Boost Your Kitchen's Style with Simple Cabinet Top Decorating Ideas
That neglected space above your kitchen cabinets presents a unique decorating opportunity. By adding personalized flair to this overlooked area, you can create visual interest, reflect your style, and gain functional storage and display space. With a little creativity and these simple tips, it's easy to transform the top of your cabinets into a conversation-starting focal point.
Decorating the previously bare cabinet tops enhances your kitchen's aesthetic in an unexpected way. Take advantage of the vertical real estate to exhibit treasured dishware, large cookware items, or decorative objects. The eye will be drawn upward to appreciate the additional splashes of color and accents. It also provides a space to neatly organize items you regularly use. Here are some inspirational ideas to maximize the potential of this blank canvas.
Why Decorate the Top of Your Cabinets?
Kitchen cabinet tops often go unused simply because they can be difficult to access. However, with the right combination of handy products, clever solutions, and decorative touches, you can take advantage of this valuable space in your kitchen.
One of the biggest benefits of utilizing the top of your cabinets is the ability to free up storage and display treasured items. Collections of platters, crocks, or cookbooks gain new purpose when arranged artfully together. The area also provides a home for frequently used items that you want within arm's reach. Having go-to appliances and accoutrements on display not only looks great, it also improves functionality.
Visually, decorating the tops of your kitchen cabinets draws the eye up and makes the space feel more expansive and complete. It fills what is typically negative space so that people notice and appreciate the full kitchen aesthetic. The personalized touches also allow you to blend your style seamlessly throughout the entire room.
Planning Your Design
Determine Your Style
When brainstorming kitchen cabinet top decor, first consider the existing style of your space. The finishes, backsplash, hardware, and color scheme will guide the appropriate decorative accents to complement them.
For contemporary kitchens, floating shelves, pendant lights, and canvas art make fitting choices. Rustic spaces should incorporate galvanized metal, wood crates, and distressed tin signs. You can continue farmhouse motifs with woven baskets, ceramic chickens, and floral arrangements. Rich metallics, eclectic collections, and vibrant patterned fabric work nicely for glam spaces.
Assess Storage Needs
Take stock of the types of items you will display before finalizing your design. Regularly used dishes and glassware? Bulldog clip baskets corral items neatly while keeping them at arm's reach. Frequently grabbed spices and oils? Mount a row of chicken wire-fronted shelves for organized access.
Make sure any appliances stored overhead, like the microwave or stand mixer, are secured properly. Rotating trays, risers, and non-slip mats all help to safely arrange items you need within reach. Sturdy hooks allow you to hang utensils and pots close by when cooking.
Ideas to Inspire
Once you've settled on a style and storage plan, it's time to have fun with the creative possibilities. Floating shelves make a huge visual impact while providing a place for decorative plates and accents. Outline the top of your wall cabinets with rope lighting for a soft glow. Install glass cabinet doors to illuminate and display prized dishware.
For a focal point, suspend a showstopping light fixture centered above the sink. Incorporate on-trend open shelving using iron pipe brackets for an industrial vibe. The options are endless when you think outside the big box.
DIY Options to Fit Any Budget
Simple No-Build Updates
Not looking to take on a big project? Quick DIY fixes pack style without construction or permanent changes. Peel-and-stick wallpaper only takes a few minutes to transform plain cabinet tops into the perfect accented backdrop. A fresh coat of high-gloss paint or chalk paint refreshes dated cabinets at a low cost.
Display your collections by simply securing acrylic risers, mini easels, or book ledges on top with removable adhesive strips. Arrange ceramic birds, candles, or fruit for an instant infusion of color and interest.
Budget-Friendly Projects
If you don't mind rolling up your sleeves, there are plenty of wallet-friendly DIY options. Mineral wood planks make a beautiful and affordable alternative to pricier floating shelves. Cut them to fit your space, finish the ends, and secure with brackets. You can also mount inexpensive L-brackets or spice racks from the hardware store to add usable levels in minutes.
Keep costs low by repurposing flea market finds like old crates, toolbox drawers, and wooden ladders. A few coats of paint gives them a custom, built-in look. Dressing up your window valances with fabric scraps or ribbon pulls the eye skyward.
Design Considerations
Scale and Weight Distribution
When planning cabinet top decor, it's important to select pieces sized appropriately for the space. Oversized items can make your kitchen feel cluttered or overwhelm the area. Carefully measure clearances to ensure displayed pieces fit with room to spare. This prevents accidentally bumping into them and causing damage.
You'll also want to confirm that your cabinets can handle the extra load placed on them. Heavy stoneware or large appliances require secure mounting to avoid catastrophe. Proper anchors, brackets, and supports distribute weight properly so cabinets stay structurally sound.
Safety First
The top of kitchen cabinets gets much less frequent supervision than countertops. Take precautions so your stylish accents don't turn into safety hazards. Opt for pieces with flat, stable bases that cannot easily be pulled down. Secure tall vases and ceramic pieces with museum wax or removable gel pads.
Restrain display ware on floating shelves with aluminum cabinet bars. Consider installing child safety latches to keep little hands away from precarious spaces. Shelf lips and raised edges help corral items. Non-slip mats are excellent for keeping frequently handled appliances and cookware safely in place.
The top of your kitchen cabinets is valuable space just waiting to be personalized. With a decorating game plan and some clever solutions, you can infuse this overlooked zone with style as unique as you. Display your collections, improve organization, or just add a pop of color - the options are endless.
Don't let inferior design or challenging access stop you from highlighting your cabinets. A few simple upgrades make all the difference in creating a focal point full of eye-catching flourish. You don't have to spend big bucks or make major renovations to boost your kitchen's aesthetic appeal. Get inspired by these innovative ideas and showcase your style from floor to ceiling!