That Darn Space Above the Kitchen Cabinets

It seems to be the eternal decorating quandary…what to put above the kitchen cabinets.  Let me just say from the outset that I do not have the answers, and of course, it is a personal choice, so there’s really no right or wrong.  But this is my blog, so I can show you what I personally like and don’t like. 

This one is a no-brainer.  Empty alcohol bottles and a box fan just don’t work.

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I’m not a fan of the silk plants, either.

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You may not agree, but I think this one is just too much.  Many of the pieces individually are nice, but all together, it’s too theme-y.  I’d be more inclined to just use a grouping or two of the red pottery.  (Plus, it’s got fake plants.)

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I think plates are always a good choice, and something you can do even if you have soffit above your cabinets, as in this photo.

I think this one is from Country Living

 

To me, this is basket overload.

traditional kitchen design by san francisco architect Sutton Suzuki Architect

But I like this:  a couple of baskets look clean and simple and makes more of a statement than the dozens of baskets in the above photo.  Unless you’re trying to say “I have too many baskets and not enough storage space”.

House Beautiful

A collection works well, but I still prefer to keep it simple.  I love these bowls, and although they work well with the dishes on the shelves, I think they would look good even if the cupboards had doors.

Country Living

This is gor-gee-ous!  It makes me think I need to start collecting silver pitchers to go with my white dishes.  I think limiting it to white and silver keeps the feel clean, even though there are quite a few pieces and it might not be considered “simple”.

House Beautiful

So, what’s above my cabinets?  Until I started looking at all these photos, I was pretty satisfied with my white soup tureens, although I knew I still needed to tweak the layout and find one or two more.

Now I’m kind of embarrassed to admit I thought it looked good!  I still like the tureens, but now I’m thinking I want it to look more like that last House Beautiful photo.  I guess I’ll have to go thrift shopping for white platters and silver pitchers.  Rats!  You know how much I hate thrift shopping!