Looking Up

Well, things are looking up a bit. I was able to make three complete revolutions on the recumbent bike, which feels like a milestone for me and my birthday knee because it means we are that much closer to driving. During this healing time at home, I’ve spent plenty of moments staring at the ceiling while icing or elevating my knee, propped up on lovely down pillows. My house was built in the eighties, and the ceiling rises to a high peak that seems to soar above the space. When we bought the house decades ago it was covered in popcorn, but now it’s finished in beautiful beadboard. The ceilings are quite nice to look at, and I’m grateful we treated them years ago with something beautiful just for this occasion. In the world of decorating, what happens overhead is just as important as what happens in the rest of the room. Let’s revisit the Putnam model from last week to see how things are looking up in the kitchen now that we’ve finished the space above the cabinets somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  To Decorate or Not
Decorating above the kitchen cabinets is a hot topic. There are two schools of thought: some say no and some say yes, but the real answer is a bit more nuanced. If your cabinets rise almost to the ceiling and leave only a narrow space at the top, there’s no need to decorate. In a home with a modern, minimal aesthetic, it’s better to keep that clean, uninterrupted look as well. However, if you have a substantial gap between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling, decorating that space becomes almost essential. It finishes the room, draws the eye upward, and makes the kitchen feel more welcoming and complete.

  •  Large bank of cabinets (right)
The Putnam model has a large bank of cabinets around the refrigerator, and that section projects slightly deeper than the rest of the kitchen. That extra depth creates a broad, flat surface that practically invites a warm, textural collection of baskets. We chose baskets that complemented one another, gathered from different sources, and arranged them to feel collected rather than matched. A woven tray placed against the back wall established the height, and the surrounding baskets filled the space with a mix of levels, shapes, and textures. Using larger pieces in that upper area draws the eye upward and makes the kitchen feel visually inviting and complete.

  •  The corner cabinet
The deep corner of the kitchen needed height and a visual connection to the basket collection, so we placed a tall woven vase to anchor the corner and carry the eye upward as it moves through the space. To bridge the gap between that corner and the cabinet bank, we added a striking piece of faux coral from Pottery Barn. Although it was designed to lay flat on a table, we set it upright in a large plate holder so it could be fully seen and provide the bright pop needed in that space. Pro Tip: You can always find large plate holder to prop up a piece that was designed to lay flat.

  •  Left cabinetry bank
The long run of cabinetry over the stove needed another well thought out collection, and we began with artwork. Art is an excellent way to anchor the space above the stove, and we found two pieces that complemented each other beautifully. Their tones of green, blue, salmon, and violet echoed the colors in the rug and in the surrounding living and dining areas, creating a subtle visual link between the rooms while establishing a striking focal point above the stove. When we purchased the artwork, the frames were grey, and they didn’t work with the collections we had already started. Painting the frames black immediately improved the look, tying them into the baskets and the other frames throughout the home. To enhance the artwork, we added iridescent vases that pick up all the surrounding colors and shift depending on where you stand in the kitchen or at the island. Their finish also connects to the iridescent lamps in the living room, creating a visual conversation between the spaces. We finished the end of the cabinetry with another woven tray hung on the wall. The entire grouping feels cohesive because it begins with woven texture and ends with it, creating a balanced, collected look that draws the eye across the full run of cabinetry.

  •  Other considerations
When you decorate above the kitchen cabinets, think about using larger pieces. Bigger items create a stronger visual impact, and you need far fewer of them to fill the space. They naturally carry the eye from the top of the cabinet toward the ceiling, which is what makes the kitchen feel taller and more expansive. Artwork is also a beautiful option for this area. A single long piece works wonderfully, or you can hang a curated group of two, three, or even four. For those who want less, art fills the space without adding a lot of objects, making it ideal for homeowners who want something above the cabinets but prefer to keep the cabinet tops clear.
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