Decorating Over Kitchen Cabinets for Under $60

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I spent a lot of time deciding what I wanted to over our kitchen cabinets. First I planned to add candles, antique books, and lanterns to the top. But the cost of decorating the space that way added up quickly and the design felt busy.

Some Tag & Tibby readers on Instagram Stories suggested I try plates. So I planned out how many plates I would need, and found some that wouldn’t break the bank (but still had style). And the space over my kitchen cabinets turned out just as I hoped! The plates over my kitchen cabinets add texture & detail but don’t feel like the focal point of the room.

Scroll down for more pictures, how I narrowed down the look, and what the space looked like before. This article contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.


Before

We didn’t have anything over our kitchen cabinets for years, except for a few storage baskets on the left. I wrote this article with examples of how to decorate over cabinets to help me narrow down a style/look.


Process

I texted my husband while in IKEA and asked him to measure the space over our cabinets (yay for planning ahead, haha). I had just under 12 inches of height and used that as a guideline. I selected a mixture of faux plants, lanterns, flameless candles, and pitchers. Keeping the colors simple (green, black, and white) goes with our adjacent breakfast nook.

I realized less is more with the greenery & candles on the top. And tested out the idea of plates on top of my kitchen cabinets by practicing with plates I already owned. A set of 5, at 10” or 11” tall felt perfect (if you have a small wall of cabinets, try a set of 3 plates).

I purchased plate stands from my local craft supply store. I picked the 4” black twisted wire stands because they had a good selection in stock and you can’t see the stands unless you are on a ladder. You can also find similar plate stands on Amazon.

I found the plates at IKEA for $4.99 per plate. I went with grey so they would have a little contrast on the white walls. And I think the hexagon pattern shape on the bottom of the plate makes the plate feel more modern.

When adding the 5 plate stands and plates, I measured the space between each plate to 8 1/2” inches between edge to edge of each plate (this will vary for you depending on how much space you want and the length of your cabinets).

above image credit: Lindsay Grace Photo

I placed a faux allium plant, set of antique books, lantern, and some antique bottles in the corner of my cabinets to add texture & greenery. I have the color green in our pantry and breakfast nook and wanted to continue a bit of that color over the kitchen cabinets.


Plate Wall Cost Breakdown:

Grey Plates $4.99 x 5 = $24.95
Metal Plate Stands $2.99 x 5 = $14.95 (similar here)
Faux Allium Plant $5.99
Dark Grey Lantern $9.99
Antique Books & Medicine Bottles, already owned
Small step stool/ladder, already owned

Plate Wall Total: $55.88


Overall I am pleased with how the plates turned out over our kitchen cabinets! Eventually I might switch these plates out for a different design, but the price was right at $5 per plate and I like the hexagon pattern on the bottom of these gray plates. If you want a more cottage country look, you could display 5 different style plates over your kitchen cabinets (you could use keepsake plates or try your local thrift store). Happy decorating!

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