4 Innovative Ways to Decorate That Spot Above Your Fridge

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You Know that Spot…

That awkward spot above the fridge. Clients tell us all the time how much they loathe that space above their refrigerator. So today, let’s talk about how to Tweak it! We’ve come up with four sophisticated ways to swap that eye-sore for a to-die-for look!

1. Use an Assortment of Items

Decorating That Spot Over Your Fridge

Get the LOOK with these 5 STEPS:

  • Take inventory of what you already have to work with. Lay everything out on the counter or table so you can see each item making it easier to pick and choose. If you’re starting from scratch, don’t worry, you can use these tips as well.
  • Whether your supplementing with new items, or starting from scratch, decide on your color palette and stick with it. Use the rule of odd numbers and pick 1, 3, or 5 colors. For this look we chose copper, white, and gray.
  • Pick items with varying shapes, sizes and textures to keep things interesting to look at.

  • When shopping, before you get in the checkout line, critique your shopping cart. Ask yourself, “Do the items selected complement one another?” Did I stick with the plan?” If not, get rid of those items and choose again.
  • When arranging, use an odd number of items, same as with your color palette, 1, 3, 5, etc. Odd numbers are more visually appealing to the human eye. WHY? Some say odd numbers force your eyes to move around the grouping. The forced movement creates the visual interest. Others say our brains just love odd numbers because they challenge us mentally. Regardless, odd numbers look more natural to us. Three seems to be the magic number, but groupings of five or seven work nicely too.

2. Use Functional Items

Decorating That Space Above Your Fridge

The reason the copper containers above the refrigerator work so well for styling “that spot” above the fridge is because they’re functional! Functional storage is a great asset in a kitchen. And if it happens to look pretty? Then, it’s a win-win! Also, we stuck with the rule of odd numbers – we used ONE color, “copper”, and THREE “useable” containers.

You can also use baskets, Ironstone, cake stands, antique pudding molds, etc. It’s a great place to showcase a collection of your favorite cookware. If you have a ton of space you’re trying to fill, I recommend mixing a few of your collections together.

3. Decorate the Space Above “the Space” Above the Fridge

Decorating That Spot Above Your Fridge

BEFORE

Sometimes it’s not the spot directly above your fridge, but the spot above that space that could use the help. Before, the opening above the refrigerator looked lost, boring, and out of place. The other cabinets in the kitchen had windows above them. However, the spot above the fridge had two recesses that looked like there should have been windows (See “before” photo) or something other than blank space. Taking into consideration the homeowners’ love for mid-century modern spaces, we chose a modern take on wood paneling and installed horizontal planks. WOW… the space now looks complete!

4. Do the Opposite and Open Up Space Above the Fridge

Decorating That Space Above The Fridge

BEFORE

You read right! For this project the homeowner wanted a fresh new look without getting rid of everything and starting from scratch. The idea was born to give her functional spaces where she could see everything and easily access what she wanted. As it was, she was already storing items on top of the refrigerator in front of the closed cabinets. So, why not create an open, accessible space? By doing so, it created the opportunity to build a deeper open shelf that filled the space above the fridge giving the refrigerator a “built-in” look.

Embracing the functionality potential of this space, and filling it with cookbooks and covered casserole dishes, created a truly functional grab and use spot above the fridge!

HAPPY TWEAKING!

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