When designing the above-cabinet space, a few rules apply.

You can fill in the full space with accessories of varying heights and shapes, tied together by color or theme, or perhaps even a run of garland, greenery or berries. If that’s too full, you can make small groupings of accessories, pottery, plants, or art that you place in strategic locations, leaving open space in between for added drama. Avoid the monotony of spacing single items evenly across the entire run of cabinets. This lacks drama, artistic creativity, and cohesion.

Here are just a few ideas:

Pottery: Decorative “kitchen” pottery is a nice idea if it is in keeping with the desired theme of the kitchen. Arrange small groupings and add some small silk flower arrangements in between.

Lighting: This can be as complex as installing fixtures such as track lighting or can lights, or it can be as simple as placing a string of white miniature Christmas lights or a long strand of rope light on the inside of the cabinet’s molding. This affect is especially dramatic for holidays or special occasions and this lighting can also be used to enhance your other decorations like your silk flower arrangements.

Plants and flowers: Because of their low maintenance and hypoallergenic indoor qualities, using beautiful silk flower arrangements and artificial plants suits this purpose most closely. Select blooms that accentuate the colors of your wood and paint. Add greenery that has both depth and height – perhaps a draping ivy on one side and on the other, a pot of variegated grasses and earthen balls. A topiary collection is also a very suitable option so long as the rest of the kitchen’s flavor is bold and elegant.

Art and photos: This is where the line between tacky and tasteful can easily be crossed. Start by creating your arrangement, but be sure to give yourself room for change. In other words, if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Don’t use your cabinets as a place to display senior pictures or wedding photos. If you have photos or prints of still art that are framed with exceptional quality, that is a good place to start. Otherwise, scrap the art-photo idea altogether.

Baskets: Again, this is another design element that can easily be done wrong. Use only fine, high-quality baskets and only a few at that. Perhaps you could fill one or two of the baskets with the artificial plant or silk flower arrangements mentioned earlier.

Holiday decor: For Christmas, decorate a miniature Christmas tree. For Easter, perhaps an Egg Tree or some lively silk calla lilies displayed in acrylic water. For fall, an arrangement of tall block candles of orange, brown, and rust accompanied by autumn leaves and a bound stalk of wheat or straw. For summer, perhaps a lovely decorative floral wreath would be perfect.

Overall silk flower arrangements are one of the best options because of the wide variety of colors and styles available but also because of the shapes and configurations that they come in. Plus they’re long lasting and virtually maintenance free.
Johnny Best is a freelance writer and online commerce expert covering the latest trends and emerging product segments in e-commerce. He is also the owner of several e-commerce businesses including the popular site DesignerSilkPlantsandFlowers.com where they feature Silk Flower Arrangements, Silk Floral Arrangements and more.