Knives Clout: How to Pick the Right Knives for Your Home

Countertops. Cabinets. Backsplashes. When it comes to kitchen design, most people look at the larger elements–but smaller details like knives, cutting boards and flatware can make a big difference when it comes to personal style.

Just ask Britt Machado, owner of the Providence, RI interior design firm Johnnycakes. In addition to designing and staging residential spaces, Johnnycakes has a retail space stocked with furniture, art, lighting and new and vintage entertaining pieces. The firm’s work was recently featured on the cover of Providence Monthly Magazine.

Machado, an entertainment industry vet and master gardener, says of her style and of launching Johnnycakes, “Our clients have so many different styles, whether it’s an 100-year-old farmhouse or Southwestern maximalism. We’ve found there was an appetite for having more bold, funky, style-expansive options on the East Coast.”

As a lover of flatware and maximalist spaces, Machado shared some tips to make your knives and boards work seamlessly and stylishly within your kitchen and on your table.

1. Consider textiles

When it comes to HexClad’s two knife colorways–the eye-catching green Pakkawood and newly launched Espresso–Machado thinks there are some natural pairings with countertop options.

“Pair the green with carrara marble, while the brown will look great with a more sparkly quartz,” she says. “Stainless steel and concrete are both back; they’d both look really dope with the green knives.”

Terrazzo, the speckled material made by embedding marble chips (or other elements like granite, quartz or glass) in a cement base, is also having a moment, Machado says. Although either knife could work, given terrazzo’s mishmash of colors, she thinks the green would be a natural pairing.

2. Make your knife station an art piece

Given her passion for gardening, Machado is adamant about including plants in her design spaces–and it’s no different when it comes to displaying knives.

“If you want to put your knives on the wall with a metallic strip, partner it with some planters to give it a nice hard-soft contrast,” she says.

Art can be a fun incorporation, too.

“Not a lot of people put art in kitchens,” Machado says. “If you’re doing a wall-mounted design, make a gallery wall and put the frame around the knife set to make it a piece of art. If you’ve got a more fun, funky aesthetic, pair the knives with some fun locally-made food drawings or interchange your favorite family vacation photos.”

Even the knife strip itself can be turned into something more special and unique.

“Those magnetic wall strips are fine, they work great, but you can customize and make it look less off-the-shelf,” Machado says. “Just get a simple small piece of leather and wrap it around the strip. It will maintain its magnetic ability, but you can make it more custom.” (Of course, we prefer our stunning walnut magnetic block!) 

3. Have everything within reach

Although this may not be an option for everyone, if you’re considering a kitchen remodel, your knife station can be incorporated right into the design, Machado says.

“If you have the luxury of doing a kitchen remodel, consider making a cutting station next to the sink. Embed your knife block and your cutting board into your countertop so that everything is within reach,” she recommends. “It creates a seamless utilitarian design.”

4. Don’t forget the table

Machado, who has hosted a gifting salon where she styled cutting boards with vintage knives, thinks both elements can be an important part of tabletop design. One element to consider, she says, is a knife rest.

“I love a good, old-fashioned knife rest, which you can find in so many different shapes, textures and colors,” she says. “HexClad has those beautiful steak knives, and this way, you can actually really make the knives part of the tablescape.”

Cutting boards, like our gorgeous Walnut Cutting Board, can also be a statement piece when it comes to entertaining.

“Family-style eating is back, so a cutting board can be a real centerpiece to a meal,” Machado says. “Actually set your table with your cutting board and a beautiful knife and invite people into your space. You can put your flowers on top of it and make it a real moment.”

No matter what your personal style, knives can play a sharp role in your kitchen and tabletop aesthetic.

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