Wow! I checked your photo album -- and it shows an amazing transformation -- well done indeed! :)

Above the fridge -- how about a large dark wicker or dark woven tray on a stand?

Or a large plate or platter on a stand?

Or a trio of vases in different sizes -- maybe all in the same ceramic pattern?

Not sure about wine storage up there -- with the heat coming from the fridge? But a simple basic cabinet for seldom-used entertaining (or seasonal entertaining) items might work ....

"Maybe someday I can put a lattice-type wine rack up there,"

That would not be a place to store your wine. The heat from the fridge would ruin it. Also, wine should be not stored up near the ceiling where heat rises either. Yes, I know they show wine racks over refrigerators, (even over ovens) in decorating magazines but the people who put them there are decorators not oenophiles.

From a practacality standpoint wine would be difficult to access that high too. Do you really want to get out a ladder to everytime you want a bottle of wine? The same with cabinets.....It would be nice to have the extra storage space, but it would have to be for seasonal items like canning supplies or holiday serving dishes.

I would not decorate the fridge with an antique vase. Too formal.

How about putting two thick shelves up there in the same wood tone as your cabinets? Keep it looking open and roomy. Add some hefty decorative kitchen items like vintage crocks and/or large tins, maybe a large jar filled with pasta or some vintage cookie jars. Large items. Not a bunch of little things. Keep the area open and roomy though. The big space over the fridge is nice and doesn't make the fridge look cramped or jammed into a hole in the wall. In fact, there should be some space over a fridge to allow air to circulate, otherwise the fridge works inefficiently.

It looks like a lovely kitchen. Its going to be beautiful when it's done.

I would get a cabinet to match your others. I think it will make the refrigerator look more intentionally built into a space made just for it. I would mount it flush with the front edge of the niche. Look in your owners manual for the air space required around your fridge: it is usually only a few inches on the top, the air intake is on the bottom. Since refrigerators are pretty standard, they make cabinets in increments to fit over them.

I find that I need to be practical even with decorations. I would use baskets. They are functional and pretty and cleaning is a good dusting. My 2 cents.

I checked out your befores and afters in your album, too -- nice job!

Did you plan to keep that space when you designed the kitchen, or did it come out differently than you imagined? If it's the latter, could you frame in and drywall the space to make the fridge more built into the wall? (I know, after all the construction you've put up with to get to this point, the last thing you probably want to hear is a suggestion to do more construction.)

If this isn't an option, building a cabinet into the space -- having it project from the wall so it's even with the fridge, and trimming it with nice crown molding could look really good ... if that's what you're thinking.

HTH,
Connie

(P.S. our kitchen was gutted to the walls, too, when we remodeled it -- so I feel your pain.)

Instead of the wine rack idea, how about a built in for a TV?

Unless you have an excess of storage, I'd hunt for a great looking, large basket. You could store seldom needed things:
Christmas kitchen items such as cookie cutters,linens, etc. Maybe your plastic patio summer ware.
Above our very slim space are rattan trays and wooden plates that are only occasionally used. I'd get a wonderful one one and remember how cheap it is in comparison to a custom built-in. From the small pic it seems a darker, varnished, color would look best.

I glanced through your gallery too & just LOVE the way you kept the character of the old & married it so beautifully with the new - great job!

I like some of the built-ins over fridges that folks have done - especially the open ones - I'm thinking of reno fan's in particular. Sort of a display niche. That's long-term. For now, I see nothing at all wrong, or too formal, with putting an antique vase (or 3) up there, especially if it were more on the rustic side. Or even more modern, but with wood features. Either that or something that echoed the colors in your other kitchen pieces, dishes, fabric, etc. If you don't need it for storage, have fun with aesthetics!

Considering how much you've put into the kitchen already (much of it sweat equity, but I'm talking materials here), I think it wouldn't be that much more to put a cabinet in to match the others - call the place where you bought the others. They make them in standard sizes for standard fridges, I don't know how deep your niche is but I'd go just to the edge, since it looks like one side is deeper than the other, and trim out the whole thing with the trim you used around the windows and doors. I *love* the curved "rosettes" - very Art Deco looking! That way your fridge would look built in, in a unique way instead of the "trim out with matching side panels" like I have in my kitchen.

Can you bump out the wall on the left side of the fridge to even up the niche depth? If you can't afford the cabinets for now, you could just trim out the opening (either on the left and over the top, deadend into the wall, or wrap around the right too and run the trim up that edge on the right of the fridge). I just want to see that sharp drywall edge over the fridge softened like your other beautiful casings!

Wow, this forum moves FAST! It makes sense that wine shouldn't be kept there. I'm no oenophile myself, so I was wondering if I'd ever fill a wine rack, anyway!

We built the fridge nook on purpose. My brother asked if he should closely encase the fridge, or leave some space above. I asked for some space above, and he did not intend to leave that much space. We should have measured! It is the same depth on both sides-- just a big rectangle.

Using the same door casings could be attractive, but there's already four doors in the kitchen, so I'm not sure I want to add another "door." I do agree that the drywall edges need to be softened.

I think I like the idea of a dark basket for now. As for the future, I like the shelf idea. I was hoping to buy some antique glass jars to fill with "pretty" foods and display them on open shelving across from the fridge. but over the fridge could make more sense!

Thanks for the help, everyone. :)

in a previous home, this is what I had over the fridge space, a wood box was fitted there so it would look custom and intentional; your space is higher so you could have a shelf inserted to separate it.

You all have done a fantastic job on your kitchen! It turned out wonderful. We recessed our fridge back into the wall and did case out around it. Above is a shelf that right now is holding nick nacks, but I'll be pulling my cookbooks out here pretty soon and they'll be housed up there.

For now I'd buy a large rustic-looking basket and fill it with a big faux fern. The greenery would liven up the kitchen and this "quick fix" will give you time to think about what you'd like to do with this area later.

My vote is for the shelf. Not only will it add character to the kitchen, it's a great place to put some teapots, etc.

I definitely wouldn't put something breakable up there because of slamming the fridge door, things on top can wobble and fall off.

Shelves, for sure. And they're not expensive at all.