How to Use Space Above Kitchen Cabinets for Storage
Transform your kitchen by effectively utilizing an often-overlooked area: the space above your kitchen cabinets. This guide will walk you through maximizing this prime real estate for both storage and aesthetic appeal.
In This Article
- Understanding the Space Above Your Kitchen Cabinets
- Our Top Picks on food storage containers
- Benefits of Utilizing the Empty Space Above Kitchen Cabinets
- Assessing Your Kitchen Cabinet Layout
- Creative Storage Solutions for the Top of Cabinets
- Our Top Picks on Spice Racks
- Using Baskets for Organized Storage
- Displaying Cookbooks as Decorative Storage
- Incorporating Serving Pieces for Functional Decor
- Decorating the Space Above Kitchen Cabinets
- Tips for Cabinet Decor That Complements Your Design
- Creating Visual Interest with Height Variation
- Maximizing Storage with Cabinets to the Ceiling
- Ideas for Filling Prime Real Estate Above Kitchen Cabinets
- How to Avoid Clutter in Your Kitchen Space
- Put the dead space between the ceiling and cabinet top to good use
- Your Questions, Answered
Understanding the Space Above Your Kitchen Cabinets:
What Is Considered Dead Space?
The area often referred to as “dead space” is specifically the unused expanse found between the top of kitchen cabinets and the ceiling. This unutilized space above kitchen cabinets can often accumulate dust and go unnoticed, yet it holds immense potential for extra storage and decorative enhancements. Identifying this space above the cabinets is the first step in transforming an often-neglected area into a functional and stylish part of your kitchen.
Our Top Picks on food storage containers
Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers:
The Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers are crafted from BPA-free materials, ensuring that your food remains safe and free from harmful chemicals. This commitment to safety allows you to store a variety of foods with confidence, knowing that your family’s health is prioritized.
DOQAUS Ice Cube Tray with Lid and Bin:
The DOQAUS Ice Cube Tray with Lid and Bin offers an ingenious design that maximizes freezer space while maintaining easy access to your ice cubes. Its stackable feature ensures organized storage, allowing for optimal utilization of your freezer without sacrificing convenience.
Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA Free 44-Piece Food Storage Containers:
The Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers are crafted from high-quality, BPA-free materials, ensuring that your food remains safe for consumption. This commitment to safety allows you to store your meals without the risk of harmful chemicals leaching into your food, providing peace of mind for you and your family.
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece POP Cereal Dispenser Set:
The OXO Good Grips 3-Piece POP Cereal Dispenser Set offers an innovative design that maximizes pantry space while keeping your cereals fresh. Each dispenser features a stackable design, allowing for seamless organization and accessibility without clutter.
Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA-Free Airtight Food Storage Containers:
The Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA-Free Food Storage Containers feature an innovative airtight seal that effectively locks in freshness and flavor. This ensures that your food remains as delicious as the day it was prepared, minimizing waste and enhancing your culinary experience.
CLEARSPACE Plastic Storage Bins with Lids XL:
The CLEARSPACE Plastic Storage Bins with Lids XL are designed to optimize your kitchen and pantry space, allowing you to store a variety of items without clutter. Their generous size enables the organization of bulk goods, condiments, and snacks, ensuring that every inch of your storage area is utilized effectively.
Rev-A-Shelf 5" Pullout Kitchen Cabinet Storage Organizer:
The Rev-A-Shelf 5" Pullout Kitchen Cabinet Storage Organizer is designed to optimize the available space within your kitchen cabinets. With its slim profile, this unit seamlessly fits into a 5.5" wide cabinet opening, allowing you to utilize otherwise wasted areas for organized storage.
Rev-A-Shelf 2-Tier Kitchen Cabinet Pullout Shelf and Drawer Organizer:
The Rev-A-Shelf 2-Tier Kitchen Cabinet Pullout Shelf offers an innovative solution to optimize your pantry space. By utilizing vertical storage, this organizer allows you to easily access items while keeping your kitchen clutter-free and orderly.
Benefits of Utilizing the Empty Space Above Kitchen Cabinets:
Utilizing the empty space above kitchen cabinets offers a myriad of benefits, particularly in smaller kitchens where every inch counts. By drawing the eye upward, this strategy can make the entire kitchen feel bigger and more expansive. Furthermore, it provides an invaluable opportunity for the storage of tall, wide, or long items that simply do not fit elsewhere or inside your standard kitchen cabinets, effectively providing extra storage without the need for a full renovation.
Assessing Your Kitchen Cabinet Layout
Before embarking on any storage solutions, it is crucial to thoroughly assess your kitchen cabinet layout and the specific dimensions of the space above your kitchen cabinets. For instance, in one example, the opening from the top of the cabinet to the ceiling measured 17.5 inches tall, offering a decent amount of vertical space. Another area, like the space above a refrigerator and an adjacent cabinet, might be deeper, perhaps 24 inches, providing even more room. Conversely, a kitchen with 42-inch upper cabinets might only have 10.5 inches of space between the top of the cabinets and a 9-foot ceiling, requiring more creative and compact storage solutions.
Creative Storage Solutions for the Top of Cabinets
Our Top Picks on Spice Racks
Magnetic Spice Rack for Refrigerator Magnetic Fridge Shelf for Kitchen Spice Organizer:
Maximize your kitchen space with our Magnetic Spice Rack designed specifically for refrigerator use. This innovative organizer allows you to declutter countertops and cabinets, creating a more streamlined cooking environment.
Kamenstein 20 Jar Revolving Countertop Spice Rack with Spices Included:
The Kamenstein 20 Jar Revolving Countertop Spice Rack comes pre-filled with a diverse assortment of spices, ensuring that your culinary endeavors are well-equipped with essential flavors. This thoughtfully curated selection allows both novice and seasoned chefs to experiment with various cuisines, enhancing the overall cooking experience.
AOZITA Spice Rack Organizer for Cabinet:
The AOZITA Spice Rack Organizer is designed to optimize your kitchen space by providing a structured solution for storing spices. With its compact design, it fits seamlessly in cabinets, on countertops, or within pantries, ensuring that your seasonings are always within reach.
Cabinet Caddy Spice Rack Organizer for Cabinet:
The Cabinet Caddy Spice Rack Organizer is ingeniously designed to optimize cabinet space, allowing you to store a variety of spices, condiments, and kitchen essentials efficiently. With its double-decker shelves, this organizer enables vertical storage, ensuring you can fit more items in less space without compromising accessibility.
Churboro 36 Spice Jars with 547 Labels:
The Churboro 36 Spice Jars provide an effective solution for organizing your spice collection. With their uniform design, these jars can be easily arranged on any spice rack, drawer, or cabinet, ensuring that your culinary essentials are always within reach.
SWOMMOLY Spice Rack Organizer with 36 Empty Square Spice Jars:
The SWOMMOLY Spice Rack Organizer is designed to maximize your kitchen's storage potential. With its compact design and versatile mounting options, it seamlessly fits on countertops, inside cabinets, or on walls, ensuring your spices are always within reach while saving valuable space.
KES 30-Inch Kitchen Pan Pot Rack Wall Mounted Hanging Storage Organizer:
The KES 30-Inch Kitchen Pan Pot Rack is designed to effectively utilize wall space, transforming cluttered countertops into organized culinary zones. Its wall-mounted design allows for the efficient storage of pots and pans, ensuring that your kitchen remains tidy and functional.
35 Inch Pot Rack Wall Mounted:
100% fruit of Demeter quality for adults, children, and toddlers starting at 8 months. Ideal for on-the-go or as a snack, this product contains no additives at all. Finely pureed and unsweetened. Holle organic baby food pouches for established weaning infants and older children up to toddlerhood, starting at 8 months. Pure fruit organic baby food pouches that taste great and are manufactured from only the best fruit without any added water or sugar.
KES 30-Inch Kitchen Pot Rack - Mounted Hanging Rack for Kitchen Storage and Organization:
Crafted from high-quality materials, this pot rack boasts a robust construction that ensures longevity and stability. The matte black finish not only enhances its aesthetic appeal but also provides resistance to wear and tear, making it a reliable addition to your kitchen.
Vdomus Heavy-Duty Hanging Pot Rack - 33x17 Inches - Stylish Black Alloy Steel Ceiling Storage:
The Vdomus Heavy-Duty Hanging Pot Rack is designed to efficiently utilize overhead space in your kitchen, freeing up valuable cabinet and counter areas. By suspending your cookware above, it allows for easier access while promoting a tidy and organized cooking environment.
Using Baskets for Organized Storage
Transform your kitchen with practical and charming storage using baskets on the top of cabinets. A wood basket, for instance, can infuse warmth and distribute wood tones throughout the kitchen, enhancing its overall style. Lidded baskets, especially those adorned with cute labels, offer excellent extra storage while keeping contents clean and dust-free. For a seamless look that complements white kitchen cabinets, large white cardboard boxes with lids from Ikea can provide ample and discreet storage, effectively utilizing the space above your kitchen cabinets.
Displaying Cookbooks as Decorative Storage
Cookbooks offer a dual purpose when displayed on the top of kitchen cabinets: both decorative and functional. They can be incorporated into the space above kitchen cabinets, either stacked vertically for height or horizontally, with a small box aiding in breaking up other displayed items. However, it is worth noting that cookbooks in this area may accumulate sticky residue from kitchen activities, requiring relatively high maintenance to keep them looking their best in this elevated spot above the upper cabinets.
Incorporating Serving Pieces for Functional Decor
To free up valuable space inside your kitchen cabinets, consider storing prettier serving pieces on the top of cabinets. Items like cake plates and other assorted, cute, and large decorative bowls or serving platters are ideal for this space above your kitchen cabinets. Pottery pieces, in particular, are excellent for display due to their artistic appeal and relative ease of cleaning, adding both style and practical extra storage to your kitchen without a full renovation.
Decorating the Space Above Kitchen Cabinets
Choosing the Right Style for Your Kitchen
To free up valuable space inside your kitchen cabinets, consider storing prettier serving pieces on the top of cabinets. Items like cake plates and other assorted, cute, and large decorative bowls or serving platters are ideal for this space above your kitchen cabinets. Pottery pieces, in particular, are excellent for display due to their artistic appeal and relative ease of cleaning, adding both style and practical extra storage to your kitchen without a full renovation.
Tips for Cabinet Decor That Complements Your Design
Thoughtful cabinet decor can significantly enhance your kitchen’s overall design. For instance, painting beadboard white can lighten and brighten cubbies above the cabinets, allowing displayed items to stand out against a pristine backdrop. Crown molding can create architectural interest by outlining pieces with varying depths, adding sophistication to the space above kitchen cabinets. Layering artwork provides depth and helps fill vertical space, while a minimal approach to styling a small section of cabinets can also be highly effective, ensuring the area does not feel cluttered.
Creating Visual Interest with Height Variation
To truly make the space above kitchen cabinets visually engaging, incorporate height variation. Simple DIY solutions like using old books or sturdy cardboard boxes can elegantly elevate vases or decorative bowls, allowing them to be showcased more prominently. Similarly, stacking cookbooks, whether vertically or horizontally, is an effective way to add dynamic variety to your display. This technique ensures that your decorative items capture attention and enhance the overall aesthetic of your kitchen, making the most of the space above the cabinet.
Maximizing Storage with Cabinets to the Ceiling
Advantages of Full-Height Kitchen Cabinets
Building cubbies above kitchen cabinets presents an excellent DIY opportunity to extend your storage all the way to the ceiling, effectively transforming an otherwise awkward opening into prime real estate. This strategic approach ensures that no space above the kitchen cabinets is wasted, providing additional storage that is seamlessly integrated into your kitchen’s design. The primary advantage of opting for full-height cabinets or extending existing ones is the significant increase in usable storage volume, allowing you to store items that might not fit elsewhere or inside your standard upper cabinets, thereby reducing clutter and enhancing the overall functionality of your kitchen.
Ideas for Filling Prime Real Estate Above Kitchen Cabinets
To maximize the prime real estate above kitchen cabinets, consider building cubbies in pieces using durable materials like MDF, ensuring their height is adjusted for an easy fit and a professional finish. For deeper spaces, such as above a refrigerator, cubbies of a good compromise depth, perhaps sixteen inches, can be incredibly efficient. A continuous L-shaped box can be constructed to elegantly close any remaining gap above the cabinets, providing a cohesive look. Beadboard can be used for the back of these boxes, adding a touch of decorative charm, while dividers inside the boxes can mimic the size of the cabinets below them for a harmonious appearance. Finishing touches, including face frames, trim details, and crown molding, elevate the cabinet decor, and installing LED strip lighting inside the cubbies can beautifully illuminate displayed items, making the space above your cabinets both practical and visually appealing.
How to Avoid Clutter in Your Kitchen Space
To truly avoid clutter in your kitchen space, especially when utilizing the area above kitchen cabinets, it is crucial to minimize the amount of stuff placed there. While the extra storage is tempting, discerning what items are truly worth keeping is key; for those used infrequently, consider if borrowing them is a viable alternative to ownership. An excellent way to manage kitchen gadgets and items not used daily is through kitchen closets with floor-to-ceiling shelves, creating a dedicated pantry area that keeps your main kitchen space clean and organized. This approach ensures that the space above your cabinets remains decorative and functional without becoming a visible repository for rarely used items, preserving the aesthetic appeal of your kitchen.
Put the dead space between the ceiling and cabinet top to good use
To effectively utilize the dead space between the ceiling and cabinet top, meticulous planning of your DIY project is essential. In a typical scenario, the opening from cabinet to ceiling might measure 17.5 inches tall, providing ample vertical space. For an easy fit and to account for any slight unevenness, cubbies can be custom-built to be slightly shorter, perhaps 15.5 inches high. One cubby can be strategically placed for the opening above the cabinet to the left of the range hood, while a second, larger cubby can be designed for the deeper 24-inch space above the refrigerator and the adjacent cabinet. A continuous L-shaped box can then be built to close any remaining gap above the cabinets, providing a seamless and integrated look. To enhance both the aesthetic and structural integrity, beadboard can be used for the back of all the boxes, and dividers inside the boxes should be carefully positioned to mimic the size of the cabinets below them, creating a cohesive and highly functional extra storage solution.
Your Questions, Answered
What types of items can I store above my kitchen cabinets?
You can store a variety of items above your kitchen cabinets, including infrequently used kitchen appliances, decorative items, cookbooks, and seasonal dishware.
How can I ensure that the items stored are easily accessible?
To enhance accessibility, consider using storage bins or baskets that can be easily pulled down. Additionally, utilizing a sturdy step stool can assist in reaching items without difficulty.
Should I be concerned about dust accumulation on stored items?
Yes, dust can accumulate on items stored above cabinets. To mitigate this, regularly clean the area and consider using decorative boxes or containers with lids to protect the contents.
Are there specific organizational solutions recommended for this space?
Utilizing stackable storage bins, labeled containers, or decorative baskets can help organize the space effectively. These solutions allow for better visibility and easier access to stored items.
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Kajari Kalam
Hi, my name is Kajari!
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