Uplift Your Kitchen with Artful Space Above Cabinets
If your kitchen features tall cabinetry that extends to the ceiling, you may be wondering how to utilize that often neglected space in a creative way. Rather than leaving it bare and uninspiring, consider one of these clever options for adding visual intrigue through artful decor.
From eye-catching focal points to handy storage solutions, read on for our favorite methods to uplift your kitchen with the blank canvas above your cabinets.
Infuse Color and Texture with a Statement Wallpaper or Tile Backsplash
An easy upgrade for bare walls above standard cabinetry is the addition of wallpaper or tile. This serves the dual purpose of protecting the wall from grease splatter while also incorporating color, texture, and patterns.
Temporary and Removable Wallpaper Options
If you want to test out a bold print without fully committing, choose a repositionable, removable wallpaper. Many peel-and-stick options today have staying power yet come off cleanly. This allows you to switch up your look seasonally or when redesigning in the future.
An oversized botanical print or geometric pattern instantly livens up plain white or wood cabinetry. For a subtle touch, go for tone-on-tone textures in soothing hues.
Backsplashes Aren't Just for Behind the Stove
Typically backsplashes protect the wall directly behind a kitchen's range or sink. But extending your backsplash tile from countertop to ceiling utilizes all that empty space beautifully. Combine rectangular subway tiles with decorative accents, or go for an artsy mix of tiles in varied sizes, finishes, and colors.
Pair sleek modern cabinets with organic cracked glass or stone mosaic tiles. Or match earthy woven textures with Tuscan inspired cabinetry for a cohesive aesthetic.
Incorporate Unique Lighting Solutions
Beyond just illuminating your work surfaces, decoratively incorporate light fixtures above kitchen cabinetry to imbue warmth and highlight architectural details.
Infuse Your Personal Style
Seek out lighting that complements your cabinets' finish and fixtures. For an industrial modern or contemporary space, install an LED strip or track lighting. Or make a dazzling style statement with an ornate glass chandelier as the focal point over an antique butcher block dining set.
Choose fixture shapes and styles that enhance your decor. Linear designs, small globes, or cascading crystalline forms all make excellent choices.
Strategic Positioning
Determine the focal point of your kitchen to choose the ideal lighting placement. Center a statement fixture directly above the stove to highlight your food prep station. Or hang pendants at evenly spaced intervals across the whole span of cabinets for ambient glow.
If your space lacks sufficient existing overhead lights, additional fixtures above the cabinets can compensate for gloomy corners or task areas.
Display Your Favorite Items on Floating Shelves
Floating shelves mounted to the wall above the cabinets serve multiple purposes. Firstly, they create attractive display space in previously unused real estate. The right styling turns them into an artistic focal feature. But floating shelves also allow you to organize kitchen items that otherwise clutter counters.
Open Shelving to Stash Small Appliances
Mount deeper shelves to discretely house small kitchen electrics. When not in use, your toaster, blender, stand mixer and food processor remain out of sight but easily accessible as needed.
Shallower shelves elegantly display oils, spices, condiments and other frequenty used ingredients. Keep them close at hand to cook without cross-kitchen treks to the pantry.
Style with Meaningful KnickKnacks and Greenery
In lieu of functional items, artfully style floating shelves with collected vintage cookware, succulents, or ceramic figurines. Weave greenery throughout for an infusion of living color.
Accent shelves with LED strip lighting to spotlight displayed items and render them gallery worthy.
Personalize with Framed Photos and Inspiring Art
Make a blank wall feel warm and welcoming by mounting a gallery display of framed photos from family gatherings and vacations.
Or opt for uplifting cooking or food related prints that complement your decor. Botanical sketches, wine quotes, or your favorite recipe elegantly printed infuse more soul than sterile emptiness.
Choosing the Right Size and Style
Oversize artwork risks dwarfing your kitchen and appearing cartoonish. Carefully measure your wall area and artwork itself so that frames enhance without overwhelming the space.
And just like gallery walls, embrace eclectic groupings with unifying elements. Black frames provide definition yet don't distract from lighter toned modern cabinetry.
Achieve Farmhouse Appeal with Rustic Wood Crates
In laid-back cottage style kitchens, roughly hewn vintage crates supply texture in contrast to sleek cabinets. Visible wood grain nods to pastoral appeal in otherwise modern homes.
Use authentic old fruit crates and liquor boxes from antique dealers, secondhand and resale stores. Often a bargain, you can mix-and-match sizes to create casual groupings.
Easy DIY Distressing Techniques
For unified shabby chic refinement, sand crates lightly then stain or whitewash with paint mixed with water for transparency. Stack books inside along with cooking utensils like wooden spoons and whisks for handy kitchen storage.
Diligently scout shops until you discover crates with authentic dents, stain variations and manufacturer stamps for one-of-a-kind weathered character.
House Lively Greenery in Hanging Planters
Verdant plants cultivate living color in space that would otherwise sit empty and static. Dependable low-light varieties dressed in hanging containers allow you to create a decorative statement with nature's palette.
Choosing the Right Plant for the Spot
Opt for hardy herbs like rosemary and thyme that shrug off dry indoor conditions. Let them cascade from macrame or ceramic planters affixed at staggered heights.
Where moisture and sunlight are ample, house stunning staghorn ferns or delicate air plants in open cages. Paired with cabinet mounted grow lights, you can nurture quite a showstopping array of greenery.
With a vast blank canvas to work with atop standard kitchen cabinetry, there are endless possibilities for infusing creativity. Make smart use of the space by lighting the zone appropriately and incorporating additional storage solutions.
But also embrace the opportunity to personalize through meaningful artwork, introducing natural elements, or displaying cherished items. When thoughtfully addressed, that formerly empty void transforms into a decorative showpiece space.