorations have to stay out of the way of water, steam and a dish rack. Here’s how I’d dress it. What’s in this post A wreath that doesn’t need a nail Candles that turn on by themselves Greenery across the top What to leave off the sill A wreath that doesn’t need a nail A small wreath centered in the glass is the classic look, and it’s the easiest to do in a rental. A suction wreath hanger (on Amazon) holds it from the inside of the window. Wipe the glass with rubbing alcohol first so the cup grips. ...

A small kitchen can feed a holiday table. It cannot do it if the oven and both burners are asked to finish at the same minute. Buy the things that cook while the oven is busy, then store without a second cabinet. The one that earns its counter space in January, not only on the 25th, is a 5 quart air fryer (on Amazon). The Ninja AF141 is a single basket with air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. The basket holds a tray of appetizers or a pan of vegetables while a roast has the oven. The machine is about 15 inches deep, 11 inches wide and 10 inches tall. If that spot on the counter is already a landing strip, it is the wrong appliance, however good the potatoes are. ...

A Christmas coffee bar is one corner of your kitchen set up for holiday drinks: mugs, syrups, a few toppings, and a little decoration. It’s handy all December, for slow weekend mornings, for guests, and for a cup of something before you wrap presents. You don’t need a big kitchen. One small section of counter or a cart is enough. Where to put it Pick a spot near the coffee maker or kettle, out of the main cooking area. If your counter is full, a three-tier rolling cart (on Amazon) works: machine on top, mugs and syrups in the middle, extras on the bottom. Roll it into the living room when friends come over. ...

Fall is when people start cooking more again, so the kitchen needs its counters. The trick is to put fall everywhere except where you chop: towels, the table, the tops of shelves and the windowsill. Towels The quickest change in any kitchen. Swap the dish towels and the hand towel by the sink for fall ones (on Amazon), or just plain rust, mustard or olive. You see them every time you wash a dish. Get a couple of extras; you’ll be using more. ...

A lot of Christmas happens in the kitchen: baking, cocoa, a table covered in cookie icing. But it’s also where you need every inch of counter. So everything here goes somewhere you don’t cook: the table, a wall, a shelf, the fridge door. On the table and above the stove A runner. A 72-inch runner (on Amazon) down the kitchen table or island is the quickest change you can make. Get washable cotton or linen, because December tables get gravy and glue on them. Lay it over your everyday runner rather than replacing it. ...