I have space above my kitchen cabinets maybe 4-5 feet and need ideas

What an ideal place to display crafts , large vases, metal sculpture , etc. I use to have a space like this in my last home and I stored my large crystal vases on side, an unusual bottle collection on another , my grandmother'santique soup tourine and punch bowl on the last bit over the fridge .

Artificial plants will look good.

Storage baskets look nice.

If they are purchased cabinets from Lowe's etc. Buy another set and attach on top. Double storage space without clutter and sticky dust from cooking. My cabinets were custom built to the ceiling to store small appliances, seasonal dishes, platters etc. Need a step stool to get to them but these are rarely used items that don't require a lot of climbng up and down.

I use to have cabinets like this in an apartment with vaulted ceilings. They were beautiful. Let me tell you what NOT to put there! LOL Do not put artificial plants. They will become heavy laden with a layer of grease and dust and will drive you crazy when you try to clean them. This goes with any ornate or glass items that will have to be cleaned. Baskets too, don't put them. They are hard to clean as well. I put my tin collection up there and they were easy enough to clean with hot water and dish soap. You could find a BIG cheap picture that would go nice up there if you don't need the extra storage space and maybe a tall vase or a few random sized one. Cover the top with paper towels for easy cleaning a few times a year and if you do put a container up there, plug the top with a paper towel. No one is going to look in. :D You could do some lighting to make the room brighter too. Do you have a picture back up a bit to see it better?

I have large antique flower gathering baskets...and a collection of wooden trays.

I have some vintage kitchen items displayed on top of mine. In the past I've had baskets and greenery up there.

I display my collection of cookie jars. Rope lighting makes great display!

Try some small glass swinging or sliding doors that will keep dust out, then use for storage of some pretty glassware, cookware, etc.

We have 4 different sections..in the ivy i put in fairy lights...

I have a coastal decorated home. White, cream, aqua and some modest lime green. I have always been attracted to mid-century modern and began collecting vases in aqua and lime green. In my home, I place very inexpensive white Christmas lights on the top of the upper cabinets (the lights cannot be seen-just the glow)and then my collection. It is absolutely beautiful. At Christmas, I add strings of fairy lights going on and circling the vases. These are on timers.

I wash the vases once, maybe twice a year. It's just one idea to add collections to the top. The person who suggested that silk greens shouldn't be used, hogwash. Silk ivy and such is so inexpensive these days, just replace them when they are gummie. However, I have found that hotter water and Dawn dish soap does a nice job of cleaning silk flowers.

If you can't reach the stuff on top without a step stool, it's also likely that a little dust will go unnoticed. But cleaning anything on top of the cabinets becomes challenging.

You don't say if you want to decorate the space or if you need ideas for storage. I would suggest a little of both. Install two or more tiers of shelves (floating shelves would be nice) in the corner, and put collectable, vases, etc. ) on them. Don't crowd them. Put up a nice "kitchen" themed painting next to the shelves or if you have light for it, a potted plant. Stack boxes or baskets for storage to hide the clutter that might show up otherwise. If you cover odd sized boxes in wall paper or contact paper, they can be similar in theme to the rest of the kitchen, either through color or motif. They can be storage for seldom used utensils, special keepsakes like cookbooks you don't want to get rid of but you don't use frequently, etc. A very large poster could be propped in front of a bulky item like a roaster or baking pans. Others have commented that it might be hard to keep items clean on display in the kitchen. You might be able to find shadow boxes that could be sealed to use instead of the open shelving. Have fun, and good luck reclaiming that real-estate!

If I didn't need the space I might put up crown molding with lighting behind it. This would give a minimalist look while the lighting would add interest and texture. You could add cabinets with glass doors to showcase collectables, or maybe even a mural of windows showcasing tree tops and clouds. One thing I wouldn't put up there is exposed dust collectors. A few easy to clean accents that truly enhance the space might be worth the time it takes to routinely wash away the cooking grime.

Enhance your décor. For example, if you have a country style kitchen, you can get a picture and matching bowl at a thrift store. Also, coca cola trays, anything that is country. It might be fun to put a toy train set there and build on it as you go. Nearly anything that you don't use would work great. I also like the idea of artificial ivy, etc. You can make it as interesting as the rest of your kitchen.

add large scale items like in my house and I just added crown trim to the tops, here some pictures that I hope you will like.