Spruce Up Your Kitchen Cabinets with These Clever Styling Tricks
If your kitchen cabinets are looking a little lackluster, don't despair. You can easily breathe new life into them with some clever styling tricks. One often overlooked area ripe for a makeover is the top of your cabinets. This wasted space is perfect for infusing your kitchen with personality. With just a few decorative touches, you can transform the tops of your cabinets from drab to fab.
Decorating above your kitchen cabinets adds visual interest and complements your existing decor. You can start small by accessorizing with a couple of well-chosen items or go all out to create a gorgeous display. Whether you want to highlight your favorite collectibles or get organized with extra storage, cabinet top decor has many benefits. Read on for inspiring ideas to spruce up your kitchen cabinets with style.
Take Advantage of Forgotten Space for Styling Potential
Most kitchens have acres of cabinets, but how often do you decorate the tops? Unless you're 6'5", they likely go unnoticed and underused. The space above your cabinets provides the perfect canvas for infusing your kitchen with personality. Don't let this primo decorating real estate go to waste!
Strategically style certain areas for maximum impact. The cabinet tops above your sink or stove deserve special attention. You use these high-traffic zones frequently, so decorative accents here will be noticed and appreciated. Eye-catching displays also help distract from boring builder-grade cabinets.
Corner cabinets tend to collect clutter since they're difficult to access. Clever corner styling solves this issue while opening up the room. For a coordinated look, extend your displays across a whole run of cabinets or the tops of your kitchen island.
Gather Inspiration and Choose a Style
Before decorating, determine the look you want to achieve. Browse Pinterest boards and home decor sites like Houzz to gather inspiration. If your kitchen is already styled, choose items that complement your overall aesthetic - modern, traditional, farmhouse, etc. Let your personality shine through.
Collect beautiful images that appeal to you. Take note of how these designer kitchens artfully blend various elements like plants, artwork, lighting, baskets, and display shelves. Adopt any ideas that resonate and fit your taste. Don't be afraid to think outside the box!
Curate Your Displays with Meaningful Pieces
When selecting items, choose a mix of special pieces that reflect your passions and interests. Include treasured antiques, travel souvenirs, or family heirlooms. Arrange them creatively with other decor you already have around the home like fruit bowls, candles, and artwork.
The beauty of cabinet top decor lies in eclectic mixes. Contrast smooth pottery with rustic baskets, or combine vintage books with sleek ceramics. Layer in greenery for an organic element. Your cabinet tops tell a story, so decorate them with pieces that have meaning. This thoughtful approach results in displays with lots of visual interest.
Use the Proper Foundation for your Cabinet Top Decor
While your creative vision has no limits, you need an appropriate base to display items on top of your cabinets. Most people use the existing cabinet tops themselves. For a more finished look, install specialty hardware like rail molding, corbels, or floating ledges.
Wall mounted rails or floating box shelves create pretty vignettes. Photo ledges can hold framed art and leaning mirrors. Open shelves are great for cookbooks, collectibles, or plants. Multi-tiered wall shelves provide ample display space. Place these foundation pieces strategically to anchor your arrangement.
Stay Within Height and Weight Limits
When planning your cabinet top decor, consider potential height constraints. Arrange items so they don't block appliances, windows, or light fixtures. Accent lighting often gets installed above kitchen sinks and ranges. Make sure decor pieces don't obstruct usable workspace below either.
Use secure museum wax or mounting putty to keep loose objects in place so they don't fall. Avoid displaying heavy, fragile, or valuable items up high. Things placed near cabinet edges could potentially tip over if bumped. Only include pieces you feel comfortable displaying at extended heights.
Incorporate Lighting for Drama
The right lighting takes your cabinet styling to the next level. Accent lighting adds drama while providing extra task lighting. Hardwired undershelf lighting kits work well. Plug-in puck lights are affordable and easy to position. Mini clip-on lamps also supply targeted illumination.
For quick DIY drama, install battery-operated string lights. They emit a twinkly glow perfect for highlighting greenery and collections. Just take care that lights don't generate excess heat near cabinets. Properly illuminating your decorative displays makes them even more eye-catching.
Get Inspired with These Easy DIY Decorating Ideas
Looking for fun, budget-friendly ways to give those dusty cabinet tops new life? You can easily DIY stunning displays with common household items. Give your kitchen a mini makeover with any of these innovative ideas:
Plants and Greenery
Houseplants instantly freshen up any space. Set trailing ivy or spider plants in hanging planters along the tops of your cabinets. Air plants mounted with floral wire create a modern green oasis. Grow kitchen herbs like mint and basil for a functional focal point.
Baskets and Boxes
Inexpensive storage bins offer unlimited styling potential. Use baskets in natural fibers like seagrass or rattan to corral items. Arrange them at different heights along your cabinets. Stacked antique crates or old books add rustic texture. Display collections in colorful ceramic jars.
Frame Collections or Photos
Show off favorite photos, art prints or collections using wall-mounted picture rails, floating box frames or photo ledges. This keeps items neatly corralled so they don't get dusty. Lean large pieces of artwork against the wall for an artistic look.
Chalkboards and Corkboards
Personalize your space with framed chalkboard or corkboard. Use them functionally to post menus, recipes and reminders. Or just write an inspiring quote to complement your cabinets. Painted wood signs in any style brighten up monotonous cabinet tops.
The options for cabinet top decor are endless. Express yourself by displaying favorite collections and belongings up high. Follow these tips and transform the forgotten tops of your kitchen cabinets into glorious design features.
Style Cabinets With Things You Already Own
Not ready for a total kitchen makeover? You can still spruce up sad cabinets with simple styling using items you already have at home. Tuck away rarely used dishware like Grandma's china or fancy barware. Everyday kitchenware looks chic when artfully arranged. Try these quick ideas for giving cabinet tops new life without spending much.
Cookbooks
Show off gorgeous cookbook covers by storing them face out on open shelves. Floating ledges corral a collection in a tight space. Prop books open to favorite recipes using bookstands. Integrating beautiful books brings a library vibe to kitchens.
Fruit and Glassware
Deploy your best glassware, pitchers and vases in an artful still life atop cabinets. Fill crystal bowls with fresh citrus, grapes or faux florals. Place some pieces on pedestals for height variation. Show off pretty stemware on hanging racks or wall-mounted wine glass holders.
Sentimental Finds
Gather mementos like seashells, ticket stubs, antiques and family photos. Display them in decorative boxes, trays or frames. These keepakes add personalized accents that reflect your history. Sentiment goes a long way in crafting displays with meaning.
Plants and Herbs
Green up your kitchen with inexpensive herbs and plants. Trailing ivy, air plants and succulents thrive in low light. Grow practical herbs like thyme, oregano and basil to snip while cooking. Hanging planters allow greenery to shine at eye level. Caring for plants boosts moods.
With a little creativity, you can transform the dusty tops of your kitchen cabinets even on a budget. Raid your collections, china hutch and bookshelves for unique decorative items. Arrange and display treasured pieces in unused spaces for a custom look.
If your kitchen cabinets need a boost, don't overlook the valuable decorating potential lying right above them. Just a few clever styling tricks can turn wasted cabinet tops into gorgeous displays. Experiment with plants, lighting, shelves and sentimental items collected over the years.
The goal is creating vignettes that express your tastes while taking advantage of often forgotten space. You don't have to invest in an expensive kitchen renovation to get big visual impact. Approach cabinet top decorating as a fun DIY project and source items already in your home.
Follow the inspiration that speaks to you - glamorous barware, rustic crates, a rotating gallery wall. Before you know it, you'll have a kitchen that feels fresh, stylish and uniquely you. Don't keep all the beauty locked away behind those dreary cabinet doors. Show off your collections and personality on top for all to admire.