I'm not a fan of decorating the space above cabinets, and usually prefer empty space up there, but I have to say your pottery is very striking and quite beautifully arranged. I'd be tempted to keep them just as they are. What kind of update are you looking for? Do you mean in the kitchen generally, or just above the cabinets?

One thing I notice is that the objects in the glass cabinet beneath the pottery feel a bit too cluttered. I think the pottery display would be better served by the glass cabinets continuing or echoing the starker arrangement above. But that may not be practical.

Thank You for your comments. I will clean out the shelves in the glass cabinet. Good idea. To update the look of the pottery but if you have other ideas, I am all ears.

Just in the distant future, if you ever decide to update your kitchen, I think that beautiful pottery would work well with simpler, straighter lines on the cabinet doors--a shaker style door, for example. But I absolutely do not want to get anyone started renovating and updating their kitchen who didn't come here with that in mind!

I really do love that pottery collection of yours. You have a good eye.

I do not recommend filling the space above uppers. The scale of these may look nice on a fireplace heart, or in a group in the center of the dining table.

The pottery is beautiful, the cabinets are a bit dated. Not sure if you would be up for this, but painting the cabinets, a olive green, earthy shade would go well with your pottery and give a fresher look. It is a bit of work, but worth it. The paint store can advise on best wear paint that will hold up well.

Ooh, bobncarolh, I have to revise my advice about the pottery if your house is going up for sale. In that case it is crucial to declutter the house (in general), and I think it is better to have open space above the cabinets in that situation. (Even if your buyer would prefer to fill the space above the cabinets, they need to be able to imagine their own collections/decorations up there). But maybe you could use just a few pieces of the beautiful pottery positioned strategically around other parts of the house for effect. And I'd keep the walls white. It's better for selling, plus the white looks good against the wood cabinets and brightens the room. Staging a house to sell requires a slightly different strategy than decorating it for yourself.

I agree with Feeny, if the home is for sale, put away as many personal items as possible and go for the minimalist approach.

The only thing I can see that would modernize the kitchen (besides going with feeny's decluttering, a good idea whether you're selling or not) is updating the knobs. They're very noticeable -- and there's a lot (!!!), but some more "neutral" would make it look less "country/cottage/whatever."

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I love the pottery but will take down some of them. Any suggestions which ones to take down. I am nervous to ask the husband to do this without a clear approach. Any one want to buy the house with the pottery up?

We love your pottery too! And I'd love a house on a lake! But we'd be remiss if we didn't tell you to take it down for selling. I don't know what the rest of your house looks like, but I'd probably clear off just about every furniture surface and then use individual pieces or possibly small clusters (that pretty group of three or the candlestick grouping) as a centerpiece on the dining room table and maybe one other on a side table or dresser. And maybe one of the big pots by the hearth. But only do this if you have truly decluttered everything else from the house. Otherwise the pottery will detract from the minimalism needed for selling.

OK. Got it. Thanks. Now bring on the buyer.