apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've seen people stack wine bottles in simple holders up there...

Great question! I just tried to grow a very large spider plant up on my fridge and the plant totally didn't go for it (now in plant heaven). So I'm looking for new ideas, too. Perhaps a sturdier plant would be a good idea, or some sort of sculpture / fun large object / collection?

I would not recommend putting wine up there-- as the post notes, it's hot up there. And gets lots of light. both are bad for wine.

I had a small sago palm up there until it died last month and now I've got my cookbooks lined up with heavy alabaster, triangular bookends I got from Pier 1 last year.

Sorry to say/admit that we toss cereal boxes, potato chip bags and oil & vinegar bottles and flashlights up on ours...

I put my microwave up there because it doesn't get used much, and it frees up the counters.

With a small-ish kitchen, I need access to the cabinets above the fridge daily. So unless a four-foot friends sneaks up there (and he knows who he is!), we keep it empty. Which is too bad, as it does seem to offer quite a bit of space.

Good question! How about a wine rack filled with rolls of occasionally used tablecloths, napkins and placemats? I may have to try that myself!

Currently, I have vases and serving platters stored on top of my fridge. I've also had a mobile above as the opening and closing of the fridge puts it in motion.

My friend's dad kept the hen up there one winter. Apparently the henhouse was too cold in January. Mostly she just sat in her nest.

I can't stand stuff on top of the refrigerator - it drives me crazy seeing the cereal boxes and junk up there when I visit my Sis' home.

Kitchens would be better designed if the cabinets above the fridge were a full 24" deep above the fridge - the cabinet would much more useful/reachable and the space could be kept clutter-free.

I too had a spider plant on mine which got eaten by the cat, who also loves hanging out up there - cats like to get up high. The plant keeps growing out a little and the cat gnaws it down again. I figure she's getting her greens, but if I posted a picture of that area, I'd get insulted, I'm sure.

I have cabinets above the fridge and ideally try to keep that area clear, but things always end up there when I'm clearing stuff up and am in a hurry and don't know where else to put it. Fortunately, the cabinets are mostly for "deep storage" - less used stuff.

My microwave is on the fridge. There is just enough space to make the top even with the open shelving behind it, and then, stuff on the shelves that I put there.

I store extra bulk items up there (great if you have a small kitchen) I reuse the plastic containers from mixed greens, strawberries, etc, but if you don't want to see everything you can use a large storage box or basket like this one. (I used to)

http://www.magellantraders.com/basket-bolga103.jpg

I have cookbooks stacked, trays, my wedding invitation framed, and some glassware up there.

I have two IKEA baskets up there which store the cereal, snacks, etc. It doesn't look as random as loose boxes, and it's also easy to pull the snack basket down to choose something to eat. We have cupboards that come halfway across the top of the fridge, and those store backup pasta and pantry goods bought in bulk on sale. Having the stuff on the fridge in baskets makes the cupboards semi-accessible.

Clearly, what is used least should be stored up there. (i have cabinets above my fridge and store paper goods up there.) The only caveat is whatever you store, put it in acceptable containers.

Nice cactus garden could work, those plants love the heat. Something like this?

http://www.ourself.in/uploadedSImage/528200851352PM.cactus-garden.jpg

I have the microwave up there. Allows for more counter space...of which I have precious little.

wait!! no cactus garden if you have a cat that goes up there! what was I thinking. I'd like to change my answer to a pretty little kitty hotel.

I have frosted glass cabinets above mine that are annoyingly recessed as bepsf noted. So I store seldom-used small appliances in the cabinets and have my parents' 1963 copper fondue pot and a couple of trivets in front of them. They look cool and are easy to get down in a hurry if I need the sandwich press, crock-pot, ice-cream maker...

I have a cabinet above my fridge so I don't have the space you do. I put my vintage kitchen canisters up there until I can find a useful good looking bread box.

I have a TV on top of our fridge. Good for watching HGTV when I'm cooking or washing dishes.

My partner fought me for the longest time about my idea of putting some nice potted plants above our fridge. We have zero greenery in our apartment so I thought it was the perfect place for some plants. He finally gave in and has since acknowledged that he was wrong. Maybe it's a combination of the fun Ikea pots or low up keep plants we bought, either way it added a nice organic quality to our place.

I store my greasy dust bunnies up there.

In a one bedroom apartment, finding storage space is a challenge, so I store our paper towels and bath tissue in a basket on top of the fridge.

LOL Kitties! I think we all do that to a certain extent.

I have a pretty tray with different/interesting/little used coffee pots -- turkish, espresso, french press, yerba mate, etc.

I also agree it's a great place for a cat basket or plants --- but plants up there might need to be watered much more frequently b/c of the heat.

I keep a little stereo on top of mine. I like a little music in the kitchen.

My fridge is tucked away in an awkward corner of the kitchen without any cabinets around or above it. Right now the top is handy storage for my reuseable shopping bags, the tin full of paid bills on their way to the filing cabinet, as well as a couple cook books and large mixing bowls I don't have room for in the cupboard.

Ultimately, I'd like to organize it better and make it less of a "junk shelf". I'm not quite sure what I'd do, but if I had a microwave, I'd totally put it up there.

.... somedays I long for a microwave...

Your cat seems to have figured out what to do with it....

we keep our cast iron pots and pans up ours...you know, the ones that are waaaay too heavy (or pretty) to be hung or kept inside the cabinets

I too keep pots and pans up there. I just bought the stackable shelves and it's easy organization. Plus if you don't have a lot or cabinets (or hate lower cabinets like me) it frees up space.

Our microwave fits perfectly on top of our short-ish apartment-sized refrigerator, especially since there isn't a cabinet above it. We use it rarely enough that it's not terribly inconvenient either. In our last place, we had the awful half-depth cabinet above. We took the doors off, installed wine glass holders and stored liquor. Turned out to not be so good for the liquor (too war), and the wine glasses got dusty.

Whatever you do with it, be creative. Take the doors off, install dividers and use it for bread boards/cookie sheets/platters..? I love the idea of a bread box.

But, please don't put a kitty bed or 'motel' up there, whatever you do. Unless your cat is hairless and is magically dander-free. Those of us with kitties know it's hard enough to keep the fur and stuff in their place (at least, OUT of the kitchen!).

I have a basket my mom made for me full of all my tea boxes (not neatly arranged, but hidden inside of the basket) There is enough extra room for the cat too

I put up a very cool collectible cookie jar (an old car with two cats inside) and two matching bowls, one on each side. Then behind that, I put my telephone books, my to-go menus and stuff like that. It stays hidden. Sadly none of that keeps my cats from up there.

ditto on the microwave. I don't know where I would put it otherwise.. cat sleeps on top of microwave, on top of fridge. Highest spot in the house!

I have a plant and that is it. Definitely dead space...a cabinet would be nice.

Mine is fantastic after I did a very mini remodel a year ago....
I love cereal (I see you do as well) and I bought these at Target. It's so much fun to twist the knobs, it reminds me of the cheapo continental breakfasts from Best Western. Anything with knobs, levers, or buttons!

I also got the small one for espresso. I put them all together in a bright green bamboo tray and it is gorgeous!

http://www.target.com/Double-Dry-Food-Dispenser-Red/dp/B000EFDNX2/sr=1-6/qid=1217366129/ref=sr_1_6/601-8975401-9180947?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038578&rh=k%3Adispenser%2Cn%3A4036971&page=1

At our Catskills place (which has tons of storage), the "Museum of Ancient Food" is above the fridge--ie 1920s-50s packaging, not actually acient food (well, some still have their contents, but nothing stinky).

In the bathroom is the "Museum of Ancient Toiletries & Medicine" including 1930s French opium and morphine!

Put me with the microwave on the fridge people. I have a tiny tiny kitchen so I need to use every space available. I have some shot glasses that hang out on top of the microwave too. I like to think its not cluttered but I think I might be kidding myself.

microwave!!
and cat food. haha.
tiny kitchen club, it's the ONLY place i couldve put a microwave. i didnt even have one for months and now i hardly even use the one i have ...

my mum has a blue and white themed kitchen and the cabinets in our kitchen have a space between them and the ceiling so my mum puts different blue colored bottles, ect. and splashes of yellow in them as well.

here is my little one, Rivers above the fridge and you can see some of the stuff my mum decorated.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v105/Kawaii_WitchBaby/DSC04475.jpg

just in case someone points it out nel is my nickname. hehe

My microwave is a combo oven and microwave so it is too hot to keep on top of the refrigerator when used as an oven, though I'd love to keep it there as others do.

I also do not like stuff on top of the refrigerator, but I have no choice since I have almost no shelving built-in. I keep two white baskets with miscellaneous food items of short duration. Generally, it's either snacks or food gifts which I don't regularly buy and therefore have no space set aside for.

We have a nude sculpture of Shaquille O'Neal on top of our refrigerator. I kid you not!

I have a wide variety of thrift-store clasp-top jars (like Ikea slom jars, but in all shapes, sizes, and shades of green). I use them to store lentils, rice, etc. To keep them from sliding I made a tape square around them (only very tall people can see). The jars are varying heights and make a little skyline up there.

in my small kitchen the ceiling follows the roof line and slopes downward toward the fridge. i have the typical cabinet above the fridge, but even it is just dead space - with doors! i'm not sure i even know what is in there!

i have been thinking of removing the cabinet and installing a pot rack.

it would be a bit of task to get the pots and pans off the rack, but when i think about how often i am actually home to cook it starts to look like an even better idea! plus, it would free up and entire cabinet under the counter top.

On top of my refrigerator is a collection of blue/white antique stoneware pitchers and some small bowls. They really serve no purpose other than decoration....although you can use them. I have a small cabinet above, that I store rarely used items.

Anything on top of the fridge: no no no no. Maybe I can go with the microwave. Maybe.

I think the cat looks the best up there---it's a nice place for it to sit and be part of the fun in the kitchen.

My son is 6'5" so that's where I put the snack type food. He can reach it easily & I pretty much forget it's up there since it's not right in my face.

I'm boring and keep a plant. It's visible enough to be watered when it starts to droop, and hardy enough to stand some neglect. My mom, though, had a more useful solution; she keeps her collection of pretty baskets there, and just grabs whichever one she wants for bread for the table. I think we also kept the napkins up there for a while, until she got a sideboard.

I collect intersting and unique (so not your typical) tea pots and cookbooks. I have some of my cook books and teapots displayed up on top of the fridge.

I like to put a large platter and place wine glasses and a wine decanter on it above my fridge. It's decorative and functional...if I need to pull down the wine glasses and decanter, they are all ready for serving to guests...

I keep my colorful tin candle holders for the garden there so they dont rust outdoors in the rain. And some bell jars I dont yet have a use for, and some nice tall candles . On my other cabinets, i have candles and cadelabras, and the third top of shelving unit holds the vases and cookbooks. If you organize by color and size and don't keep products there its pretty, no clutter-y. I have 10 foot ceilings and a giant kitchen, so having nothing on top of the fridge makes it actually feel a bit bit odd and lost.

Stuff just gets so dusty up there. I'll probably keep my cookbooks up there in my new apt....like always.

We have a large (somewhat tall) rectangular basket up there, that holds chips, pretzels and other snack items. It's easy to get down for the kids, and everything is hidden in the basket, which makes me happy.