The empty space above your cabinets is just begging for a stylish update. Adding decor above your kitchen cabinets is just another way to bring personality to the heart of your home, so take advantage of the extra space. Use these designer tips for making the top of your cabinets look intentional and curated specifically to your style.
Show Off Your Ginger Jar Collection
That thoughtfully curated ginger jar collection deserves a spotlight and the space above your cabinets might give them just that. Show off your white and blue pride by arranging your jars on top of your kitchen cabinets for a stunning focal point. With all your jars on display, guests' eyes will go straight up to the beautiful prints and interesting shapes.
Lean Into Trending Wallpaper
Wallpaper has always held a place in the hearts of designers, but it's enjoying a trendy moment as many homeowners are trying out the material. If you want to give the patterned wall detail a go, use it in your kitchen. By carrying the wallpaper to the ceiling, you create interest above your cabinets without adding more items to your dusting list.
Accent the Metals In Your Kitchen
If you want to add decorative objects above your kitchen cabinets, play up the dominant metals in your space. Highlight the chrome on your faucet, the brass of your cabinet hardware, or the copper of your light fixtures with metal decor over the cabinets. With a collection of complementing metals, your upper kitchen cabinets tie in effortlessly to your overall aesthetic.
You can also apply this decorative tool to colors you want to accent in your kitchen. Bowls, vases, and statues can help tie in bold or bright colors you want to emphasize in the space.
Baskets Make Clever Storage
You don't always need an elaborate or highly decorative design above kitchen cabinets. Simple baskets offer a decorative touch with added storage.
Toss in some of the items you like to keep on hand but may not use often, like birthday candles and small cheese boards, to make the most of this smart storage. With beautiful baskets overhead, no one will know that one of them is essentially your junk drawer.
Related: Make Your Pantry Sparkle With These Organizing Tips
Create a Vignette With Everyday Objects
Shopping your home is a free and easy way to decorate countless spaces in your home. For decor above kitchen cabinets, it's a great way to display items you want to show off.
Grab a collection of beautiful items from around your home — from vases with flowers to vintage pieces — and create vignettes with the pieces. Try groups of three or five, create interest with items in varying heights, and leave some space between vignettes to create balance.
Fill In the Space With Cubbies
Cubbies above cabinets provide more storage options in the kitchen. They can be a continuation of shelves that already exist in your kitchen or you can simply add them above your cabinets to create streamlined storage. Cubbies make decor, cookbooks, and cookware look more intentional and curated in the space and create the illusion of taller cabinets.
If you want to DIY kitchen cabinet cubbies yourself, Home With Marieza has a tutorial that shows you how to do just that.
With stylish cubbies to frame your space, you can add under-cabinet lighting to illuminate your decor.
Give Your Artwork the Spotlight
Depending on the size of the space above your kitchen cabinets, you can highlight various pieces of your art collection. Choose pieces that go with your overall decor colors, style, and theme. You don't have to mount anything to the wall, rather create a collection of leaning art in various sizes to draw the eye up and show off your taste.
Add More Cabinets
If you're craving a kitchen upgrade, add more cabinets above your existing kitchen set. With smaller cabinets, you can display items behind glass doors or just gain additional storage space for the items you'd rather not show off.
If full additional cabinets don't appeal to you, try adding decorative trim to the tops of your cabinets instead to give them a custom look.
Focus on the Wall Space
Decorating above your kitchen cabinets doesn't mean you have to add literal decor on top of the cabinet. Instead, focus on the wall itself. Add a simple sign to the wall to draw the eye upward and allow the negative space to create balance and openness in the space.
Add Contrast
You can use light and dark objects to create contrast and interest. This is an especially dramatic effect for a white or light-colored kitchen. Dark green, shades of brown, and deep gray vases placed above kitchen cabinets stand out against white and lighter-colored cabinets.
Place various styles and sizes of vases in a grouping of different colors. Use several taupe and brown vases for a lighter contrast effect if you don't want to call too much attention to the area.
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Canisters Within Reach
Some kitchen cabinets are low enough that the top can store items within easy reach. This transforms what was a decorative space into useful storage for items used when preparing meals. Try a matching set of canisters you want to show off or display your curated collection of spices.
Plants for Color
Pacing either potted houseplants or faux vines and other greenery on top of the cabinets in single sprigs or clusters can be a great way to decorate a kitchen. In addition to using greenery, you can introduce or repeat décor colors with silk floral arrangements and vines.
Streamline Your Cookbooks
The space above the kitchen cabinets is an ideal area to store and display your collection of cookbooks. If you aren't reaching for them often or you want to use them to tie in your color scheme, line them up along the tops of your cabinets for a mini library in your kitchen.
Don't Shelf These Kitchen Cabinet Ideas
Your cabinets are already a beautiful and practical part of your home. You can extend that beauty and practicality with thoughtful decor above your cabinets. Use one of these ideas to give the heart of your home an easy refresh.
