Focus On a Niche
Add interesting architectural structures to your kitchen cabinets to create beautiful forms with fine-tuned functions. A mantel-like niche lined with beaded board unites this room's cabinets and appliances while providing a perch for baskets and dishes.
Include Cubbies in Cabinetry
This stair-stepped cabinetry configuration stretches the display capacity of a window sink wall. The central component, equipped with open cubbies, unites with its neighbors thanks to crown-molding trim. Decorating above kitchen cabinets and in cubbies shows off dishware and oversized baskets that warm the primarily white kitchen.
Stash Books
Enhance a kitchen's usefulness by including surfaces designed for stowing and showing off essentials. Here, dark-stained shelves convert a small kitchen-desk alcove into a home office. At the same time, a large open nook used for decorating above kitchen cabinets next to the alcove displays colorful cookbooks.
Add Timeworn Touches
Be creative! Decorating above kitchen cabinets with large wooden boxes, packing crates, and harvest baskets serves several purposes. The containers enhance vintage designs, supply eye-catching graphics and patinas, and hold everything from paper party goods to kitchen linens.
Up the Nostalgia
Decorating above kitchen cabinets with objects that further your design vision is an easy way to add interest. In this office alcove, vintage blue canning jars of all sizes brighten a space with little light. When decorating up high, group same-color items to create big-impact displays that read as a collection.
Convert Cabinets to Open Shelving
Display your favorite kitchen collections with open shelves made from traditional cabinetry. See how with our easy step-by-step process!
Go for Simple
Forget about adding soffits above your cabinets. Instead, leave open wall space to decorate above kitchen cabinets by displaying gorgeous accessories. These open-to-view areas are ideally suited to spotlighting impressive serving pieces that often go unseen and unappreciated when stored behind closed doors.
Incorporate Built-Ins
Create a cohesive look in an adjacent dining area by adding built-ins that mirror the look and height of your kitchen's upper cabinets. These bookcases partially frame a window and supply space for a book collection and a tidy row of ducks.
Utilize Corners
Wrap a kitchen corner with shelves supported by chunky brackets to provide extra storage and for decorating above kitchen cabinets, windows, and appliances. A collection of white ceramic vessels in varying shapes and sizes on this room's shelves visually expands the space while keeping the neutral color scheme.
Open Up the View
Cabinets over the refrigerator and their contents are difficult for most people to reach. As a result, the cabinets become black-hole storage, where items go in but rarely come out. Instead of closed-door cabinets, install a fridge-spanning shelf or remove cabinet doors to fashion a niche for showing off one or two sizeable decorative objects.
Introduce Pizzazz to Perimeters
Outfit the edges of your upper cabinets with deep crown moldings to create a stage-like effect to show off your favorite things. These homeowners used molding to meld an over-the-window shelf with neighboring cabinets and fashion a holding area for flea market finds.
Maximize Display Options
Take advantage of out-of-reach openings to display sculptural pieces with similar colors or design periods. This kitchen has generous wall space accommodating tall cabinets topped with open shelves. Decorating above kitchen cabinets with a hefty glass vessel contributes color and sparkle to the kitchen's streamlined design.
Show Off Heirlooms
Decorate above kitchen cabinets and on shelves or in nooks and cubbies with Sunday-best dishes or polished silver objects. Select your finest pieces that boast fetching forms, captivating colors, and eye-catching details to fashion gracious displays that are sure to charm.
Create a Connection
A simple shelf with a fluted edge fills the gap between window-framing cabinets. The convenient nook keeps white pitchers and plants near the sink for easy watering and stores cookbooks within reach of the chef.
Stow and Show
Function and form unite in a display of rustic baskets used for decorating above kitchen cabinets that enclose a pantry. The containers enhance the room's old-world style and double as artwork until they're needed.
Improve Convenience
Tucking storage racks and display shelves between cabinets adds to your decorating options while keeping countertops clear. These built-ins create a handy coffee bar with colorful coffee-related gear adjacent to a wine rack. There's also a small microwave.