No matter how big or small it is, your home’s kitchen should be a welcoming place. Kitchen decorations can mean the difference between a dreary room and one that’s bursting with Philly flare and flavor. A few subtle touches will make your kitchen feel right at home in the city.

DIY Backsplash

A backsplash is a practical addition to any kitchen. The point of a backsplash is to protect the wall area behind your sink and stove from oil splatters and water spray. Modern backsplashes also serve a decorative purpose. If your kitchen has a white- or neutral-colored tile backsplash, you can give it instant Philly flare by stenciling a picture of the Liberty Bell on a few of the tiles. Use an epoxy paint made for kitchen and bathroom tiles or a permanent marker to draw the bells.

If you don’t have a tile backsplash — and aren’t inclined to put one in yourself — you’re not out of luck. You can hang a large mirror behind the sink to act as a backsplash. Add a Philadelphia touch by painting your own version of Robert Indiana’s “Love” statue on the mirror or by re-creating the logo of your favorite local brewing company.

Sporty Decorations

Honor your favorite sports team, whether it’s the Eagles, the Phillies, or the Flyers, with kitchen decorations printed with your team’s logo. If you have open cabinets, arrange a collection of Phillies glassware front and center to show your love of the game and the team.

You can also be a bit more subtle with your sporty decor. For example, instead of filling your kitchen with decorations and glassware embossed with your team’s logo, work some of the team’s colors into your decorating scheme. Use a vibrant red dish drainer or place a bright-red, enameled Dutch oven on your stove to show your love for the Phillies without being too obvious.

Hang a Hex Sign

Although Philadelphia isn’t the home of the Pennsylvania Dutch, plenty of farmers from that area come into the city to sell their produce, honey, and other wares at Reading Terminal and at area farmers’ markets. Along with giving a nod to the area’s history and culture, hanging a hex sign might bring good fortune to your kitchen and home. Hex signs are a form of folk art that appears on Pennsylvania Dutch barns, and have been popular as a home decorating item for decades.

Despite the name — in English, “hex” usually means “curse” — these symbols are nothing but lovely decorations that have positive superstitions associated with them. For example, a distelfink, a type of bird commonly featured on hex signs, is meant to represent happiness and luck. Rosettes on a hex sign also symbolize good luck.

Look for PA-Inspired Kitchen Gear

Look for a kitchen item that somehow references Pennsylvania or Philly and make it the focal point of your kitchen area. For example, place a PA state-shaped cutting board in the center of your counter or kitchen island so that you always know where home is. You can also hang vintage plates decorated with images of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and other Philadelphia landmarks on the wall.

When choosing kitchen decorations with a Philly flare, you don’t want to go too over-the-top. People walking into your kitchen should see your pride in your city, not think you replaced your kitchen area with a tourist shop. With these touches, you can embrace the city’s flavor and keep things homelike and stylish at the same time.

Photo Source: Flickr

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