Eater Staff
There is art, for example, that becomes kitchen art by virtue of the fact that it’s hung next to your pot rack. But there is also kitchen art that pays homage to the many foods and beverages you love, or scenes that evoke places of culinary importance; happily cluttered cafe tables, bustling fish markets, and romantic still life oil paintings are all fare fodder for souping up your kitchen’s ambiance.
Below, I have outlined my favorite places to buy kitchen art online. As a longtime shopping writer and passionate home decor enthusiast who checks Facebook marketplace about five times a day frequently, I’ve seasoned my taste for nice art from decades of trekking to estate sales, sniffing out authentic antique stoneware jugs and lithographs, and curating objects of whimsy that make me feel like a millennial Tony Duquette (or at least a person with a nice landscape painting from Etsy). There’s a storefront for every budget and level of savoir faire, from the seasoned collector to folks who just want a one-stop-shop for a pre-framed, ready-to-hang snapshot of the Côte d’Azur or a showstopping vase for their kitchen island. If you can dream it, you can find (some version of it) on the world wide web.
Let’s dress up the most important room in your house.
The Best Online Art Stores
1stDibs
Ideal for: Antique and contemporary art
1stDibs is a design- and antique-lover’s haven for all kinds of treasures, and while it boasts some seriously expensive items (see: this original Chagall) it also has quite a few original oil paintings for under $400, including this cheery lobster, and an abundance of shelf-worthy antique objects with truckloads of whimsy, such as botanical mushroom sculptures and Delft spoon racks, and century-old British lithographs of grapes.
Chairish
Ideal for: Unique prints, posters, and wall accents, directly from artists or antique dealers
Much like its storied contemporary 1stDibs, Chairish is a vast online retailer for all things antique, vintage, and art-forward, from ceramics and tableware to photo prints and original oil paintings of, say, martini olives. Prices vary wildly (and skew expensive), but many sellers on the platform accept offers, so haggling and negotiating isn’t just permitted — it’s encouraged.
Drool Art
Ideal for: Art that looks like it belongs in a very cool loft
Drool offers a wide array of contemporary prints and posters with an emphasis on the postmodern, the psychedelic, and the surreal. Even if you don’t have a converted industrial loft in Tribeca or Echo Park, Drool is a great source for super-affordable, conversation-starting pieces that are more unique than what you’ll find at most print-and-ship online art stores — and has a surprisingly cool variety of food-centric art, like this notable dreamy print of a butterfly living up to its name, or this homage to tingly Sichuan peppercorns.
Minted
Ideal for: Affordable and highly-customizable prints
Minted offers so many options for customizing its vast array of prints, including a variety of frames and the ability to print your art on canvas, which is especially clever if your art was originally an oil painting (and you want to achieve that freshly-painted look). It even has a “View Art in Your Room” feature so that you can preview pieces in your home. If you’re still waiting to brighten up your coffee corner, look no further than this homage to the Moka pot.
Society6
Ideal for: Affordable, customizable prints from indie creators
Society6 is like a more affordable version of Minted, and one with a slightly more millennial feel; the site is filled with reproductions of original art (think, Joshua Tree van snapshots or illustrated cafe scenes) that can also take the form of not only prints but shower curtains, pillows, and throws. Plus, you can browse by color, subject, and medium, and there’s a variety of framing options.
More Great Places to Buy Affordable Art Online
Amazon
Ideal for: Affordable, vintage-inspired food and drink posters and frames; fast shipping
The retail behemoth is filled with some surprisingly beautiful and affordable kitchen prints, including vintage Barilla ads with pasta-filled night skies, Matisse kitchen scenes, and this Quinquina-inspired poster for Francophiles and lobster-lovers. There are also plenty of affordable frame options, which can otherwise become one of the most expensive parts of finalizing your wall art.
Design Within Reach
Ideal for: The midcentury-modern design enthusiast
Design Within Reach — or DWR, as it’s known amongst your Eames-chair-loving friends — is the internet’s go-to emporium for all things mid-century-modern and Scandinavian design. You will also find the occasional graphic food poster within its design-forward bounty, including this limited-run reproduction of a hot dog poster that was designed for a 1970s Herman Miller company picnic (a fact your next Hinge date will surely appreciate).
Urban Outfitters
Ideal for: Trendy pieces from cool design houses
Ah, Urban Outfitters. You’re beloved for your parachute pants and seemingly unending supply of Crosley suitcase record players, but inside your hallowed aughts-millennial halls, there’s also the occasional kitchen decor art standout, such as this condiment art print from the (very fancy) folks at the Netherlands-based PSTR Studio.
