What about behind your cabinets?

Behind the cabinet........Most of us just place things into our cabinets or shelves without much thought as to the back of the cabinet. Here is an area that you can really highlight by painting. You can paint it to highlight the cabinet itself or highlight the items in it. Here are some ideas.

The photo to the left is a kitchen cabinet that sits over a desk in the back of a the room. The color that is painted in the back highlights the cabinet, other colors in the kitchen and the wallpaper.

The cabinet above is part of a desk. It had two shelves in it that held....well....a lot of dust. It was white to begin with and very boring. The red color that it is now painted highlights the vase and silk vines.

This cabinet with a brick red background, also found above a desk, does a great job of "punching" out the white cabinet.

This is a wall unit. The back is not painted. What is shown here is a matchstick blind purchased at Lowes Home Improvement Center (cost-$7.00). I tightly wrapped this blind up and cut it with a very sharp saw. I then simply hung it behind the shelf. It gives it a rustic look.

Here is another example of the brick red painted behind a library. Punches out the white shelves and gives the room a very rich, warm color.

• Take a good look at all your cabinets and shelves.
• Could you paint them another color to highlight the contents or other color schemes in the room?
• Are the contents light or dark?
• What would help show off your collections?

I love painting behind the cabinets because it's easy and you can change it.

Other things you can use:

• Cork board

• fabric (very carefully tack it behind the shelf where you can't see it, so it can be removed later)

• faux finish paint (sponge technique, crackle or antique)

• lace (can be dyed to look old and tacked carefully to the back)

• bamboo (cut and glued to the back-permanent)

• wallpaper (semi-permanent)

• beadboard or wainscoting (some carpentry skills necessary-permanent)

01 02 03

04 05 06

07 08 11 12