Invigorate Your Kitchen with Brilliant Cabinet Top Decor

If the tops of your kitchen cabinets are collecting dust or looking lackluster, it may be time to give this often overlooked space a makeover. Decorating the tops of your cabinets is an easy yet impactful way to add visual interest, reflect your personal style, and create a feeling of height and spaciousness in your kitchen.

From stylish vignettes to practical storage solutions, there are endless options for utilizing and beautifying the space atop your cabinets. Read on for inspiration and tips to refresh your kitchen cabinets with brilliant top decor.

Gather Inspiration and Brainstorm Ideas

Before decorating, take some time to browse kitchen cabinet decor images and pinpoint your desired aesthetic. Are you looking to create a rustic farmhouse, sleek modern, or eclectic vintage vibe? Considering your overall kitchen decor and color scheme will help narrow things down.

Next, decide whether you want to use the cabinet tops purely for decor or incorporate functional storage as well. For example, rows of beautiful vintage vessels have a stylish look, while lined up jars of spices and oils provide decor and handy access to cooking ingredients.

Greenery Brightens Any Kitchen

One easy way to infuse freshness is with greenery and plants. Mini herb gardens give a punctuation of green while providing snippings for cooking. Succulents and cacti make low maintenance options, while a trailing pothos vine or ivy cascading over cabinet edges adds organic texture.

Cut flowers are another option, either in bud vases or more abundant arrangements. Just be sure to switch them out before they fade.

Display Your Favorite Dishware

Turning cabinet tops into an exhibition space for your best mugs, plates or glassware is an easy way to incorporate your personal style. Try gathering dishes with a cohesive color scheme or quirky vintage finds. For variety, intersperse with wooden cutting boards, napkin holders, or utensil crocks.

A decorative tray or riser is useful for corralling items so they don’t slide around when opening and closing cabinet doors. It also adds dimension.

Creative Ways to Use the Space

Get creative with displaying practical kitchen items you use regularly. Glass jars of spices and dried pasta make frequently used ingredients visually appealing and easily accessible. Clear glass bottles filled with olive oil and vinegars or teas and coffees add color and function.

Pretty bowls can hold fresh fruits and vegetables, while a ceramic planter could contain fresh oregano or basil within easy reach. Just be mindful that sunlight streaming through windows doesn’t prematurely spoil light-sensitive foods.

Include Meaningful Wall Art

Signs and wall art personalized with quotes or meaningful words make cabinet tops feel uniquely you. Try painting an inspirational phrase on reclaimed wood, framing vintage botanical prints, or lining cookbooks up in a row.

Floating shelves mounted right above cabinets are ideal for displaying special objects, framed photos, or a series of candles.

Ambient Lighting and Greenery

Strategically placed lighting transforms cabinet tops from blank spaces into softly glowing displays. Try adhesive puck lights, slim LED strips, or dangling Edison bulbs plugged into an outlet built into the underside of cabinets. For fun, string mini fairy or lantern lights along the tops or sides of cabinets.

Flanking lighted areas with lush potted plants, trailing vines, or leafy branches enhances the ambiance. Their organic shapes play against the cabinet’s rigid lines.

Finishing Touches and Maintenance

Once your treasured items are artfully arranged, take a step back to ensure your display looks balanced. Adjust spacing or add accent pieces like candles, linens, or small decorative bowls as needed.

When using fresh greenery, plan on refreshing flowers and trimming foliage each week to maintain a lively feel. For cabinet tops in high traffic zones, wipe away dust regularly and periodically edit or reorganize your vignettes to keep things feeling fresh.

Aside from being visually appealing, decorating your previously barren cabinet tops offers many benefits. It instantly provides useful vertical storage space and a place to proudly exhibit favorite items. The added decor makes kitchens feel more inviting, gives the illusion of higher ceilings, and reflects personality.

So don’t let your cabinet tops go to waste. With a mix of creativity and purposeful intent, this often overlooked space can be transformed into a functional and stylish focal point that enlivens your entire kitchen.