Invigorate Your Kitchen: Brilliant Ideas To Style Above Cabinets

Does your kitchen feel incomplete? Like it's missing that extra visual interest to really make it pop? Look up - the space above your kitchen cabinets is prime real estate waiting to be styled. With the right DIY tricks or luxurious built-ins, you can transform the empty wall over your cabinets into a design feature that expresses your personal flair.

Decorating the above-cabinet area draws the eye up and gives your kitchen depth and character. Clever lighting and display spaces let you highlight treasured items with meaning. Aburst of color or unexpected materials like a mini herb garden infuse personality. Whatever your style, there are endless options to makeover the often overlooked empty space over kitchen cabinets.

Planning Your Above Cabinet Decor

Assess Your Space

First, take measurements of the wall area so you know exactly what you're working with. Note any existing architectural details like beams or windows that impact the space. Check for adequate electrical outlets if you'll be adding lighting. Look at the current style and finish of your cabinets to determine if you want to complement or contrast their look.

Be sure to measure how much clearance you have between the cabinets and ceiling. Typically you'll need at least 15 inches of space above cabinets to incorporate most decor options. If space is very tight, slender shelving or low profile artwork may still work.

Determine Your Style

How do you want your new above cabinet decor to look? Sleek and modern with track lighting? Rustic charm with floating shelves and antique plates on display? The style you choose will inform what type of decor elements and materials make sense.

You can match the finish and feel of your existing cabinetry, or intentionally contrast it by mixing, say, painted white cabinets with an industrial pipe shelf. Often it looks best to pick up some similar colors and textures while still showing your personal style.

Set Your Budget

From nearly free DIY projects to high-end custom built-ins, above cabinet decor can fit different budgets. Setting realistic expectations helps narrow down options.

Paint, floating shelves, baskets, and artwork you already own cost little. New affordable lighting or knickknacks make easy upgrades. For major transformations with carpentry, custom shelves, and designer lighting, expect to invest more for a built-in look.

DIY Decor Ideas for Above Cabinets

Style with Paint

Painting the wall above your cabinets makes a bold statement. Try an unexpected pop of color, or pick a hue that ties into your existing decor. For extra interest, use painter's tape to create stripes, geometric patterns, or vertical board-and-batten lines.

Painting inside the cabinets black or a dark color also highlights the space, as does using chalkboard paint to create a fun message board.

Add Floating Shelves

Floating shelves instantly provide a place to display plants, books, and your favorite collected items. DIY wood or metal pipe shelves are inexpensive. Or you can find ready-made floating shelves at hardware stores - sleek glass or laminate versions work for contemporary kitchens.

Experiment with shelving shapes and configurations to build a geometric gallery wall. Layer in different sizes, heights, and materials like wood boxes or tin trays across shelves for an eclectic look.

Show Off Meaningful Items

One of the best ways to decorate above cabinets is with special things you love. Display your vintage milk glass collection or grandmother's plates. Clear glass apothecary jars filled with spices look elegant and functional. Floating shelves provide perfect perches for beloved houseplants.

The items you choose make a statement about your style and interests. Pick items with personal meaning over generic "filler" decor.

Maximize Space with Baskets

Woven baskets are affordable and versatile for cabinet top decor. Pretty wicker or rattan baskets corral items like hand towels, linens, or cookbooks. Metal wire baskets have a more modern industrial feel. Hang a few colorful baskets at staggered heights for visual interest.

Baskets keep frequently used items within reach but out of sight. Try fruit, onions and garlic, sponges, or kitchen utensils in different sized baskets matching your kitchen's color palette.

Sophisticated Decor Ideas

Install Track or Pendant Lighting

Lighting transforms any space. Sleek track lights on dimmers shine a spotlight on your stylish cabinet decor. Whimsical pendants like a colorful Moroccan lantern or geometric metal shapes make a bold style statement.

Mini pendants hung low create useful task lighting. Multiple small pendants at alternating heights provide both mood lighting and visibility for prepping meals. Lean into your kitchen's look - modern, antique, edison bulb, nautical, and more.

Open Shelving Built-Ins

Built-in shelving with cabinets offers tons of storage and display space. DIY floating shelves made from boards and brackets create the look on a budget. Versatile open cubes keep items visible but organized.

Incorporate lighting into custom shelving for extra polish. LED lights illuminate displays. Glass cabinet fronts showcase fine dishware. Maximize vertical space by building up to the ceiling.

Make a Statement with Artwork

From elegant framed prints to an eclectic gallery wall, art draws the eye. Large stretched canvas paintings become focal points. Line up same-sized frames in a grid for a modern, tailored look.

Vintage advertising posters, classic botanical prints, or a meaningful photo collage give character. Stand artwork out with lighting - hang pendant lights over artwork to spotlight it.

Add Architectural Interest

Installing crown molding, shiplap planks, beams, or other architectural elements makes a bold impact. Dramatic thick crown molding elegantly frames the cabinetry, tying everything together.

Rustic wood beams, brick or tile backsplash, and open shelving create a farmhouse feel. Simple trim details molding provide classic appeal for transitional spaces. Match new elements to your cabinetry style.

Style Ideas for Different Kitchen Aesthetics

Farmhouse Kitchen

A farmhouse kitchen deserves homey decor touches above cabinets. Display vintage painted ceramic plates or tin molds. Floating shelves showcasing white ironstone pitchers and rolling pins play up the farmhouse style.

Plants like ferns or trailing ivy in ceramic pots complement the earthy vibe. For a finishing touch, hang a wired burlap bow or vibrant flower garland along the top.

Modern Kitchen

The sleek minimalism of a modern kitchen benefits from artistic accent decor. Abstract art prints, colorful geometric patterns, or oversized photos above the cabinets prevent sterile emptiness.

Modern open shelving highlights ceramics, sleek trays, or decorative coffee table books. Slim LED light strips illuminate display areas. Copper, wood, or concrete shelves bring in natural texture.

Rustic Kitchen

Rustic farmhouse style loves worn, natural textures and materials. Floating shelves made from reclaimed barn wood suit the rustic charm. Display vintage glass bottles, galvanized tin containers, or stacked woven baskets.

Antique window frames, architectural salvage, and repurposed ladder shelves lean into the vintage vibe. Mini Edison bulb pendant lights or rustic chandeliers complement without overwhelming.

Eclectic Kitchen

Go bold with an eclectic mix of colors, shapes, styles, and textures above cabinets. Handpainted ceramic vases neighbor industrial pipe shelves. Lighting like colorful lanterns plays off funky artwork.

An eclectic space allows you to display your unique personality and ever-changing collection of favorite items. Embrace what you love - don't be afraid to break design "rules" with an unconventional hodgepodge.

Ready to transform your kitchen with new decor space above the cabinets? Keep these tips in mind for stylish success:

• Start with a thorough declutter to clear out existing visual clutter before decorating.
• Incorporate layered lighting for both overall illumination and accent spots over decor areas.
• Tie in cabinet colors, textures, and materials for a cohesive look.
• Display meaningful art, collections, or greenery instead of generic "filler" items.
• Take full advantage of vertical space and the elevated sightlines it offers.

With the right blend of clever DIY projects and striking lighting and built-ins, your kitchen's plain cabinet top space can become a design feature that expresses your personal taste. Look up and discover the potential to invigorate your kitchen with stylish decor.