Yes, you absolutely can and should decorate the space above your kitchen cabinets! This area, often high up and overlooked, offers a prime opportunity to elevate your contemporary kitchen styling above cabinets and add personality to your cooking space. It’s a common question: what is the best way to fill that empty spot? The answer lies in smart choices that match your modern style.
Why Decorate Above Kitchen Cabinets?
Many modern homes feature cabinets that stop short of the ceiling. This leaves a gap. Filling this gap is more than just looking nice. It finishes the room. It makes the kitchen feel complete. This space provides a chance to inject style. It stops the upper cabinets from looking like they were simply cut short.
Elevating the Look of Your Kitchen
Decorating this high space helps create a seamless flow. It draws the eye upward. This can make the whole kitchen feel taller and larger. Good kitchen cabinet top decor ideas bring texture and color into a space that is often very functional and plain. It moves the space from just a cooking area to a styled room.
Practical Uses for the Space
While style is key, there are practical benefits too. This area can be used for hidden storage. Or, it can be used to show off special items. It’s a spot to display things that do not need daily handling. Finding stylish ways to fill space above kitchen cabinets means balancing looks with usability.
Design Principles for Contemporary Cabinet Top Decor
Contemporary design loves clean lines, simplicity, and quality over quantity. When decorating above cabinets, less is usually more. You want items that look intentional, not cluttered.
Keeping It Clean and Uncluttered
Clutter ruins a modern look quickly. Avoid packing the space too tightly. Give each item room to breathe. This ensures your contemporary kitchen accessories above cabinets look sophisticated. Think about negative space—the empty areas around your decor. These spots are just as important as the items themselves.
Choosing the Right Scale and Proportion
The height above your cabinets demands larger items. Small trinkets get lost. They look messy from a distance. Choose pieces that match the scale of your tall cabinets. Oversized items often work best here. This is crucial for unique kitchen cabinet top decorations.
Color and Material Harmony
Your decor should link back to your main kitchen colors. Do you have stainless steel appliances? Maybe use chrome or brushed metal accents up high. If your cabinets are dark wood, use light-colored pottery to create contrast. Natural materials like wood, ceramic, and matte metals fit well in contemporary settings.
Creative Kitchen Cabinet Top Decor Ideas
There are many routes you can take. The best choice depends on your ceiling height and your personal taste. Consider these popular kitchen cabinet top decor ideas.
Architectural Elements and Artwork
Sometimes, the best decor is structural.
- Faux Trim or Molding: Installing simple crown molding that extends from the cabinet top to the ceiling instantly finishes the look. This is a very permanent and sleek solution.
- Large Framed Art (Carefully Placed): If the space is deep enough, a very large, light piece of abstract art leaning against the wall can look stunning. Ensure it is secure!
Vessels and Pottery
Ceramics are a designer favorite for this space. They add texture without adding visual noise.
- Oversized Vases: Choose one or two very tall, sculptural vases. Matte black, stark white, or deep navy work well in modern kitchens.
- Large Bowls or Urns: Look for pieces with interesting textures, like distressed concrete or smooth, oversized terracotta. These make excellent display ideas above kitchen cabinets.
Utilizing Modern Kitchen Storage Solutions Above Cabinets
While this space is primarily decorative, you can incorporate storage that looks intentional. This blends function with form, perfect for modern kitchen storage solutions above cabinets.
- Stylish Baskets: Use beautiful woven baskets (perhaps rattan or thick canvas) to hold items you don’t use often, like seasonal platters or extra linens. Ensure the baskets themselves are high quality.
- Display Canisters: Large, clear or opaque canisters filled with dried pasta, beans, or even decorative stones can look chic if they are uniform in size and shape.
Incorporating Greenery (Faux or Real)
Plants bring life into a room. High placement can be tricky, though.
- Tall Faux Trees: If the space is very tall, a tall faux fiddle-leaf fig or snake plant positioned right next to the cabinets can bridge the gap beautifully. Ensure the quality of the faux plant is high.
- Cascading Greenery: Use trailing plants like Pothos or String of Pearls placed in hanging planters mounted near the ceiling, allowing the vines to cascade down slightly.
The Power of Lighting Solutions Above Kitchen Cabinets
Lighting is essential for modern design. It defines shape and mood. Lighting solutions above kitchen cabinets can transform the area from a dark void into a focal point.
- LED Strip Lighting: Installing warm-toned LED strips along the top edge of the upper cabinets washes the ceiling with light. This highlights the architecture and makes the kitchen feel airy. This is a subtle but powerful choice.
- Uplighting Sconces: If your walls allow, small, modern sconces aimed upward can cast beautiful shadows and highlight any items you place on top.
Deciphering Decor Styles for the Cabinet Top
Your choice of decor must align with your overall kitchen style. Here is how to match decor to common contemporary looks.
Minimalist Contemporary
Minimalism thrives on scarcity. Every item must earn its place.
| Item Type | Best Selection Criteria | What to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Vessels | Single, large, geometric shapes. Matte white or black. | Clustered groups; bright colors. |
| Storage | Built-in or hidden storage is preferred. If visible, use seamless, plain boxes. | Overstuffed baskets; mixed textures. |
| Art | One large, simple abstract piece, or none at all. | Busy patterns or highly detailed landscapes. |
For a truly minimalist look, consider leaving the space completely bare, relying only on excellent lighting solutions above kitchen cabinets to define the upper space.
Industrial Contemporary
This style mixes raw materials with sleek lines.
- Metals: Use aged bronze, black iron, or copper. Look for large metal signs with simple fonts, or oversized metal gears (if very clean and artistic).
- Wood: Weathered wood crates or thick slabs of reclaimed wood can work well as bases for other items.
- Considerations: This style handles more texture than pure minimalism. It’s a good place for unique kitchen cabinet top decorations like industrial pipe shelving components, used decoratively.
Mid-Century Modern Influence
If your kitchen has clean lines but warmer tones (teak, walnut), use accessories that reflect this era.
- Ceramics: Look for boomerang shapes or globe forms in olive green, mustard yellow, or burnt orange.
- Sculpture: Simple, abstract wooden sculptures or metal rods arranged in geometric patterns fit perfectly.
Functional Considerations: What Goes Where?
When deciding on the best items to put above kitchen cabinets, think about accessibility. If you need it often, it shouldn’t be ten feet in the air.
High-Use vs. Low-Use Items
High-Use Items: Things like everyday serving dishes or rarely used appliances should not be stored up high unless you have a step stool permanently available. If you choose modern kitchen storage solutions above cabinets, they should hold things you access perhaps once or twice a year (e.g., holiday platters, specialty baking pans).
Low-Use Items (Decor Focus): This is the ideal spot for items that serve a purely visual role:
- Decorative glassware that matches your color scheme.
- Art pieces or sculptures.
- Empty, oversized vases that act as architectural accents.
Safety First
When decorating space above kitchen cupboards, safety is paramount, especially if you have children or pets.
- Weight Distribution: Never overload one section of the cabinet tops. Distribute weight evenly.
- Stability: Ensure tall items are placed close to the back edge of the cabinet and lean against the wall or backsplash. Vibrations from cabinet doors slamming can cause tall, narrow items to topple.
Mastering Display Ideas Above Kitchen Cabinets
Effective display is about curation. You are creating vignettes, small visual scenes, rather than just stacking things.
The Rule of Odds
Designers often suggest using an odd number of items (three or five) in a grouping. This feels more dynamic and visually pleasing than even numbers. For instance, place three differently sized white vases together.
Creating Vertical Interest
If your ceiling is very high, you need pieces that vary in height. This helps bridge the gap smoothly.
- Start with a shorter, wider item (like a platter).
- Add a medium-height item (a stack of books or a medium vase).
- Finish with the tallest element (a sculptural branch arrangement or a tall lamp base).
This tiered approach makes the decorating space above kitchen cupboards look integrated with the wall height.
Using Trays or Risers
To group smaller items beautifully, use a tray or a low riser. This contains the display. For example, place a narrow, dark wood tray on top of the cabinets. On the tray, place three small, identical matte black tins. This organizes the visual field.
Lighting Solutions Above Kitchen Cabinets: Making a Statement
Lighting is arguably the most powerful tool for contemporary kitchen styling above cabinets. It changes how people perceive the space, especially at night.
Task vs. Accent Lighting
For the area above cabinets, you are exclusively dealing with accent lighting. The goal is mood and display enhancement, not working light.
- Warm Light (2700K – 3000K): Use warm-toned bulbs for LED strips or puck lights. This mimics natural light and makes the kitchen feel inviting, contrasting nicely with the often stark finishes of modern design.
- Concealment: The light source itself should be hidden. You want to see the effect (the glow on the ceiling or the highlight on the pottery), not the bulb or fixture. This is why recessed lighting or continuous LED tape is superior to visible spotlights.
Using Pucks and Spots
If you opt for small, individual puck lights, position them strategically behind the taller items. If a tall vase sits at the back, placing a puck light behind it will make the vase glow from within, offering incredible display ideas above kitchen cabinets.
Maintenance and Practicality for Cabinet Top Decor
Decorating high spaces means the items will collect dust. Good maintenance is part of contemporary upkeep.
Dealing with Dust and Grease
Kitchens accumulate grease-laden dust. Items on top of cabinets are prime targets.
- Material Choice: Choose materials that are easy to wipe down. Smooth ceramics, glass, or metal are easier than porous stone or heavily textured wicker. If you use baskets, ensure they are washable or line them.
- Frequency: Plan to dust the area every few weeks. If the space is truly hard to reach, it is better to have fewer, larger items that require less frequent cleaning than many small, fiddly pieces. This supports the minimalist aspect of contemporary kitchen styling above cabinets.
Accessibility Tools
Invest in a sturdy, attractive step ladder if you plan to display items you might swap seasonally. A simple, modern A-frame ladder can even become part of the kitchen’s aesthetic, serving as an accessory itself when not in use.
Choosing the Best Items to Put Above Kitchen Cabinets
To summarize the absolute best items to put above kitchen cabinets for a contemporary look, focus on these categories:
- Sculptural Forms: Large, abstract shapes in metal or ceramic.
- Uniform Vessels: A set of 2 or 3 matching, tall vases in a single color.
- Architectural Lighting: Hidden LED strips creating a ceiling wash.
- Textured Baskets: High-quality storage used purely for visual texture.
Avoid: Mementos, mismatched souvenir plates, old cookbooks, or anything that looks like overflow storage from the pantry.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I put real plants above my kitchen cabinets?
Yes, but only if you have excellent lighting solutions above kitchen cabinets or a window that provides sufficient light. Most kitchens have limited natural light reaching that high, making high-quality faux plants a more practical choice for achieving consistent contemporary kitchen styling above cabinets. If you use real plants, choose low-light tolerant varieties like ZZ plants or snake plants, and ensure they are easy to water without making a mess on the cabinet tops.
Should the decor above my cabinets match my dishware?
Not necessarily. The area above your cabinets is a display zone, separate from your daily working kitchen. While the colors should coordinate, the items don’t need to be functional kitchen items. Using unique kitchen cabinet top decorations that reflect art or sculpture often works better for achieving a modern look than simply displaying mismatched mugs.
How do I deal with cabinets that are very low, leaving only a small gap?
If the gap is small (less than 12 inches), your options narrow. This is where recessed lighting solutions above kitchen cabinets are perfect, as they take up no physical space. If you must place something there, choose very slim, low-profile items like flat metal wall art leaning against the wall, or a row of shallow, wide bowls. Avoid tall objects that might look squashed.
Is it okay to store spices or extra food items up there?
While you can use modern kitchen storage solutions above cabinets, it is generally advised against storing food items like spices or grains up high unless they are in airtight, decorative canisters that look intentional. The heat rising from the stove can affect food quality, and retrieving items frequently defeats the purpose of the clean, modern display you are trying to achieve.
What if my cabinets go all the way to the ceiling?
If your cabinets meet the ceiling, the primary solution is to enhance the crown molding or add a soffit if necessary. You can still use lighting solutions above kitchen cabinets (LED strips tucked underneath the top edge) to emphasize the height and provide ambient light. No extra kitchen cabinet top decor ideas are needed, as the structure is already complete.