Amp Up Your Kitchen's Farmhouse Look with Easy Cabinet Styling

Farmhouse style is all about embracing simplicity with vintage touches. The aesthetic emphasizes natural elements like wood paired with unexpected pops of color from greenery. With its focus on all things old-fashioned, this charming look can instantly warm up your kitchen.

One great way to maximize your farmhouse style is by decorating the space above your kitchen cabinets. This often overlooked area is prime real estate for infusing effortless rustic character. From open shelving to reclaimed wood floating boxes, read on for ways to style your cabinets with farmhouse flair.

Open Shelving

Open shelving is likely the most popular approach for achieving farmhouse cabinet styling. Ditching upper cabinet doors creates an airy, welcoming look and also provides easy access to your cookware and oft-used items.

Benefits of Open Shelving

The main perks of open shelving include:

• Allows you to display decorative or sentimental items
• Creates an open, breezy aesthetic
• Provides easy access to commonly used pots, pans, and kitchen tools

For farmhouse appeal, opt for shelving with a reclaimed wood appearance. Unfinished edges and visible hardware like galvanized brackets or pipes emphasize the vintage industrial vibe.

Styling Tips

When it comes to styling open shelves, you'll want to avoid looking too cluttered. Here are some tips for arranging your display:

• Mix heights and shapes to add visual interest
• Incorporate woven baskets, vases, books, or cookbooks
• Display fresh greenery like eucalyptus sprigs or rosemary
• Try a staggered, gallery-style arrangement
• Use neutral tones like whites, tans, or wood hues

For an eclectic feel, blend items like white pitchers and ceramic pieces with galvanized buckets. Neutral baskets with pops of greenery or blooms peeking out also complement most color schemes. Go for a collected-over-time look.

Wood Elements

Another indispensable component of farmhouse style is the incorporation of wood elements. Weathered barn wood instantly infuses texture and warmth into any kitchen. From shelving to signs, there are endless ways to work reclaimed wood into your above-cabinet styling.

Why Add Wood?

Some reasons why wood is perfect for farmhouse kitchens:

• Warms up the entire kitchen’s look
• Brings in natural, rustic texture
• Fits seamlessly with vintage farmhouse aesthetic

Opt for a distressed gray wash or natural wood hue. Unfinished edges keep things imperfectly rustic.

Wood Display Ideas

Get inspired by these ways to incorporate wood elements:

• Floating reclaimed wood shelves
• Hanging a rustic wood sign with an inspiring quote
• Grouping stacked vintage crates or boxes
• Installing barn door-style cabinet fronts

DIY your own shelving using salvaged boards, or shop handmade signs with phrases related to cooking, family, or gratitude. No matter what you choose, wood adds natural farmhouse character.

Incorporating Greenery

Plants, herbs, and other greens are a darling way to link your kitchen to nature. A touch of greenery pairs perfectly with the woods and neutrals often seen in farmhouse decor.

Greenery Provides:

• A fresh, organic touch
• Pops of lively color
• Connections to the natural world

Choose faux plants like eucalyptus if you don’t have a green thumb. Just be sure to dust regularly!

Displaying Plants and Herbs

Get creative with how you incorporate greenery above your cabinets. Try these fun approaches:

• Let vines like ivy trail down floating shelves
• Plant rosemary, thyme, or basil in rustic pots or buckets
• Hang air plants or succulents in macrame holders
• Bundle faux eucalyptus and display in glass vases

You can also alternate potted herbs with items like rolling pins or measuring cups on open shelves. The options are endless when blending greenery with your farmhouse style.

Vintage Accessories

Vintage accessories lend a dose of old-fashioned charm to farmhouse spaces. Incorporating antique, rustic, or retro touches above your cabinets infuses personality and nostalgia.

Benefits of Vintage Finds

The perks of decorating with vintage items include:

• Adds unique character not found in mass-produced items
• Provides a sense of nostalgia and history
• Makes great conversational pieces for guests

Flea markets, antique shops, estate sales, and grandma’s attic are all great sources for vintage goods.

Ideas for Vintage Styling

Give your above-cabinet space farmhouse personality with items like:

• Antique glass bottles, pitchers, or canisters
• Rustic tin lanterns, signs, or chalkboards
• An old window hung vertically as art
• Faded burlap coffee bean bags
• Mismatched silverware displayed in a mason jar

Coordinate colors and textures for a cohesive feel. Vintage elements instantly provide a traditional farmhouse touch.

Additional Farmhouse Elements to Incorporate

Take your kitchen’s farmhouse vibe even further with these additional above-cabinet ideas:

• Galvanized metal buckets, bins, and containers
• Wire baskets holding fruits, vegetables or flowers
• Black-and-white photos of family in simple frames
• Rustic chalkboard labels or inspirational quotes
• Bundles of dried herbs and plants

Mix materials like wood crates and galvanized cans for lots of farmhouse character. Elevate simple white dishes by pairing them with vintage accessories boasting patinas and imperfections. The result is a comfortably rustic look you’ll love coming home to.

With a little creativity, you can easily transform the often overlooked space above your kitchen cabinets. Open shelving, reclaimed wood elements, greenery, and vintage accents are all simple ways to embrace farmhouse style. Choose items offering rustic textures, earthy elements, and vintage personality for effortless appeal.

Farmhouse decor is all about infusing character and cherished imperfection into your home. So embrace your cabinets as an opportunity to showcase items with nostalgic charm and meaning. The result will be a kitchen overflowing with cozy farmhouse style you’ll enjoy for years to come.