Is your kitchen looking a little dull and lackluster? Do you have a big, blank wall that could use some sprucing up? One of the easiest ways to instantly add visual interest and style to your kitchen is by hanging a decorative clock. Not only do they provide helpful timekeeping while you cook and dine, but decorative kitchen clocks come in a huge range of designs to match any decor.
From vintage penny clocks to sleek modern designs, a stylish kitchen clock can lend a focal point to an empty wall. It also adds a pop of color or intrigue when you need it most. Keep reading to discover popular styles of decorative clocks for kitchens and tips for choosing the perfect one to enhance your space.
Why Add a Decorative Clock to Your Kitchen?
Decor and Style
One of the biggest reasons to add a decorative clock in your kitchen is to lend visual interest to blank walls or sparse spaces. Kitchens often have large swaths of empty wall space prime for an eye-catching clock. Clocks today come in such a wide range of materials, colors, and designs that they easily spice up your decor.
For a touch of vintage flair, choose a distressed wood clock with metal accents and roman numerals. Go modern with a sleek chrome clock in unique triangular or atomic shapes. Pick a retro-inspired clock with mid-century modern or 50s diner appeal. Even a colorful fruit-shaped clock can lend a punch of fun personality.
The options are endless, making decorative clocks one of the easiest ways to show off your personal style in the kitchen. Their shapes, materials, colors and designs enliven walls that would otherwise go unused and blank.
Functionality
In addition to their decor appeal, a decorative kitchen clock is supremely functional. Glancing at an eye-level clock is an easy way to monitor time while cooking, baking or prepping meals. The clock offers a quick visual reference rather than having to repeatedly check your watch, stove clock or phone.
Mounting an attractive clock in a visible spot keeps you on track with recipes and timed cooking. No more forgetting about items in the oven or over-steaming vegetables. A kitchen clock helps you stay on top of multiple dishes and courses without letting anything overcook.
Unlike the stove clock, a decorative wall clock is visible from anywhere in the kitchen. So you can keep an eye on the time while multi-tasking between counters, sinks, and appliances. A kitchen clock simply makes cooking and meal prep easier.
Affordability
Hanging a decorative clock is also one of the most affordable and low-commitment ways to upgrade your kitchen’s style. Clocks cost significantly less than replacing drab cabinets or outdated countertops.
You can find chic, eye-catching kitchen clocks for $20 or less. Even high-end designer clocks with unique materials and styling run just $100 to $300 on average. With their low cost and high visual impact, decorative clocks offer a lot of style bang for your buck!
Since clocks are easy to mount and take down, you can also switch up your kitchen’s vibe in an afternoon. Replace clocks seasonally or when you redecorate without a long-term commitment. Versus permanent changes like paint or tiling, decorative clocks let you refresh your look anytime.
Most Popular Styles of Decorative Kitchen Clocks
Now that you know the many benefits of hanging a decorative clock in your kitchen, let’s explore some of the most popular styles and designs.
Vintage
Vintage-style clocks rank among the top options for kitchen decor. Their classic but unique elements blend seamlessly into both traditional and eclectic kitchens.
Look for vintage touches like visible clock mechanisms, distressed wood moldings, and metal finishing with an aged patina. Roman numerals or ornate hands on the clock face also lend antique flair. Rustic, farmhouse, industrial and mid-century retro looks all fall into the vintage aesthetic.
An antique-looking kitchen clock immediately gives your space a cozy, timeworn vibe. But vintage-style clocks still offer all the functionality and visual interest of modern options.
Modern and Sleek
For a more contemporary kitchen, sleek and minimalist clocks fit right in. Modern clocks complement any minimalist, urban, or ultra-modern kitchen decor.
Look for clocks with simple circular faces and clean lines. Metal, glass, and wood grains all lend modern appeal. Go super streamlined with atomic-style clocks of just bare circles and lines. Modern kitchen clocks range from elegant to totally funky.
The sparse, uncluttered look of modern clocks keeps your contemporary kitchen feeling bright and fresh. Their neutral hues blend in rather than distracting from your core decor.
Whimsical
Make a cheerful statement in your kitchen with a playful, whimsical clock design. Whimsical clocks range from colorful fruits to tea pots and measuring cups. Kitschy motifs give your kitchen a touch of lighthearted personality.
For kids’ spaces, a whimsical clock shaped like a silly animal or storybook character adds smile-inducing appeal. Even adults appreciate a sunflower clock or something graphically sweet.
Whimsical clocks feel fun, fresh and lend your kitchen an air of not taking itself too seriously. They inject your space with lively character when you want something less stark.
Tips for Choosing and Hanging Your Kitchen Clock
Once you’ve settled on a design style, keep these tips in mind for picking and properly placing your new kitchen clock:
Size and Readability
Look for a kitchen clock around 12 inches in diameter or larger. Clocks that are too small get lost on spacious kitchen walls. An oversized kitchen clock creates enough visual presence to balance out the room.
Along with size, prioritize readability in your clock choice. Look for big, bold numerals in clean fonts that are visible from across the kitchen. Uncluttered clock faces with minimal text make telling time at a glance easy during cooking.
Hand designs should also stand out clearly against the clock face. The easier it is to discern the hands and numbers, the more functional your decorative clock will be.
Placement
Ideal placement for your new kitchen clock is at eye level or slightly above. This allows you to quickly glance up from food prep and meal tasks to check the time. Place the clock centered on a wall, over the sink or near the stove for maximum visibility and convenience.
Avoid placing the clock somewhere cluttered with cookware and appliances. You want clear sightlines so the clock doesn’t get blocked as you move around cooking. Having it in an open, obvious spot lets the eye effortlessly find it.
Power Source
When selecting your kitchen clock, battery-operated quartz clocks are usually the simplest choice requiring no wiring. But you can also find decorative kitchen clocks that plug in or run on wireless, solar, or atomic power if you prefer.
Battery-operated clocks work well because you can mount them anywhere without needing an outlet nearby. Just be sure to replace the batteries every 12 months or so. Ultimately choose a power source that’s convenient and meets your functionality needs.
Top Brands and Styles to Consider
Searching for your perfect decorative kitchen clock? Here are some top-rated brands and styles to check out:
La Crosse Technology
La Crosse Technology offers a stellar selection of atomic-powered clocks with self-setting time and date. Their extra-large kitchen wall clocks feature clear LCD screens with calendar, moon phase and indoor temperature readings. The chunky black numbers stand out sharply against the white face. If you appreciate never needing to set your clock, La Crosse is a leader in accurate, self-setting kitchen clocks.
REDESS
REDESS makes artistic decorative metal clocks ideal for kitchens. Their whimsical copper wall clock sports a round wood fruit motif that makes a cheerful statement. For traditionalists, their silver-finished lantern-style clock features an aged look with bold Arabic numerals. REDESS offers quality craftsmanship and unique designs at very affordable prices.
JJZ Design
JJZ Design creates stunning oversized wall clocks with giant numerals that are incredibly easy to read from across large kitchens. Their minimalist styles, from classic round to atomic retro, work beautifully on both modern and farmhouse walls. With sizes up to 30 inches, JJZ’s kitchen clocks make a bold declaration.
Gingko
Gingko specializes in contemporary, minimalist clocks of artfully simple designs. Their aptly named “Kitchen Wall Clock” has an understated white face with sleek black metal hands. Its clean modern look discreetly elevates kitchens without overpowering. For large kitchens, their extra-large options keep time elegantly.
Copper Finishes
For vintage industrial flair, decorative kitchen clocks with copper metal finishes are a popular trend. The warm finish and lightweight material pair nicely with wooden shelves, marble counters or exposed brick. Cowling & Wilcox offer gorgeous oversized copper clocks perfect for farmhouse to urban loft kitchens.
Fruit Motifs
Fruit-shaped clocks lend cheerful whimsy to kitchen walls. ECOSUSI’s adorable watermelon clock features bright colors and even “seeds” on the pink clock face. For retro flair, River City Clocks makes mid-century shaped clocks resembling oranges and cherries. Fruit clocks provide a playful, welcoming touch.
Oversized Neutrals
When choosing simple and versatile, oversized clocks in black, white or natural wood tones fit with nearly any kitchen style. Their neutral hues blend rather than compete with your existing color scheme. Grayson Creek’s distressed wood barn clock and Newgate’s oversized bubble chrome clock keep time unobtrusively.
Adding a decorative wall clock is an easy and stylish way to upgrade your kitchen’s aesthetic. With their appealing designs and helpful functionality, clocks make a big decorative impact at a small price point. Just choose a size, style and placement that fits your space and decor vision.
Vintage, modern, minimalist or playful – there’s a kitchen clock to match your personal taste. So don’t let your kitchen walls stay empty and boring. Pick out the perfect decorative clock to lend your space a focal point full of warmth and character.
Browse our top clock brands and styles and find the look that gives your kitchen the facelift it deserves. Then enjoy a stylish, ever-functional focal point keeping your meals, recipes and kitchen routines on track in style.
