How are you doing? Been doing the summer thing and we did the lake and Glacier Park thing over the 4th, so projects and decorating and home have been on the back burner.
When last I left you I was having a bit of a decorating crises when I realized (through photos) that I had too many styles happening in my home. I have started editing and trying to hone my look more. I consider my style to be eclectic boho, with a touch of industrial and rustic. Still a lot I know, but I think I can work with it.
So, while I am removing and editing decor, I did decide I needed something above my kitchen cabinets. When you have 12 foot high ceilings ignoring that space is not really an option, it is just too noticeable and bare looking even though I have extra tall upper cabinets with crown. A few years ago we put corrugated tin up there which added a lot of texture and color. BUT, although I never fully jumped on the farmhouse wagon, I definitely had some farmhouse details especially in the kitchen back then. See ORIGINAL look HERE. Cows and flour tins no longer speak my love language so I set out to find some new to me items to decorate the top of my cupboards with that would work well with the corrugated tin. Here are my quirks and criteria that I kept in mind while thrifting for decor: 1.) Natural decor--I wanted wood, wicker, earthy items. 2.) I did not want a bunch of Ross or TJ Maxx or Target or Hobby Lobby decor. While a few items from there would be okay, I wanted things with warmth, personality, history. 3.) I didn't want a bunch of fake plants, just not my cup of tea. But, real plants won't work either since the top of the cabinets is extra tall. I know my limits and I am not crawling up on the counter weekly to water plants. 4.) I don't like to put things up there that looks like I might crawl up there and get them down to use on a regular basis--no cookbooks, no rolled placemats. 5.) Keep to a green, blue, wood, white palate. 6.) No old food tins--I don't want my kitchen to look like an old timey general store.
I was able to gather everything I might want to use in a couple hours of thrifting. I didn't want to completely fill the space. I added a grouping or vignette above the fridge area and then a smaller one on the other end with a medium sized grouping next to the smaller vignette, but a foot or so away.
I had used the white barrel above the fridge before. Even though it could read farmhouse, the white color and the natural spot where the number shows is fairly neutral. It was a barrel used for sheep's wool and I got it a few years ago for $10. I like the height so I decided to use it again. The green Ginko leaf print was $4 at the thrift store. I liked the green and the simple, natural subject matter on a black background. I already had the large round basket, it was $3-4 from the thrift store. The wood bowl was a new to me $3 thrift store find. I bought this daisy photo for $2 and originally had it in front of the barrel. But, I decided it was a bit more whimsical than I wanted and added more of a farmhouse look so I used the gold leaf art instead that I made a few weeks ago (HERE). I had it placed portrait orientation first, but it looked to similar to the ginko leaf art, so I changed it to a landscape orientation. On the other end, but again not all in the corner, I added a $4 thrift store laundry basket. It might get twigs in it in the future, but I didn't like that look for summer so I left it empty. A $10 vintage, thrifted magazine holder sits next to the basket. I liked the black, yellow, and green on it and the nature painting on it. For now, I added thrifted wooden spoons that I have been collecting over the past year. Now, the wood spoons read a bit too farmhouse to me, but I do like the natural wood and that they are a kitchen item. About 18" from the magazine holder I added a thrift store painting. Again, the green, blue color and nature theme were perfect, not to mention the $3 price tag. I needed more height here so I added a basket in a homemade stand (see that HERE). This is the one place I decided to add a fake "plant" that I ade from seven fake fern or palm leaves that I had (from the thrift store). I twisted them together and then stuck them into the bottom of a smaller basket that I set in the larger basket. The wired leaves make it easy to shape and bend to look a little more like a real plant. A faded blue basket turned backwards to show off more blue completes this grouping.
Tips for thrifting for and decorating above your cupboards?
*Define your style and keep that in mind while thrifting.
*Search Pinterest before you go to see what kind of items you might want to look for.
* Don't fill the entire space.
* Use items with varying heights.
*Keep art simple, something people don't ant to study up close on a wall, but something easily identifiable from a distance.
* Edit, try different arrangements, use old books or boards to lift items.
* Take photos and examine them. I went up and down the ladder a dozen times to look at the arrangement and to move things.
* Use interesting items, things with a history. A few mass produced things are okay, but give your space a personality with vintage.
* Have fun, enjoy the process. Sit with it for awhile until it is just right.
