Candy-Coated Creativity

Are you a candy freak? Do you have canisters full of the sweetest treats, chocolate morsels and sugary confections, so much so that just thinking about it makes your teeth ache? Consider turning your candy obsession into more than just a treat for the taste buds, but rather a feast for your eyes as you transform your kitchen into candy heaven.

To start, stash your candy in kitschy canisters like the ones shown here. The dotted set is from Ikea; Roger Le Borde designed the striped canisters. Vintage Old Fashioned Hard candies are from F.B. Washburn Candy Corp.

If you have the extra room add favorite Pez Dispensers to the mix! Pez Dispensers will always remain to be a favorite kitschy collectible item.

To decorate the walls, pick up some simple Ikea 5” x 7” frames and get ready to paint them in fun, crazy candy colors. Fill them with various candy imagery, or frame vintage candy wrappers. Check out Candy Favorites for all your candy needs—just think you’ll get to eat the goods while you work!

Another option for decorating the walls is with Wallies wall decals. Shown here are DottiLicious Wallcandy Arts Peel and Stick Designs. Similar to a wallpaper, but much easier to adhere and remove, there are 80 dots ranging from 1" to 10" in numerous candy-coated colors.

To really commit to the candy haven, paint your walls and cabinets the sweetest candy colors you can find. Sherwin Williams has an online color visualizer that helps you choose the perfect match for your project. The color visualizer program allows you to paint a room online, keep a color file, and will provide you with the exact color numbers to bring to your nearest Sherwin Williams location for easy ordering. Consider choosing fun contrasting colors such as a bright Cotton Candy Pink with a Robin’s Egg Blue. Or, for a more elegant appeal, choose Chocolate Brown and match it up with any candy colored pastel.

Functionally Cute!
This uber cute toaster provides just the right amount of kitschy candy color while remaining to be a useful and much-needed appliance. Toaster by French designer Créa Créa for Pylones products for The Sarut Group

Don’t forget about transferring the candy theme to the kitchen linens. Just check out these tea towels, quilted potholder, and oven glove from Klippan of Sweden. The glove is heat resistant. All items made of 50% linen/50% cotton.

Of course what is a kitchen without a proper candy dish? Options in styles include the traditional vintage tiered candy dishes. These regularly have three tier plates stacked allowing for plenty of room to display many store-bought or homemade candy confections. Look for vintage candy tiers on such auction sites as EBay.

Another option is a traditional crystal or glass bowl. For something truly luxurious check out the candy dishes from Juliska. These ornate pieces are fluted, mouth-blown glass, and encompass whimsical designs. Shown here is the Amalia Grande Design. Two pounds of pastel colored M&M's, or any Brach's candy would look too pretty in this creation! I suspect the candy wouldn't last too long though!