This Before And After Gets Rid Of That Awful Space Above Cabinets

By  Anna Gragert
Two photos showing a before and after kitchen DIY. On the right, the kitchen cabinets are a red-brown wood, there is a space above the cabinets, and the counter is a brownish stone. On the right, the after photo shows the same cabinets — now a dark sage green — with boxes of decorative vases above the cabinets to fill that empty space. @yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit/TikTok

We can't help but scream, "Why?!" every time we see upper kitchen cabinets with a large, unusable, dusty space above them. Why not make the cupboards long enough so they connect to the ceiling? In addition to getting rid of that annoying empty space, this type of design also makes your kitchen look more put-together and modern.

If you are currently dealing with an unfortunate blank canvas above your cabinets, we've found the solution thanks to TikTok user @yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit. They start by making plywood boxes that will fit perfectly in the above-the-cabinet space. Then, trim is added along with one-by-two-foot face frames.

With the foundation is place, @yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit primed and painted both the plywood boxes and original cabinets using Sherwin-Williams' Pewter Green. In a comment, the DIYer also reveals that they used a paint roller and Zibra paint brush to coat the cabinet boxes. As for the doors, they were removed before being sprayed for a more even finish.

A person remodeling cabinets in three different frames. In the first@yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit/TikTok

Lastly, the cabinet boxes were filled with decorative vases. As for the rest of the kitchen, @yourlifeiswhatyoumakeit decided to add a rustic stone backsplash and paint their countertops to look like marble. Altogether, from looking at both the before and after, you'd never think that those photos are of the same kitchen.

Now, you can say goodbye to that annoying upper cabinet space for good.

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