Swap Out Cabinets For Drawers
‘Drawers are an essential part of kitchen layout ideas and design. Providing multiple storage options, whether deep or shallow, the addition of drawers will bring ultimate versatility to the space,’ says Daniela Condo.
‘Deeper drawers are perfect for storing pots and pans, and the addition of shallow drawers layered on top is great for keeping cutlery, spatulas, corkscrews and more. There is also the option to add drawers inside a cabinet to offer additional storage possibilities.’
High Ceilings And Lots Of Space Above Cabinets
Are your ceilings really high? Is there so much vertical space between the ceiling and your cabinets that the room looks empty and unfinished?
Many times a bookcase, or cabinet, or the kitchen cabinetry feels way too squatty in a room. This is an instance when you need to let your decor items visually extend the height of the piece of furniture or the cabinets.
No matter what, do not put things that are small and detailed up there! You cant see them very well because they are so far away.
Play Hide And Seek With Small Kitchen Storage
In open plan spaces, pocket doors which slide open and then fold into the cabinetry are brilliant for revealing the kitchen just when you need it.
This bespoke green kitchen sits within an open-plan living area and has been designed with full-height doors painted pale green to match the space, concealing contrasting worktops and shelving inside.
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Above Kitchen Cabinet Decor: What To Do With That Weird Space In Your Kitchen
August 21, 2021
Look up in your kitchen, and you might find an awkward space with nothing but a light bulb in it. Above kitchen cabinets are not always easy to decorate but they dont have to be! In this post, In this post, well go over some above kitchen cabinet decor ideas you can use in your own kitchen without breaking the bank.
Okay, guys, we need to have a talk.
You know that weird gap between the top of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling? Some of you are wasting the opportunity to add some above kitchen cabinet decor that will make your space pop. And, to be franksome of you have items there that totally date your kitchen.
Sorry, had to say it!
Show Off Glassware In Glass
If you want to put certain pieces on display but still need practical storage, why not choose glass-fronted cabinets?
Glass-fronted kitchen cabinet ideas, like the example shown above, can be used to make a focal point with your best glassware, for example, but everything inside will stay clean and ready to use.
The upside of this small kitchen storage idea is three-fold: the glass reflects light it allows you to see beyond the doors into the depths of the cabinet, which creates the visual trick of making the space look bigger and it can be lit from within, which is perfect for night-time.
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Use Reclaimed Wood To Boost Character
For a country kitchen, modern shelving may look out of place. Why not have a shelf built from reclaimed wood to add instant character and provide the perfect ledge for your rustic bowls and utensils?
In compact kitchens multi-use open shelves are useful for storing items which are used at every mealtime, says Richard Turner, Pronorm national sales manager for UK & Ireland. Open shelving is also a good way to break up runs of cabinets in smaller kitchens and avoids the design feeling boxy. It can give the illusion of space and light, while adding design interest and personality into a scheme.
There Are Times When Decorating Above The Cabinets Can Work
Items that are simple in style and shape are best up high.
I am such a fan of kitchen cabinets to the ceiling and overscaled, tall cabinets that fit the height of these new homes with higher ceilings.
It’s as if the builders didnt get the memo that if youre going to raise the ceiling, the cabinets and other elements need to go too!
Seriously though . . . While Im not in love with the stuff that people arrange way up high just to fill a small void, and I do think people overload those areas where its not necessary, there are certain situations and certain times when some decorating actually does need to be done above a cabinet.
For example: If your cabinet is fairly short — let’s say about 5 or 6 high and it looks way shorter than the ceiling. If it sort of cries out for something to be put above it — that’s okay, you can decorate it -)
Really, there are a few approaches you can take when decorating above a cabinet.
So, to make sure one of them really works for you, you first have to determine if you have the right space for what you want to put up there and if you have the right accessories to do the job.
If you do, you can then begin to address your cabinet decorating as follows.
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Make Small Kitchen Storage Stand Out
Ever wondered how to paint kitchen cabinets?
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan, founder of Studio Duggan , believes it is important to personalize small kitchen storage, and painting cabinetry a contrasting color is the perfect way to do so.
‘When our studio first opened in 2011, kitchens all seemed to be neutral in color, whether they were classic or contemporary,’ she says.
‘Now, in line with current trends throughout the house, we are seeing more demand for brighter and bolder kitchen color schemes with pattern and personality, which is probably another reason why the Shaker style is so popular.
It can be customized easily: the interiors of a glass-fronted cabinet can be painted in one color, the door frames in another, or the handles changed as you wish.
‘For individuality, I also recommend adding an antique china cupboard or sideboard to the room, preventing the fitted cabinetry from looking too “samey”.’
Other Areas In Your Home These Tips Apply To
These ten tips can also be applied to other areas of your home.
Think beyond the kitchen cabinets!
Do you have an entertainment center that you also decorate above?
What tips can you apply there?
What about bookshelves?
are there other places in your home that could use stylish storage?
Could you add floating shelves somewhere?
What about an accent wall?
There is always room for paint or wallpaper in my book!
Could you add some crown molding in your living room? What about on top of some bookcases?
Where can you add an art gallery?
These tips are applicable in so many different ways, all throughout your home.
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What Colors Go With A White Kitchen
Because white is the ultimate neutral, it can go with pretty much any other color in a kitchen. If you want to keep it simple, pairing it with wood to bring warm brown hues into the mix is an excellent choice, implementing texture into your scheme too for a more modern combination, consider cooler tones of brown.
Black details are a great way to add structure, while warm metallics are on trend as an accent too. Grey is a fashionable favorite too, working to modernize traditional kitchens or create the ultimate contemporary aesthetic when combined with clean lines.
Display Your Favorite Art
Your kitchen cabinets might not be the first spot you think to display artwork, but heres proof that it actually works quite well. This kitchen has a collection of complementary oil paintings arranged in the large space over the kitchen cabinets, but I could totally see a large family portrait on a canvas or an oversized piece of statement art work just as well.
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Collagecom Custom Photo Plaques
Artwork does not have to be limited to the living room of your home. You can use this extra space in your kitchen to create a gallery loft of your favorite desktop photo plaques with the help of Collage.com. Elevate your art to new heights by placing it on the top of your kitchen cabinets. All that you need to do is select the prints or personal photos that you want to display and let Collage.com do the rest. These photo plaques are available in three sizes and are finished with a glossy look that resists scratches, water, UV rays, delivering a durable decor product that can stand up to the various uses of your kitchen. The premium plaques arrive with a built-in easel backing while the basic plaques include a detachable stand for easy display.
Swap Wall Cabinets For Convenient Open Shelving
Kitchen storage ideas can come in many forms other than traditional wall cupboards, whose bulk can make a small space feel more crowded.
Open kitchen shelving ideas are a great option if you are the proud owner of an impressive crockery collection, or are a keen cook who appreciates having ingredients close at hand.
Having everything on display, however, is not for the faint-hearted as it requires a certain amount of dedication to keep shelves looking smart.
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Show Off Your Cookbooks
Why relegate your collection of cookbooks to a hidden spot in the pantry? This works especially well if your cookbooks are vintage because this will add another layer of style to the space. Accentuate this look more with an antique colored stockpot, a water vase, or any other cooking item that will complement your collection of cookbooks.
New Ways To Decorate Above Your Kitchen Cabinets
Shelby Deering is a lifestyle writer who specializes in decor articles and home tours. She spends her spare time at flea markets and hunting for vintage finds. Shelby is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
The Spruce / Candace Madonna
There are those random areas in our homes that seem to be begging for décor, but they tend to be a little, well, awkward. The wall next to the front door. That open spot under the stairs. And the space above the kitchen cabinets, where it seems as if something should go therebut what?
If the styling in your kitchen seems to be lacking in some way and needs just the thing to create a finished look, filling that area above the cabinets might be the answer. There are actually myriad possibilities for decorating that space, proven through featured designers, bloggers, and Instagrammers. From vintage art to practical storage, you can put that space above the cabinets to work.
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Use Greenery In Tight Spaces
Sometimes the gap over your cabinets might be just a few inches tall, which doesnt leave you very many options for decorating. In these instances, I love the idea of using some faux greenery to brighten up the space. A few meticulously draped garlands will help make your kitchen feel more homey, and its also a low-maintenance decor option, which is always a plus.
Use White On The Perimeter To Make The Space Feel Bigger
Small details such as the use of materials is key when designing a small kitchen, says Tom Howley , Design Director at the eponymous kitchen brand. Lighter wood finishes and paint colours work well to expand the perceived space of your kitchen.
White is, of course, a great color to use to make a small space feel larger but if youre mixing it up with other colors, positioning it correctly is just as important. In the black and white kitchen ideas created by Alexis Hughes here, white is used for the perimeter cupboards to make the area feel more open, while a charcoal grey is employed for the island at the center for character and contrast.
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Create A Cookbook Library
If your innocent cookbook-hoarding habit leaves you with perpetually cluttered countertops and non-existent counter space, its time to take control of your kitchen. Use the gap between your upper cabinets and ceiling to create a custom cookbook library like this beauty by interior designer Jenn Feldman. Not only will adding bookshelves enable you to use your counters, but it will also bring character and height to your kitchen design.
How Can I Get Rid Of The Blank Space Above My Kitchen Cabinets
Do you realllllyyy dislike that empty area above the cabinets? Well, there are a few ways you can minimize it .
Here are 3 quick ideas to get rid of the above cabinet empty space:
1. Add height to your cabinets
Think of this idea as adding a really tall crown molding. This genius idea was done using MDF and molding. Then, all you have to do is paint the top portion to match your cabinets!
Not sure how to paint cabinets? Wellhellooo! Thats what Im here for! I walk you through every single thing you need to know in Cabinet Painting 101.
2. Add additional cabinetry
If you have a good amount of room, you could even consider adding an additional row of cabinets! Again, youll want to paint them to match your other cabinetry.
3. Move your cabinets up
Depending on how low the cabinets hang, you may be able to remove them from the wall and rehang them several inches higher.
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Give Small Appliances A Home
Small appliances like toasters and coffee makers can take up a relatively large amount of space in a room of limited dimensions, so factor them in when assessing small kitchen storage ideas. Consider hiding appliances in a breakfast cupboard to keep the space looking streamlined and free up countertop space, suggests Daniel Bowler, director for Eggersmann UK .
If a full-size cabinet is more than can be dedicated to this zone of the kitchen, think about alternatives such as a pull-out shelf to provide a place for essential appliances.
How Do You Organize Small Appliances In A Small Kitchen
It can be difficult to know where to put appliances in a small kitchen.
While drawers make great use of space below hip level, you may also want to make the most of the ceiling height of your kitchen with a section of tall cabinets to house an integrated fridge, freezer and eye-level oven and coffee machine, as well as dry food larder storage.
This kitchen trend is about lots of storage hidden behind sliding doors, so that the kitchen can be shut away when not being used, says Alex Orosia at Porcelanosa .
Slide and hide systems can create, when closed, a feeling of uncluttered space, with the advantage that everything is within easy reach when open. Pocket doors which open, pivot and slide into side recesses, leaving contents directly accessible without doors in the way, are also particularly useful here.
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Use Large Pale Floor Tiles
When thinking about kitchen flooring ideas for your white kitchen, keeping things pale should be your first choice for making a small kitchen feel bigger but you should think carefully about the size of your tiles too.
A smaller kitchen requires careful thought and consideration to give the illusion of a larger space, says Isabel Fernandez, Director at Quorn Stone . Contrary to belief we often find a larger tile can work well at achieving this. A smaller tile results in lots of grout joints which can enclose the space and detract the eye from the tile.
If you choose a complementary grout color, it makes the grout less noticeable which again helps to open the space out.
Things To Keep In Mind
As I shared above there is an almost 2-foot gap between the tops of the cabinet molding and our 9-foot ceilings, which gave me plenty of room to display things I love.
A note of caution though, if youre thinking about decorating the tops of your kitchen cabinets too, anything less than 18 inches of display space might make your room feel a bit squatty.
Also, choosing a tone-on-tone color scheme, pieces that complement your existing decor or enhance the feeling youre trying to achieve will also help keep things from looking cluttered.
When in doubt, edit!
Its not always easy, especially if you love collections . Its a good thing to let your special pieces have some room to breathe though.
Creating a home you love takes time. But as we grow confident in our decorating choices and hone our nesting instincts with practice and patience, it becomes an adventure that tells the story of you and your family.
So, dont be afraid to try new things!
Let us know if youre decorating the tops of your kitchen cabinets! Until next time, Ill see you on and .
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Include Nooks For Storage
Alvin Wayne
The space above your cabinets can be built up to serve a specific purpose, like providing extra storage. Cleverly use the area above your cabinets to hold baskets, making for additional storage space in your kitchen. The baskets can keep small items and extra kitchen supplies out of sight while adding a decorative touch to the room. Using a set of matching baskets creates a uniform look, and adding vertical dividers will give the space an even more organized and clean appearance.
Our Kitchen With Decor Above Cabinets
Here is the completed space! Compared to the look above, you can see that I removed one of the baskets because they were a bit squished. I also swapped my maidenhair fern for this artificial zebrina with a more subtle tone. Finally, I added some dried florals for a little more texture. I am so happy with the final look!
Side note: I just ordered these plum fake cimicifuga ramosa leaves that often sell out. They are a popular choice for fall, but I am enjoying them for summer too.
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