Would shelves interfere with opening the cabinet doors? How about large, colorful art to liven up the kitchen?

Anything deeper than a spice rack/cabinet would be awkward with the door clearances. I agree that artwork would be the better choice.

If it were my kitchen, I know it would make me happy to see artwork I liked on the back wall whenever I walked into the kitchen. But then, I have more art in my kitchen than most people have in their living rooms.

Thank you all for your comments! We might do a small spice rack shelf with some art work around it.

Art would be a good choice.

my thought - large canvas art cause it won't break, and easily enjoyed that way. Kitchens full of cabinets etc. have a busy look so a grouping might look "messy."

Art, decorative plates, copper trays. I think shelves would be awkward and make that space look a bit cluttered.

Plates would be my choice. Also, leaving the wall blank works too. No need to cover every inch of space with something. Decorating nicely requires some negative space. Putting something on a wall just to fill it risks cheapening the overall design.

I would do a framed piece of art there. I would keep it simple since you have a galley kitchen. Anything too busy will make the space feel crowded. This one is from Target...

Chalkboard paint the whole wall. Have fun with it.

Large wall mural or add texture with dimensional wall board or thin brick/stone (depending on your backsplash material).

A single painting/print would be my choice. It would add interest, color and catch the eye as you walk into the kitchen, as well as feed my soul if it was a piece I loved.

Not fancy floral, but bright garden:

I would put a larger piece of art. Anything else (shelf, pictures) will make the space look cluttered.

Why not 2 smaller ones - one over the other:

No shelves or anything that sticks out at all. Just add one great piece of art. A landscape is nice since it gives the impression of a window view.

I think we have a lot of respondents who like to shop for art.

Not a lot of space and it could look cluttered very easily. I would find three small sized plates that you love and hang them in a vertical row. It will be enough to add interest to the wall but not take up too much visual space.

Have you considered wallpaper?

I would add a decent sized rectangular living garden wall using herbs and contained by type in glass jars mounted onto a wood frame or sliders. It looks kind of dark so undermounted grow lights that also serve as night lights would be nice.

The kitchen could use a better light fixture

I don't think you need anything on that wall. Since you have pet bowls on the floor right in front of it, it may be awkward to try to get anything off a shelf.

I would consider painting the wall(s) a different color since they seem to blend with the ceiling. A little color is all you need.

Why do you think you need anything there? Filling every inch of space is a poor des choice. Busy busy busy. But that light fixture needs some thought as well as new hardware. If you have to put something there a cork board or chalk board would be practical.

Do you need and is there space for a shelf? You can put up higher only two and use them for displaying art or any other things that you use in the kitchen. I recommend quartz shelving because it's so easy to clean and looks so great.

I'd paint that wall charcoal or put art on it. No shelves. Your lighting fixture has a simple streamlined design. If it gives you enough light, I don't see the point of changing it.