Shape the Style of Your Kitchen

A kitchen takes shape through small choices: the colour on the walls, the lamp above the table, the herbs within reach of the hob. Whether your taste leans traditional or practical and compact, there are ways to bring character into any kitchen, however much space you have.

Warm and classic kitchen touches

A traditional kitchen tends to favour neutral colours like white and grey, with furniture that has gentle, elegant lines rather than sharp modern edges. Glass-fronted cabinets, warm wood finishes and handworked details all help create that lived-in, welcoming feel. A SKURUP pendant lamp hung low over a table brings a soft, classic glow, while an EDSBRUK frame or SILVERHÖJDEN frame on an open shelf gives space to the small, personal objects that make a kitchen feel like home.

Open shelving and dressers work particularly well here, since they let you display crockery, old utensils or inherited pieces rather than hiding them away. A KNOPPÄNG frame with poster adds a printed detail without cluttering the wall, a NORDVIKEN chair brings a slightly formal, wooden note to the table, and a BEGÄRLIG vase or a VATTENKRASSE watering can left out on a worktop adds the kind of everyday charm that feels thoughtfully put together rather than staged.

KNOPPÄNG frame with poster, garden, 40x50 cm, 2 packNORDVIKEN chair, black, 44x97x54 cmSKURUP pendant lamp, black, 19 cmVATTENKRASSE watering can, ivory/gold-colour, 0.9 lEDSBRUK frame, black stained, 40x50 cmSILVERHÖJDEN frame, gold-colour, 13x18 cm

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A hanging herb garden by the window

If space is tight, as it often is in a Maltese apartment or townhouse kitchen, growing herbs does not need a windowsill full of pots. Hanging them instead keeps the worktop clear and puts rosemary, basil or mint exactly where you reach for them while cooking. A KUNGSFORS rail fixed near a window gives you a sturdy line to hang containers from, building a vertical arrangement rather than a horizontal one.

Different plants can sit in different types of holder, so it is worth mixing things up along the rail rather than lining up identical pots. Above the arrangement, a MISTERHULT pendant lamp adds warm light on darker winter evenings, when the days are shorter even if the climate stays mild. The result is a small fragrant corner that works equally well in a rustic kitchen or a plainer, more contemporary one.

KUNGSFORS rail, stainless steel, 56 cmMISTERHULT pendant lamp, bamboo/handmade, 45 cmVARMBLIXT LED table/wall lamp, orange glass/round, 30 cmLAUTERS floor lamp, ash/white, 62 cmFADO table lamp, white, 25 cmTVÄRHAND table lamp, black/bamboo, 18x12 cm

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A vertical herb wall for small kitchens

A wall-mounted system with built in holders is a clever way to grow herbs without giving up any worktop or floor space, which matters in the smaller kitchens common across Gozo and Malta alike. Shelves set at different heights let each plant get the light and air it needs, and the whole arrangement becomes a feature in itself rather than something tucked out of sight.

A KORKEN jar with lid works well for storing dried herbs once they have been cut, keeping them fresh in Malta's humid summer air, and a RÖRT spoon nearby makes it easy to measure out a pinch while cooking. This kind of vertical growing suits both a rustic kitchen, where it adds texture, and a sleeker modern one, where it reads as a practical, space saving detail rather than decoration.

KORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 1 lRÖRT spoon, beechKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 0.5 lRÖRT spoon, round/beechVARDAGEN measuring jug, glass, 0.5 lLÄTTBAKAD cooling rack, 39x28 cm

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A rustic herb corner with jars and hooks

For a more rustic look, the kind that suits a country style kitchen with plenty of wood and warm colours, rails, hooks and small jars are really all you need. Pick a wall that gets good natural light, fix the rails and hooks in place, and hang jars of herbs and small plants from them. An ENHET wall frame with shelves gives structure to the arrangement, holding pots at a few different levels so nothing feels crowded.

For planting, a FÖRENLIG plant pot is a straightforward option that suits herbs and small kitchen plants alike. Old jars with lids can be given a second life here too, dressed up with labels or a length of ribbon, which adds a handmade touch and keeps the whole corner feeling personal rather than bought as a set.

ENHET wall frame with shelves, white, 60x15x75 cmFÖRENLIG plant pot, in/outdoor white, 12 cmFÖRENLIG plant pot, in/outdoor white, 9 cmHASSELBUKETT plant pot, in/outdoor/beige, 19 cmBRUNBÄR plant pot with saucer, outdoor terracotta, 15 cmNYPON plant pot, in/outdoor grey, 24 cm

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Mix and match across these ideas to find a combination that suits your own kitchen, however much or little space you are working with. Maltashopper delivers the pieces you choose straight to your door.

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