The space on top of kitchen cabinets can hold seasonal serving pieces in wicker baskets or free up counter space with undershelf wire storage clipped inside.
The guideline: items used rarely go in lidded baskets on top of cabinets; glasses you reach for often hang from stemware racks or hooks underneath.
1. Wicker Baskets
Wicker baskets give you covered storage in a spot most kitchens leave empty.
Set them on top of the cabinets and fill them with items you reach for a few times a year: extra serving platters, seasonal linens, or the roasting pan that comes out once every holiday.
The natural fiber adds texture against a flat ceiling without reading as clutter.
Pick baskets tall enough to hold what you need but short enough that you can slide them forward without scraping the ceiling. A step stool gets you up there, and the lids keep dust off what’s inside.
2. Organize Wicker Baskets
Line your baskets with fabric and the storage stays tidy even when the lids come off. Drop-in liners keep loose items from snagging on wicker, and they pull out when you need to shake off dust.
Group baskets by category so you know which one to pull down. One for baking supplies, one for extra dish towels, one for the serving pieces that only come out when you have people over.
The uniform look keeps the top of the cabinets from turning into a visual junk drawer, and the fabric liners let you spot what’s inside at a glance when you open the lid.
3. Add a Corner Shelf
A corner shelf unit mounts to the wall or sits on the counter under the upper cabinets, turning dead corner space into a spot for canisters, oils, or spices you use every day.
The tiered design keeps everything visible, so you’re not digging through a cabinet to find what you need.
Choose one with a height that fits the gap between your counter and the bottom of the upper cabinet.
Wood adds warmth next to painted cabinets, and an open design means you can pull items off any shelf without moving the whole unit. This works best for ingredients you go through quickly, since everything stays out in the open.
4. Undershelf Baskets
Slide a wire basket onto the underside of a shelf and you double the vertical storage in a cabinet or pantry.
They hold canned goods, jars, or boxed items without the usual stacking problem where you unload half the shelf to reach what you need.
The open wire lets you see what’s inside from below, and the basket pulls forward if you need to reach something at the back.
Measure the clearance between your shelves before you buy so the basket doesn’t block the shelf below.
Gold or black metal blends into most cabinet interiors, and the installation is just a clip or 2 that hooks over the shelf edge.
5. Mugs on Cabinet Hooks
Screw a row of hooks to the underside of an upper cabinet and you free up counter space for mugs, utensils, or dish towels.
The items hang within reach but off the surface, and you can grab what you need without opening a door.
A metal rail with multiple hooks gives you flexibility to move things around as your collection changes.
Mount it toward the front edge of the cabinet so handles and hooks don’t hit the wall. This setup works well near the coffee maker or stove, where you reach for the same few mugs or tools throughout the day.
Keep heavier items toward the ends where the rail is anchored, and save the middle hooks for lighter pieces.
6. Stackable Shelves for Plates and Bowls
A stackable shelf insert sits inside a cabinet and splits one tall shelf into two short ones, so plates or bowls no longer pile into a stack you have to lift halfway out to reach the bottom.
Each level holds a different size, and you can grab what you need without disturbing the rest.
Metal or plastic inserts both work.
Metal holds more weight if you’re stacking dinner plates, and plastic costs less if you’re separating smaller items like dessert bowls or saucers. One shelf riser can double the usable storage in a single cabinet.
7. Stemware Racks
Screw a stemware rack to the underside of a cabinet and wine glasses hang upside down, out of the way but still within reach.
The stem slots into the rack, and the bowl hangs below, so you’re using vertical space that would otherwise sit empty.
Racks vary in capacity based on the width of your cabinet. Metal or wood both work; metal finishes blend with most hardware, and wood matches natural or stained cabinets.
This keeps stems from knocking into each other inside a cabinet, and you can grab a glass without moving anything else.
8. Baskets on Cabinet Tops
Set a few woven baskets on top of your upper cabinets and you turn that empty strip near the ceiling into storage for items you don’t reach for often.
Extra napkins, tablecloths, or the serving bowls that only come out a few times a year all fit inside.
Pick baskets with lids if you want to keep dust off the contents, or leave them open if you’re storing things that don’t mind sitting out.
A step stool gets you up there when you need to pull something down, and the woven texture adds warmth without crowding the room.
9. Plants and Decor on Cabinets
Line the tops of your cabinets with small decorative pieces and the space near the ceiling becomes part of the room instead of dead air.
Miniature trees, figurines, or a few ceramic houses give you a place to rotate seasonal displays and keep your counters and shelves clear.
Keep the pieces small enough that they don’t scrape the ceiling, and group them by theme or color so the arrangement reads as intentional rather than random.
This works well if you already decorate for holidays or seasons, since swapping out a few small items takes less time than reworking a whole mantel or tabletop.
Pro Tip: In one This Old House project, the team deliberately left the space at the very top of the upper cabinets open rather than extending them fully to the ceiling.
10. Vases and Sculptures
A few sculptural pieces on an open shelf give you a spot to display things you like looking at while keeping them out of the work zone.
Small vases, ceramic figures, or a miniature landmark sit alongside everyday dishes and break up the rows of plates and bowls.
Choose pieces with enough height or shape to stand out without crowding the shelf. Choose shelves you can see from the room, where the display adds personality to the kitchen instead of sitting hidden behind cabinet doors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to fill empty space above cabinets?
Wicker baskets with lids hold serving platters, seasonal linens, or holiday dishes you pull out a handful of times a year, and the natural fiber texture keeps the look from feeling cluttered.
Miniature trees, ceramic houses, or figurines lined along the cabinet tops turn the space near the ceiling into part of the room rather than leaving it empty. A step stool puts both within reach, and your counters stay clear.
How can I effectively organize my kitchen cabinets?
Stackable shelf inserts split one tall shelf into two short ones so you can grab plates or bowls without moving everything else, and undershelf baskets clip onto existing shelves to double your vertical storage without stacking.
Fabric liners dropped inside wicker baskets keep loose items from snagging and let you group by category so you know which basket holds what.
