Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

A Hot Chocolate Themed Kitchen

Chocolate is a wonderfully versatile theme that can transform your kitchen into a cozy nook reminiscent of the comfort of hot chocolate.

The milk and dark browns of true chocolate and the creamy white of white chocolate are great colors to decorate your kitchen in. Find color accents from the foods and spices that go with chocolate: vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, chilis. The original cocoa bean comes in colors that range from yellow to red. You're trying to evoke the richness of hot chocolate with all the trimmings: whipped cream, sprinklings of cinnamon and nutmeg and even some hot chili accents.

The advantage of chocolate themes is that you can go dark or light. If your kitchen is smaller, you might want to try a creamy white like white chocolate, vanilla or whipped cream for the walls. You can even spritz some cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkles on the walls to give them that whipped-cream-on-hot-chocolate look. Patterned wallpaper that combines chocolate colors might also be a good option. A chocolate-brown-and-white stripe might work. If the kitchen is large and well-lighted, a chocolate brown color on the walls may not be too much. Use your knowledge of your space to make the right decision.

Once you've figured out the walls, consider the accents. Creamy white chocolate walls will get a boost from milk or dark chocolate browns on the door frames, doors, windowsills and floors. Chocolate browns also work well for your counters, dish towels, plates and kitchen tools. A chocolate brown tablecloth is attractive against white plateware and also hides many stains. If you want to 'pep up' your theme, consider chili red chairs or tablecloth or counters. Cinnamon and nutmeg browns do well to lighten up a rich, dark chocolatey main theme.

Collect old chocolate tins to keep kitchenware and frequently used baking supplies in. Hang some pictures featuring chocolate or put some vintage chocolate posters on your walls - turn-of-the-century Nouveau Art posters are exceptionally attractive. Try your hand at shadowbox frames (a shallow box with one glass side, meant to be hung on the wall) and fill them with cocoa beans. Hang mugs for hot chocolate on the walls and don't forget to have your favorite chocolate mix situated prominently somewhere, along with the paraphernalia that go along with the perfect cup of chocolate.

Plants are an important part of decorating and a chocolate themed room is no exception. There are a number of plants that will either add to the smell or the appearance of your room. Chocolate flowers (berlandiera lyrata), chocolate cosmos (cosmos atrosanguineus) and chocolate vines (akebia quinata) actually smell like chocolate. The original chocolate plant, the cocoa tree (theobroma cacao), is notoriously difficult to grow in climates it is not suited for, but you can certainly give it a try. Check out chocolateflowerfarm.com for a wonderful selection of "chocolate" themed plants and seeds.

With a careful choice of wall colors and accents, you can recreate the look and feel of a decadent drink - calorie free.