When we moved into our house this is what the kitchen looked like. I wasn’t in love with the space above the cabinets, but I tried to make it work by decorating with vintage Mason Jars.
I felt like the Mason jars just collected dust. So when we installed the bigger window I removed the apron and shelf above the sink and I boarded up the opening above the cabinet. I wasn’t a fan of that either.
So when I painted the cabinets white I took the flat board down, leaving an old exposed duct and a space that I didn’t particularly love.
Then one night while perusing Pinterest I came across this image and just knew what I had to do!
Immediately I went and tore off the crown molding above the cabinet, damaging my fresh paint job.
Then I built an enclosure in the garage using a board for the back, a board for the top and sides, with finishing boards on the front and top.
Once I had it in place the hardest part was cutting the proper angles on the crown molding to fit in there perfectly.
This tutorial and these guides were super helpful in figuring out how to cut the crown. That and some caulk to hide the imperfections!
Then I sanded where I had damaged my paint job, and primed and painted it the same way that I had painted my cabinets.
Then I staged it with tons of my favorite things! I think that the way it goes to the ceiling gives it such a modern and custom feel!
I’m sure it will be a rotating display space, but for now I think I’m pretty content with my treasures that I put up there!
Our kitchen to-do list is slowly getting knocked out, our next big projects are cabinets, a backsplash, and flooring! I’d also love a matching stainless oven, but have also become pretty attached to my double oven, so finding an affordable stainless double oven is my current Craigslist goal!
In our last house I REALLY wanted to tear out the soffits above the cabinets, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to repair the drywall well enough to cover it up. If I would have thought of this alternative then I think that this would even work in place of existing soffits! It really opens up a world of new options doesn’t it?
Hi! Your kitchen looks great. I love the shelf you built over the cabinets. I am thinking of doing the same thing to my kitchen but am worried that I don’t have enough space between the cabinet and the ceiling. I have about 13″ of “free space” up there. Do you know what the height of that space was for your kitchen? Thanks! Courtney
I’m sorry I don’t remember and we’ve since sold that house. It would be tight, but I think it would still look great! Thanks for your sweet comment!
Hi! I have a lot of space above my cabinets and am inspired by your open shelving – what material did you use to construct the enclosure? It sounds like you built a sort of box first, and then set it in the space, rather than building up from the cabinets, is that right? Thanks for your help!
Thank you so much. I just used quality 1×2’s from our local big box hardware store. Yes I built the box first and slid it into place. Easier for me than trying to build up. Hopefully that makes sense. It looks so nice finished!