Is decorating above kitchen cabinets outdated? The short answer is no. There are so many beautiful ways to decorative above kitchen cabinets that will inject modernity, textural interest and decorative style to your kitchen. There are many interesting kitchen styling techniques and designs to chose from.
Decorating the top of kitchen cabinets is an easy way to add some flair to your kitchen while filling in the empty gap between the top of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling, an often neglected area that can look a little awkward or simply lacking when left bare.
You don't always need an elaborate or highly decorative design above kitchen cabinets. Simple can be more provocative and present a great way to display a collection, especially a family heirloom. Keeping the theme related to the function of the kitchen is a natural decorating choice.
Most of the time, I just let the space above my cabinets go to waste, but there are ways you can make better use of it—as a display for decorations, extra storage space, or a combination of both. The internet has plenty of ideas for decorating above kitchen cabinets, and these are a few of my favorites.
High Ceilings And Lots Of Space Above Cabinets
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 can't see them very well because they are so far away.
If you don't need the space above your cabinets for storage, add a decorative element to your kitchen by displaying wall art. This tip works for both open shelving and closed cabinets: Mount hanging pieces directly to the wall, or style framed leaning artwork across the top to create a focal point.
Upper kitchen cabinets are most often used for storing dishes, glasses and dinnerware, but they can also be used to store spices, mixing bowls and small appliances, or even as a small pantry.
A kitchen soffit is a closed-in area above the cabinets. Soffits were a popular design included in homes in the mid-to-late 1900s.
Items that should live in top cabinets or drawers (or in a closet): Serving platters and bowls. Light non-essential appliances or vessels (salad spinners, very large Tupperware, cake boxes)
All-White Kitchens
For the past decade, we've been seeing white walls, white tile, and Carrera marble. People are tired of these muted palettes, and designers are bringing in color— which we love.” Most designers also agree that white-on-white kitchens will look dated in 2023. So what color will be the new white?
For kitchen colors, they're loving dusty greens and blues, as well as soft hues like terracotta, natural browns and creamy whites. We're seeing designers experiment with bolder choices like mixed metals, high-contrast color palettes, double islands and overstated cabinet hardware.
“Different countertop materials, combination wood and stone worktops, and mixed metal fixtures and hardware will become more common, as will homeowners increasingly repurposing unique furniture pieces or vintage tables as islands,” Zillow observed.
White. Few paint colors stand the test of time quite like white. "Honestly, the only color in my opinion that will never go out of style—in the sense that you can never really pinpoint when it was done—is white cabinets," says Shaolin Low, principal and founder of Studio Shaolin.
White is the most timeless cabinet color of all, with popularity dating back over half a century. It's hard to beat the crisp, clean beauty of bright white cabinets. They lighten the entire room and lend a refreshing, airy feel.
This is one of the main reasons designers and homeowners seem to be ditching the wall cabinets. There's been this ever-growing kitchen trend of trying to make our kitchens look less... kitcheny. And cutting out half of the cabinetry you would find in a 'traditional' kitchen is an easy way to do that.
Leaving soffits on top of your cabinets
Soffits are completely out of style and so almost all sensible kitchen renovations will require removing the soffits, sometimes called “bulkheads” by homeowners.
Mainly it is a matter of cost and ease of installation. Most kitchen cabinets are built in standard sizes and, when mounted on the wall, they leave space up above which gives the installer some wiggle room when leveling the cabinets.
Pull-down. Pull-down mechanisms are a brilliant way to make upper kitchen cabinets more accessible. And no, this isn't just for those who are more vertically challenged. Even taller people may struggle to reach items on the top shelves of cabinets in kitchens with 9′-0″ ceilings and high cabinetry.
Fill in the space with trim.
If the gap between your upper cabinets and the ceiling isn't particularly large, you can fill it in with trim running along the top of your upper cabinets. This makes for a cohesive, built-in look, and a lot less potential for collecting dust.
The solution for this Wasted Space: Add a roll-out drawer that mounts to the cabinet for frequently used items and uses the back of the cabinet shelf for things that are infrequently used or extra supplies. I made these baggies holders out of 4 inch PVC pipes and decorative adhesive paper.
You can build the cabinets to the ceiling (most expensive option), keep the area open (no cost!), build a soffit to match the cabinets, or add a drywall soffit. Below I'll share photo examples (and the why behind)
I'd stick to sculptural types of pieces rather than a painting or picture as they will blend in to make one overall statement rather than stealing the show. Decorative boxes, crates and vintage suitcases are all great things to stack on top of a cabinet adding height and interest.