How to Decorate Above Kitchen Cabinets
April 25, 2011
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Hello all! How was your Easter weekend? I hope it was wonderful. :)
We had a great one – as you can tell by the tuckered out Bub and dog:
%5B3%5D.jpg "cuties")
:) Adorable.
I get asked a lot how to decorate one spot in particular – and it’s a tough one. High spaces in particular (plant ledges, above armoires) are hard, in my opinion. And the kitchen cabinets are no exception.
Our cabs aren’t super tall – we went with the basic height – so we have a ton of space above them. I tried leaving them nekked, but it just looks so unfinished and bare. And I love having a little somethin’ up there to add some personality and color to the kitchen.
I know some don’t like the decorating over the cabinets idea, and that’s cool. I really don’t need to know. Really…it’s OK. :)
Last week I finished up another item on my kitchen to-do list…and it was a LONG time coming. I started our mini kitchen redo last May, and the looming one year “anniversary” is kind of kicking my booty in gear. I’d love to have everything checked off my list by the year mark.
You can see in this old pic that I had stenciled sayings above the cabinets:
I had a Tuscan theme going in the room and I chose words like “Family and Friends” and “Wine and Food” in Italian.
But a beadboard backsplash doesn’t exactly scream Tuscan, so I’ve wanted to get rid of those words foreva now.
So I started priming:
And I figured it would be an easy project, but like pretty much ALWAYS, one thing turned into another. That is how I roll.
Two coats of primer and two coats of paint later, and you could see where I had touched up the paint:
I was hoping that wasn’t going to happen, but it did so I rolled with it. :) I repainted the area above the cabinets with a quick coat of the lovely Sisal color from Ralph Lauren (Home Depot can still mix it for you!)
LOVE this color.
And then I moved onto another project I’ve been wanting to address for some time now – updating and rearranging the accessories on top of the cabs. And I wanted to get it done without leaving the house. (Or spending any cash!)
I started with Goodwill frame I’ve had for ages:
Brand new baby!
I found a Target placemat a couple of months ago that I loved, and knew just what I was going to do with it:
It’s plastic and was only $1.99.
I cut it to fit the frame, and ended up with this:
So cute!!
You can see my little secret for propping up stuff up there:
Our little-used NYC book and my old AP Stylebook have a use again!
I only use old paperbacks, but on occasion Hubs will ask where a book is and I’ll answer, “Did you check above the cabinets honey?”
No lie. :)
That’s what it’s like living with me. He loves me so. (He must.)
:)
Anyhoo, next I focused on the blinding green tray I spray painted back here:
It. was. BRIGHT. Sheesh. Pretty much as soon as I did it, I wanted to change it.
I pulled it down and sprayed it with some yellow instead, but that pesky “S” was still showing through. So I thunk and I thunk, and came up with a (free!) fix to cover it.
I took some poster board, cut it to the size of the inside of the tray and then used a stencil to dress it up a bit:
It is SO not perfect – but remember it’s up high! And it was FREE. Me likey.
I may get a piece of plexiglass cut to fit over it eventually, but it’s not going to be used so for now it stays as is.
I had to keep at least ONE word up there – the Italian was gone, but I had to add one more that’s near and dear to my heart:
Yes, I love to eat. I needed to proclaim my love, loud and clear.
These are cardboard letters from Joann’s (you can find them online here too) and they’ve been sitting up there unfinished for months. First I tried covering them with fabric, then paper, and then realized they were way too busy.
You can’t go wrong with good old black. :)
I saw this cage at Stein Mart a few weeks ago and couldn’t resist it!:
It was $20 and they had a smaller size too. LOVE!!
I also picked up this cutie little stool a few months ago (for $12) at TJ Maxx:
UGH, I love it! It matches the blue tray I used in the living room. I love how it pulls out the blue in the little cafe curtains I made a couple of weeks ago.
Some of the pieces I’ve had for a long time – the pear art used to be a wrapped canvas:
I cut it out and framed it in an IKEA frame.
Last year I picked up the round platter from IKEA as well:
And the herb crate was a little DIY project from last summer. I adore that little crate!
I learned while working in the decorating biz that your eye should travel up and down when looking at accessories, and I try to apply that above our cabinets:
One tall thing, one shorter thing, one tall thing…you get it. ;)
Because we have so much space above our cabinets, I try to go with larger pieces to fill it:
And like any hard-to-decorate space, I always say to be PATIENT. Areas like this can’t be forced – it’s the kind of thing you fill as you go, when you find items you love, that are the right size, that apply to the space. (Trays, baskets and platters for a kitchen.)
You may notice one more little change…the ball started rolling and I couldn’t stop it.
I resisted, but it always wins out. :)
I FINALLY installed the crown molding in this space:
And I’ll tell you more about that when I finish the other half of the room (the family room).
I’m SO glad to have this done! Or at least up. “Done” is a bit of a stretch. :)
I may add a little detail to the bottom to chunk it up a bit, but for now, I’ll be happy if I don’t see our ladder again for a very, VERY long time. :)
So that, my dears, is how I decorate above our cabinets! If our cabs were taller, I’d do a lot less – probably wider, fatter items. But I love it and will probably not touch it for another year or five. And my kitchen list to-do is dwindling – WHOO!
How do you deal with up high spaces? Do tell!
I've also added accent lighting above the cabinets -- to see how to do that (the easy way) check out this post. See more updates to our kitchen since this post here and more of our home here.
Affiliate links may be included for your convenience.
it KILLS me to try and figure out what to put "up there" in my kitchen. I went from all my crystal with rope lighting...only do discover how dusty everything looked a week later...so I took ti all down-and now it's just a basket and my spraypaint obsession frames and cheapo vases! (of course they are sprayed to match! haha) Shown in this post
ReplyDeletehttp://radiomomrhetoric.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/i-spy/
I love it!! It looks so good, and you can't beat the price!
ReplyDeleteNo way! This is exactly what I started working on decorating in my home a week or two ago... I love what you did with it! Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteI love the pear placemat!! It looks so great up there!
ReplyDeleteLove the placemat idea...so clever and cute!
ReplyDeleteSarah!!!! It looks fantastic. :) I love the way you used posterboard over the "S." Very cool. We have white cabinets and yellow (soon to hopefully be light gray) walls. I have all white tureens, pitchers, creamers, etc. on one side of the kitchen and glass trifles, cake domes, bowls, etc. on the other. Would love to mix it up some!
ReplyDeleteI love it!! It really looks great! I can't remember if I emailed you that I have you on my blog oroll.I hope thaw ok and that you'll checkit out! I love your work
ReplyDeleteStacy @ www.conspicuousstyle.com
Omg I'm mortified by my spelling! Stupid iPad! Meant to also say what a great idea it is to frame a placemat. Don't know where you get these great ideas!
ReplyDeleteStacy @www.conspicuousstyle.com
I have soffit above my cabinets, except for some reason they left a little notch out above half of one cabinet, so I have about 12 x 12 inches of above the cabinets to work with. I used to have a bright yellow ceramic cat up there that kind of laid there and stared at everyone, but I only put that up there as a joke and I took it down when I got rid of the wood they used to line the niche (what? yeah). Nothing there right now. I hadn't even thought about it in ages, until now...
ReplyDeleteBTW, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the color of your cabinets. Love.
Your over the cabinet decor looks AMAZING!! Love it all!! Everything just works so well together. :) ~Crystal
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing!! Love the crown molding too!
ReplyDeleteI love decorating up there. We have added rope lighting to our cabinets. We drilled a hole for the plug to go into the cabinet where the mircowave plugs in also. I have them on a timer and it's such a nice touch at night for the cost of about $15 at Home Depot!
ReplyDeleteValerie
You did a great job up there! I used to have space in my old house and the bad part was it NEVER got dusted, talk about some big ol' dust bunnies! My house now has soffits but I kinda miss the decorating space. Also love the crown molding. Will u come do mine??
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I love that framed placemat - so cute!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI decided this past weekend to re-do above my cabinets too. I was excited to see that you posted about this. Looks great. (I use wood, boxes and books to raise up my stuff)
ReplyDeleteCamie
I like it!! I love your idea about framing the plastic place mat. I see plastic place mats I like but know I would never use plastic at our table so I never buy them- now I can! And they're always so cheap. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have shelf in our living room that is up high - in Arizona they call them pot shelves -I had never heard the term until we moved here but they're all the rage. I kind of did the same type of thing you did-frame pictures, signs, baskets, etc. It's fun because it's the one place I can use really large things.
Decorating above my cabinets is one of my favorite things to do.
ReplyDeleteUntil I fall off the counter while doing a redecorate.
True story.
It's worth it though!
I use little cardboard boxes and glass bowls to add depth!
I love decor above cabinets! I do the same in my kitchen! Your kitchen is beautiful...I'm jealous!
ReplyDeleteI love how you use books to give height to the pieces you want to show off. Everything looks very nice.
ReplyDeleteLove the eat sign! Looking good! Janell
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! And I love that you used things that were so inexpensive, yet look expensive! :) I used to use books under my stuff too, but then kept needing them! I finally bought a $2 2x6 at Home Depot and cut it in several pieces to lift up my treasures.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen is beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Pam
How clever to frame the cute placemat! Great mix of items that are fun to just sit and stare at. Love to take in all of your great projects! Denise Cosgrove, Independent Willow House Design Consultant
ReplyDeleteI just don't. I act like it's not there, but I think if I had the right stuff, I'd like it. I have just seen some BAD decorating up there & I don't want that to be me! ;) BUT~ I have been known to throw money up there...no, I'm serious. ha!
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen looks great! I really like all the changes you made. I love decorating above cabinets, but don't always know how to bring it all together. I have about 6-7 feet above my kitchen cabinets and am totally stumped. Here is a post back when I begged for ideas, and of course I have still done nothing over one year later. http://karenisblessed.blogspot.com/2010/01/my.html
ReplyDeleteI think decorating above kitchen cabs is great for others, but it's just not my thing. Oh, I've tried. There's the dust. Then it drives me nuts to have items up there that just naturally wouldn't be placed so out-of-reach or wouldn't grow in that area, like plants and pictures. And on and on. Visual clutter, yadda yadda. I'm really annoying when it comes to kitchen cabinet decorating. I settled on old stoneware bowls I found at antique shops and spaced them out over my cabs. Simple and utilitarian ... and except for some routine cleaning, I haven't moved them in about five years. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am currently in the throes of decorating above my kitchen cabinets... I am feeling more inspired now! I have a vaulted ceiling above my cabs, so I am looking for something big to go in the tallest corner (it's about 3 feet from the top of the cabinet to the ceiling). I've been keeping my eyes out wherever I go, and I know that one day something will catch my eye and work in that space.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I went to IKEA on Friday and I thought of you! I love that place!! Luckily my husband was with me so I got out there with only a little bit of damage to the wallet. Not as much as if I had been alone though! ;)
Looks Beautiful but I have to admit when I looked at the first picture I thought the words said FAT instead of EAT. And I thought well I guess that would motive you not to over eat.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! My kitchen cabinets are still very bare....
ReplyDeleteBUT I will definitely be using yours as inspiration! Great great job!
I am so glad you addressed this area, I am about to start working on a redo in my kitchen and I have been dreading the top of the cabinets! I love all your ideas!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Debbie
Love the redo..and great timing, as I'm addressing my kitchen shelves and cabinets this week. What a difficult job!
ReplyDeleteI have been waiting all my life for this post. No one has ever addressed this issue before and my cabinet tops have always stumped me. Looks great. I especially like the stool. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteSarah
Love all your ideas! I have only about 4 inches about my cabinets. have large leaf garland up there, wish i could do more, but not enough height.. I have some glass candle jars up there, not because I wanted them to stay there, but my husband put up the crown molding around the top of the cabinets, as sweet as he is :)... and didn't take the candles down, now there suck up there..LOL~! Love all your rooms! You are definitely a great inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh! I have colorful art glass above and used books and pieces of stiff foam to add height. The things we do for our decor, lol.
ReplyDeleteCompletely love it! The little stool is my fave :) Thanks for sharing deets about up down up down visual decorating, I like to learn from you pros!
ReplyDeleteMary @ Redo101.blogspot.com
Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your ideas. Mine are kind of half-done right now, and may stay that way for a while until inspiration strikes. The addition of the crown molding really makes the space stand out!
ReplyDeleteSarah, it looks great! Putting the poster board in that tray was a great idea. Everything looks so fresh and clean up there. Well done.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great...I love the stool. I used silk plants in old Pepsi crates above my cabinets and as a collector of cows I used cows, cows and more cows to tie in with my barnyard kitchen look.
ReplyDeletePotientially saving your husband time looking for books:) I have a friend who uses the thick foam board you can find at Michaels to lift things up above the lip of her cabinets.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I love the new decor & brightens the room up so much too :-)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE artifacts above cabinets. I had some baskets and vintage bottles and tins in our old house, but the cabinets in our present house go all the way to the ceiling. I used empty cereal boxes stuffed with newspaper to prop my items.
ReplyDeleteYour before and after is probably the only before and after where the before is just as stunning as the after, lol! But I understand we do get tired of looking at the same old, same old.
Oh, and also, thanks for the great tip about alternating between high and low, I never knew that! I'm going to go to bed less stupid tonight, lol!
ReplyDeleteHey girl! :) Your cabinets look fab on top and your crown molding is lovely. (I saw on twitter where you had to look up your old post to remember! HA!...sounds like something I'd do!)
ReplyDeleteI need to re-do the tops of my cabinets too..but this laundry room re-do is kicking my backside right now..but OH LORDY it's looking cute!) I'll be starting to blog about it this week!
Chat later
Missy
Where did you get your easels from? That's what those things are called, yes?
ReplyDeleteneulbitee at hotmail dot com
I am so glad you posted this - we have this area in my kitchen too and I never know what to put up there!
ReplyDeleteI too have books as my secret weapon. It looks great. I think you've inspired me to tackle the cabinets as my next decorating project.
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job! Looks great!
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to decorate over our cabinets, but I'm convinced that both of my cats would have it all knocked off by the end of a week :( We just stripped wallpaper and repainted our kitchen, so there's definitely some inspiration here for me!
ReplyDeleteI decorate above the cabinets too. I'm not a big fan of the bare look. I use books but I've found old VHS tapes work great too. Nobody's ever looking for them so it doesn't matter if they're on top of the cabinets!
ReplyDeleteInstead of using rarely used books to prop up the things above my cabinets I use old magazines. That's how I recycle them. It works great!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love it all. I keep mine empty...I have some cabinets without doors and want to change all the rest of my upper cabinets to glass fronts, so I guess I think it is just too much for my kitchen to have the tops of the cabinets decorated as well. But your is fantastic - as usual!!
ReplyDeleteDanielle
I love your kitchen. You have done a wonderful job.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering...can you tell me the name of your granite? I am in the process of buying granite. My cabinet color looks similar to yours, so I'm thinking the granite would look nice in my kitchen too.
Thanks a million. I love your blog and always appreciate all your ideas.
Thanks for this post. I've been struggling with this for the past couple of months. I decided I wanted to "de-countrify" my house, so I took down almost everything above me cabinets. It's been a slow process trying to find items to put up there. I don't truly love it the way it is now, but I know I can live with it and tweek it whenever the right accessories come along.
ReplyDeleteOH!!! I love it! I LOVE IT! I love the framed place mat, I love the stool! I JUST LOVE IT ALL!!! :)
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen looks fab, I love it! I wish we had space above our cabinets so I could decorate, but our cabs are ancient and built right up to the ceiling. Bums!
ReplyDeleteGORGEOUS! Your kitchen is an inspiration to me ! I absolutely LOVE the EAT letters!!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love your new over-the-cabinets decor!! It's so fresh and makes me want to do my kitchen (except my cat likes to hang out up there, so that could be problematic...)
ReplyDeleteAnd yet again you just read my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe space above my cabinets is were things go to die. Like there's a million cheap vases a birdcage and butterfly canisters up there...oh and ten layers of dust. I was just thinking that it needed a little revamping and you magically appeared.
BTW-I've been admiring the above the cabinet chockies for a long time...love 'em.
We have lots of (empty) wine bottles and such above our main cabinets; in one corner of the kitchen, we have a lonely little cabinet about 18" wide all by itself. I have a glass vase full of wine corks... and when we have a new wine cork to add to the vase, we take turns throwing it up there to see who can get it in. Only about half of them make it into the vase and I'm sure we have a very thick layer of corks up there hidden by the molding. That's how we roll :)
ReplyDeleteI go back and forth with decor above the cabinets. Mine right now look a little like a Cracker Barrel, but lots of special things that used to belong to so-and-so, and that's why I like them. Yours look very nice and I love the way you incorporated colors all over the room. I tend to get disracted and forget to repeat colors or fabrics. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI love how you framed the placemat!!! What great easy art! I am with you; I can't stand to have big empty space about the cabinets. You've done a gorgeous job filling yours!
ReplyDeleteFANTASTIC!
ReplyDeleteAs always you inspire me.
Thanks,
emily
Wonderful job on decorating above your kitchen cabinets. Love the new look--the yellow pear picture is my favorite. I have never had an open space above my cabinets and always wanted it. I have lived in older homes where there is a soffit so I decorate that. Currently mine has vintage still life oil paintings. Fruits and veggies. Love them!
ReplyDeleteI noticed the crown molding right away but kept thinking,"How did I miss her post about that!" Only to find out later in this post that I didn't. Your kitchen looks so nice!
ReplyDeleteWe have a vaulted ceiling in our kitchen with skylights so our above cabinet area is huge. I display my extensive pottery collection there mixed with large framed black and white photos.
ReplyDeleteLooks great!!
ReplyDeleteI have that same pitcher from Target and fill it with fresh flowers every other week. Love it!
Lucky (or not) for me that I don't have to worry about the space above my cabs, because they extend all the way up to the ceiling. :) But as I look at the top of my frig, I often wonder if I should decorate that someway....So thanks for the inspiration! Love what you did in your beautiful kitchen!
ReplyDeletexoxo laurie
You are SO FUNNY! I can just imagine how many people have felt the need to tell you all the reasons they don't do something like decorate above their cabinets. And I'm sure they're all sincere, and they all want you to know!
ReplyDeleteI for one think you've done a great job with your over-the-cabinet decor. You're right--you would do it differently if you had less space up there. But the way you did it is a great example of how it can be done in a thrifty but chic way. Excellent!!
It looks beautiful! I love it!
ReplyDeleteI love LOVE love what you did to the top of the cabinets! I have been trying to figure out what to put on top of mine as well...my cabinets are either really tall, or my ceilings are really low, but there is space enough to look lonely and bare, but too short to fit the things I have tried to put in there--frustrating! I'd love ideas of short fat things like you said would work when there is less room. Also, the books are a genious idea that I will definitely use! I'm always trying out different yogurt or applesauce containers or baby food jars, always trying to find something to work in that space to raise things. Books are such a good idea--thank you SO much! Keep up the wonderful reads as I appreciate them so! :)
ReplyDeletegreat ideas, thanks! I needed this...I have been unsure what to do over my kitchen cabs. And we have 2 plant ledges in our MBR that I have NO CLUE what to do with.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that I never get tired of reading your post and looking at the pics of your latest endeavor.
Your blog is one of my favs.
Keep up the good work!!
Lurve! (hehe)
Lesa
Beautiful job! I have been wondering what to do about that space above my cabinets. I have vaulted ceilings in my kitchen and everything I've tried looks skimpy. I will try to find some larger items to balance it all out. Thank you for your wonderful ideas. So glad I found your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I love the wire cloche and the little stool! I always decorate above my cabinets. I ahve pottery and greens up there right now with rope lights. Hubby put an automation thingy on the top of the fridge so that whenever we walk into the kitchen at night the lights come on! XO, Pinky
ReplyDeleteIn vast space that is my mind (maybe Space says it all!), I would have never thought to buy a plastic placement and put it in a frame. You, my dear, are a flippin' genius! That is my favorite idea of the month!! LOVE the way your mind works!
ReplyDeleteOh and am running to Stein Mart this week to look for a cage! Me likey, too!
Jenny
Thank you for this post! I have been stumped about what to do with the area above my cabinets. Your beautiful arrangements are just what I need to get my head rolling with ideas.
ReplyDeleteI change my above cupboard decor out with the seasons, for the most part. I have a few staple items that just get moved from one side to the other. I have to agree with the book props- great purpose for old phone books!
ReplyDeleteRight now I pulled apart a grapevine swag, stuck in some pussy willows and propped up and assortment of bird houses. All that will change within the next couple weeks. I think I've posted some of my above cupboard decor on my blog (sunshinequeen.wordpress.com)
Where did you get the other wire basket (next to the bright green tray?) Love it!
I am ready to come over for dinner!! I love the space, it is so warm and inviting! Keep the posts coming!
ReplyDeleteMy family lives in an old farm house, and the space above our new cupboards is only around an average of 6 inches room, some more some less since the ceiling isn't exactly level which makes it hard to decorate, but it looks really good at Christmas when we fill it with lighted garland.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt has a lot of antique/retro tins and some other older kitchen items above her cabinets, it looks really nice.
I have bulkheads above my cabinets
ReplyDelete:(
I keep threatening to rip them out.
I do that with the books too!! I've always been afraid to tell people because I didn't want to be judged! Thanks for the confession, how I can come out!
ReplyDeleteI love how your eat letters is showing as fat at the top picture. Made me smile :) I do love your kitchen though!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you posted this now! I am new to your blog, and I love it. I scoured pictures of your kitchen redo for ideas to decorate the top of my cabinets last weekend, we have similar kitchen layouts, so I was hoping to copy you a little. Then this! Awesome, and if I have any other telepathic request, well, you'll just know won't you!
ReplyDeleteMy husband MADE me leave our above cabinet space empty. :( I'm not allowed to make any decorative changes without his approval. Please pause and feel sorry for me for about two seconds, because he prefers minimal and matchy. Ugh! And he got this from his mother....another pause please. Umkay. Thanks. Still love your site and drool when I see the finished projects. Thank you for your posts.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! Thanks for sharing! Funny - -at first I thought it said "FAT" over your cabinets instead of "EAT"!! Got a good laugh out of that one! :)
ReplyDeleteJanet
I love your ideas, especially the placemat frame. I too have tried leaving the above cabinet space empty, full, funky, sparse. It took two years and one day it just clicked. I like your blog, will be back!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Christa
I "throw out" all of my ziploc containers each year (at Christmas)... actually they go on top of my cabinets to elevate my decor!
ReplyDeleteI am quite happy to catch up on your blogs from my vacation--I'm curious what's in the clear glass jars/containers by the fridge? Renea
ReplyDeleteI wish I have even a drop of your creativity. I am really hopeless that's why I rely on blogs like yours to keep my house errr...decorated. Well mine's a tiny condo so it's hard to decorate (plus all the clutter we have!) Anyway, I was amazed on how you used chunky everyday items instead of just propping a happy art on the spaces. Great ideas and I so love how it turned out!
ReplyDeleteI happened upon your blog when researching info on some room up-dates I was working on an just now found the "top of the cabinets" post. You mentioned you may have plexi cut to close it.... Wow..this is something I've rolling around in my head for quite some time (since I also need to do something about my icky formica cabinets). The space above my cabinets is only about 11" so its tough to find stuff that works up there. Right now I have all my wine/beer/champagne and other assorted glassware up there with rope lights behind. I used styrofoam cut to fill the recess on top of the cabinets and covered them with cheap aluminum foil. You can actually see the glasses above the recess and throw away dusty aluminum foil and replace easy enough. Since the dust is such a problem, I have been toying with the idea of closing in the space with posts and either plexi or styrene/acrylic inserts between the posts and topped off with some molding (to hide my badly cut edges). It would be even better if I could find a way to have the inserts open so I could keep the glassware up there (storage!) and be able to access it (maybe I could pin hinge the inserts into the posts?)...I've bought some inexpensive supplies to play around with...but it might be an idea? ......Nancy
ReplyDeleteUm, we do the same thing with books! Except mine are usually under a layer of felt "snow" under my Christmas village. I also have them on top of the kitchen cabs and china cabinet. And wouldn't you know that is always when hubby needs that book. UGH
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask... how do you know when people link to the post (as I see "Links to this post" at the bottom of the comments)? I link to other blogs in mine and always want the person to know I am doing it, but didn't know if there was a way for blogger or for me to do it automatically. Does that make sense?
Thanks! Katie
http://www.cayenne-paper.blogspot.com
I am so glad you posted this! I read it when it first came out and here I am almost a year later and I am totally redoing the top of my cabinets and I knew just where to come for some help!
ReplyDeleteWow! Great stuff! I just stumbled onto your blog and where have you been all my life? Very cool ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! http://twicethecharm.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteplease, please, please email me your kitchen paint colour!!! I love it & I have almost the same colour of cabinets. (just found this post through Pinterest)
ReplyDeletethx!
I really struggle with the above the cabinets area. Mine is not as well lite... nor is it as tall. We have maybe a foot or less above ours. But it seems so empty... and yet... when I try to put stuff up there, it's not very visible... AND it hard to find anything that will fit! Ugh. Just a little jealous. ;)
ReplyDeleteOk I feel really stupid for NOT thinking about putting a book or something to give items the height they need. I just cleared off the tops of mine because everything was half hidden, and it just looked junky, not decorated. So now back to work! lol
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!!!! In the South, we call the space above the cabinets a furdown...I don't know why they call this area that but one day when I was with my agent looking at houses she called it that and I asked her why. She replied..Darlin I dont know I guess it's because the were hung about this fur down from the ceiling!!!! (Far down) LOL true story!!!!
ReplyDeleteOk I love this! My hubs doesn't want me to put anything up there but it looks so bare! I have a few wine bottles I was gonna spray paint but am not sure what else. I love burgundy colors and our paint is a sage green.. Have any suggestions?
ReplyDeletelove this!! what is the paint color you used??
ReplyDeleteI have a high vaulted ceiling above my cabinets and am a complete loss as to what to put up there. At the highest point I have four feet to the ceiling. If anybody has any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
ReplyDeleteLove the kitchen,
ReplyDeleteCan you please advise what is the height of the island. I love it and i am currently contemplating whether to build a two level island so i can sit and eat comfortably. But yours looks like it is the perfect height.
Thank you.
Old VCR tapes are perfect to use when raising things up above cabinets! I'm sure almost everyone has boxes of them stored in their basements!
ReplyDeleteI love how this looks! And that you didn't spend a lot if money in the process! I actually have such minimal space above my cabinets (we got the taller when we built) that all of my books are up there, colorized and alternating between vertical and horizontal stacks. I wasn't sure what else to do with it, so thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteI have that space as well. I have found that at Christmas I put up garland with lights and pictures of Santa all different hights then I place Santa figurines in between the pictures. the area looks great. it also allows the everyday items to get dusted once a year.
ReplyDeleteI really like your ideas and it's very stylish. I want to know how often you clean that stuff. That's what is holding me back from decorating above my cabinets. I know I would never dust up there and my cute stuff would eventually look gross and dusty. I've seen that happen at other people's houses.
ReplyDeleteSam, it does get dusty, not too bad though. It doesn't bother me too much. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously awesome blog! I love it! I will be a new follower for shizzle! I'm always looking for easy and budget friendly ways to decorate my place and the two apartments that I rent out in Florence! Yay. You're fabulous girl!
ReplyDeleteWhat color is the paint in your kitchen? I like!
ReplyDeleteI have been searching everywhere and can't seem to find a platter I like and planned that to be the focal point so can't move past until I choose! I love yours simple yet elegant... Please do tell where you found it?? Thanks Jennifer
ReplyDeleteReally excellent ideas and am excited to try out some of them. So much better than my mother-in-laws idea of wrapping ivy around everything!
ReplyDeleteLove this! Do you have a printer-friendly version of this post? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI've have fought and fought with what to use to prop things up above the crown moulding. I have purchased shelves, cut foam core, and had a true V8 moment when I saw your stacked books. *head desk* Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOn the last picture something grabbed my eye and made my heart skip a beat!...I love, love, LOVE the black (my fave color of late) French door!! Is that the only one on the interior of your home? I have double French entry doors to my home and have the primer and black glossy paint all ready to go for the outside of the doors but I'm trying to get up the courage to do the inside black too! I have dark brown blinds (to match the window on the same wall) and didn't know if it would be too dark. Your opinion please?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's our pantry and I love that door! I think it would look OK with the blinds -- it's hard to say though. Do you have good natural light in the room? If so I think it would be fine! :)
DeleteIt looks amazing. Thanks for the tips. I to am challenged abouve my cabinets. It’s never ending. Here I go again.
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