The Hidden Downside Of Styling The Space Above Your Kitchen Cabinets

If you have a space between the top of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling, you may be thinking about ways to bring it to life by adding some decor. But should you? Food Republic spoke to Evelina Juzėnaitė, Principal Interior Designer at Planner 5D, to learn more about why she suggests you think twice before climbing on your counters to add your collection of thrifted kitchen finds for display.

According to Juzėnaitė, decor above cabinets is not on-trend (unlike the way that some vintage kitchen trends are coming back). Rather than giving the vibe of a retro chic kitchen, above-cabinet decor instead just makes a space feel like a Grandma's worst nightmare — but not in the way that the Grandma chic trend that has come to life in recent years. "Now in 2025, having decor above cabinets looks a little outdated," Juzėnaitė said. "Therefore, it's better to stick to minimalism when decorating."

While clearly outdated, one of the biggest issues of above-cabinet decor, however, is actually how dirty it gets up there. In fact, Juzėnaitė mentioned that it's one space in the kitchen that "quickly accumulates dirt, dust, and grease, especially in kitchens without proper ventilation." She said that because of this, any objects that are up there need to be cleaned regularly. If not, you risk them having caked on oil and grease that becomes increasingly more and more difficult to get off the longer it sits. So not cute.

If you still want to utilize this space, Evelina Juzėnaitė first suggested considering your kitchen's proportions. She said that if there are only a few centimeters of space, it's better to leave it be. "Trying to cram decor into too small a space looks unnatural," Juzėnaitė said. On the other hand, you can make it work if you have high ceilings. "[High] ceilings can be visually enhanced as they can appear even higher with large vases, baskets, or paintings that draw the eye upward," Juzėnaitė explained. "Low ceilings? Let the space breathe."

"If you still want to decorate the space above the cabinets, use it for beautiful but practical storage," Juzėnaitė suggested. "Think about suitable baskets or containers that will hide seasonal kitchen utensils or overflowing pantry items." When doing so, she recommended going with "monochromatic materials (such as woven baskets or white ceramics)." Choosing items like this will help ensure the space looks clean and modern while keeping interior integrity. Make it busy, and you run the risk of your entire kitchen looking (and feeling) cluttered.

Another idea is to store flat items that people won't really be able to see. Useful goods like extra platters or baking trays can be tucked away without anyone being the wiser. Put them in resealable plastic bags, and you won't have to worry about them getting dusty, either. And of course, if you don't want to style above your cabinets at all, you can still transform the area with some fun color hacks.