How to Decorate Kitchen Cabinet Tops With Antiques

Use an eclectic mix of antiques to decorate your cabinets.

Kitchen cabinet tops are often those lonely places in the kitchen that are ignored and gather dust. Spruce up the tops of your kitchen cabinets with antiques in various shapes and sizes. Choose smaller-sized pieces that fit your decor and that won't weigh down the cabinet. Look for antiques at garage sales, flea markets and, of course, antique shops.

Things You'll Need

• Old washboards
• Pottery
• Milk glass
• Carnival glass
• Milk cans
• Cheese boxes
• Scales

Instructions

1. Place some antique washboards upright on your cabinets. These often feature advertising in the form of old laundry detergents and cleaners. Hang these above the cabinets on the wall for an alternative feature.

2. Add old pottery in varying heights to the tops of cupboards. One way to vary heights with objects is to place them on top of hidden books. This technique works well on top of cabinets; the books will not be visible but the pottery will stand out. Combine different textures and colors with the old pottery. Use vintage milk glass in cool green for a classic look. Add carnival glass pieces for a boost of color.

3. Add some old milk cans to the top of cabinets. Make sure these are not too heavy. Choose the smaller size if possible. These make great large vases; insert some long-stemmed dried flowers for a focal point.

4. Stack old cheese boxes around the tops of cabinets. These circular containers are functional as well; you can store small items in them as needed.

5. Put some old cast-iron scales on top of cabinets for an authentic old-kitchen look. Be careful of the weight; these can weigh quite a bit. Fill the scale basket with dried flowers or artificial fruits.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a ladder to move up and down for placement of the items. It might be helpful to have a helper hand you the antique items.

References

• Decorating with Antiques: Combining Old and New;Bullfinch; 1999.