How To Style Your Kitchen Windowsill: Cozy Decorating with Plants & Herbs

Hey friends! As I’ve been updating my kitchen for spring and summer, I’ve found myself drawn to adding more greenery. Bringing the garden indoors makes the kitchen feel fresh, warm, and cozy—the perfect way to embrace the season.

If you have a sunny window that feels a little bare, you’re sitting on the perfect opportunity to decorate with plants. Today, I’m sharing how to turn your kitchen windowsill into a curated garden space using a mix of indoor plants and culinary herbs.

Let’s look at how to style your kitchen with thrifted containers and ready-to-pick herbs to reflect your own unique, vintage-inspired aesthetic.

Why Plants and Herbs are the Perfect Kitchen Accessory

Nothing warms up a kitchen like a few well-placed plants in fun, vintage containers. Plants and herbs work well on windowsills, countertops, and kitchen islands.

• If you are striving for a modern-heritage aesthetic, plants and herbs help bridge the gap between old and new. Remember to mix them with your utensils, bowls, and other vignettes to create a cozy, kitchen that is grounded but fresh.
• Herbs help you embrace slow living by making your kitchen feel lived-in and well-loved. Fresh herbs at your fingertips make cooking enjoyable by creating a sensory experience. The scent of rosemary or basil fills a home with smells reminiscent of Granny’s house.
• Plants and herbs are perfectly imperfect, helping you to bring the garden into the heart of your daily routine.
• Updating your kitchen with seasonal herbs and plants helps to keep your space fresh and up to the minute

When I think of kitchen windows, I always think of pothos. My mother had them trailing everywhere in her kitchen. Another easy-to-maintain plant is the snake plant.

One of my favorite plants was a gift, and I’m not sure what it’s called. It may be a succulent because it needs hardly any water and has delicate little blooms. It’s been here since last August, I’ve maybe watered it 3 times, and it is thriving. If anyone knows what it’s called, let me know.

Creating a Functional Herb Garden on Your Countertop

Most herbs require well-drained soil. Avoid using containers that will hold water.

• Rosemary – Needs regular watering
• Basil – Best with morning sun and keep soil moist, but don’t overwater.
• Oregano – Full sun and water only when the soil is dry.
• Mint – Find a sunny spot and water regularly.
• Chives – Full sun and water regularly.
• Parsley – Another sun lover.

I love collecting vintage crocks, and I’ve filled them with everything from rolling pins to Christmas trees. I used two different sizes to balance out the plants and herbs in the kitchen. Many of my plants are in more practical containers that sit inside the vintage and decorative ones you see here. For instance, the crock holding the snake plant was too deep, so I put a bowl upside down at the bottom to raise it up.

I also included my yellow vintage planter because I love the pop of yellow in the kitchen. A vintage brass container shines on the open shelf while it holds the pothos plant. A favorite vintage pottery planter takes center stage on the windowsill and holds a fresh basil plant.

I love gazing out our kitchen window to the garden and greenhouse at the back of our home. So as a natural extension of the garden, I enjoy filling the windowsill with plants and herbs. In addition to using vintage and thrift-store containers, I like to make the area look stylish by varying plant heights. You can use a different container to increase or lower a plant’s height.

In addition to a variety of heights, this grouping has an odd number of plants. Use groups of 3, 5, or 7 to create an interesting vignette.

Don’t limit your decorating to just plants. Mix it up a little with other kitchen decor, such as adding an ironstone pitcher filled with vintage kitchen utensils to the windowsill.

Nestle your plants on your shelves with vintage bowls or cutting boards. Mix your everyday necessities in with your plants for a casual, cozy, lived-in feeling.

How To Transition Herbs Seasonally

Because herbs require so much sunlight, I will keep an herb plant indoors for several weeks. Once it gets larger, I transplant it into a bigger pot for outdoor use or into the ground. I then replace it with a new, smaller plant to keep indoors.

A budget-friendly way to keep the herb cycle going is to take cuttings from the original plant and place them in a clear vase of water to root. Once the roots have grown, add the herb to a pot filled with potting soil. And ta da, you have your next plant without spending any money.

This technique works well for pothos plants and many other types of greenery.