What the heck are the coke bottles doing up there any way that is not decor just a mess. If you want display space get it somewhere else. There is nothing vintage about the poor design from the 60-80s so why not post some pics of the whole space and see what we can come up with. I have no idea what you are talking about with the panels that you are painting and there is no space that you can use for display and a cat can’t fit in

I would definitely suggest using materials like Susan suggested! My daughter's cats have been getting up above her cabinets since they were kittens. I do not believe they can do that anymore since she moved into her town home. I'm almost 100% sure the cabinets go all the way up to the ceiling, like mine do.

Patricia, they are a mess because I'm tired of picking them back up and I have some aluminum ones I dont want destroyed if they hit the floor. Also, a little rude to say that the way I want to decorate my space is bad. The breakfast room right now only has a couple things in it, most is put away until I have the wallpaper I want and the time to do the room all at once. What is there to know except that here are some of the things I'm putting in the space.

Example of the acrylic I bought https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDyu0LBTOjGon2Okddkiu1mf4LjOC5TRTKOZ8MD1iWxAqJsjhX

Thought I'd recreate something along the lines of this

or this

And since you asked, here are all the things...

The item that started it all, my 60's formica table

with 4 chairs

A lamp I need to hang

This wall hanging

This phone

This clock

Along with a bunch of knick knacks I've already put out in the kitchen.

Just personal comments, since you asked...

I would display my collection at a lower, more accessible eye/hand level. Those items are begging to be picked up and examined. Indulge your visitors.

Hell, indulge your cats too. They love ‘the high ground’. I say let them have it.

Is the only reason you are looking to block off that space is to protect your display?

The rest that wouldnt fit

As you can see it's a mish mash of vintage things.

Susan, that's a pretty neat idea! I will do some looking around. I've also been debating on something like this on a smaller scale,

The screen is a good idea. Provide an alternative to the counter/cabinets, because

cats love heights:

Noisycats...no

I'm trying to block off the kitchen from them in general. I'm tired of hiding the bread, picking up the trash can, trying not to trip over them when cooking, and I already have baby locks on the cabinets under the sink so they wont get into anything hazardous.

I do already have the whole long wall in my living room set up for them, with about 8 shelves for them to play on or be up high. I'd just like a space that's cat free. And yes I know what it entails to have pets, but for some reason a couple of them or just beyond ornery. LOL

Oh and I live out in the country with no trash service. So what I can't burn, or food that needs to be thrown out, itsn't as easy as putting it outside. So until I can take a bag of trash to town of stuff I can't burn, it gets hidden in the oven, microwave, or stays in the fridge longer than it should. All because I cant collect trash to be ready for me to take the day before or something.

RawketGrl, that looks neat! As I said I do have some shelves. I tried those bridge things, no one would touch them. LOL My next idea is a hammock or small box to put at the corner where the walls meet.

Ok. Then the screen suggestion would be really neat. After you relocate the collection.

I dont know what the entry to your kitchen area looks like but sounds like you need a good ol' fashioned door.

I feel your pain about the garbage, I have same issue. I live in a rural area. I built a big stainless box with latching lid in the garage to hold it until I can get to dump or take it to town or a friends with garbage service. Burn cages rule!

Have you tried putting the acrylic above the cabinets?

Not yet er612. I am not even sure how to go about it. I guess build a custom frame piece?

Rawketgrl, I put in a door, but it was made from a piece of plywood. The space between the breakfast room and kitchen is 46' wide and doors dont come that wide. :( It was after installing that, that a couple of them can still use the space above the cabinets to get over.

I love what you’ve done with the diet Dr Pepper. So avant garde

Seriously though, you have some cute vintage items to display... let the focus be on those. The coke bottles look like trash sitting on your cabinets; sorry but it’s true.

I have two cats and have trained them to stay off of the counter tops and cabinets. Why not spend the time training your cats instead of all of these ideas to try to close off the kitchen?

I have a cat tree and interactive toys for my cats and they are very happy, but stay on the floor and only on "their" blankie on the couch and their special furry blanket on the bed.

Bri, Well doesn't help right now that they're all knocked over. And I may end up putting them away altogether because I keep finding little vintage appliances like waffle irons and crock pots and things that I may want to put in those spaces above the cabinets anyway.

Finally did an acrylic pour on the acrylic sheet. Still not sure if I like the brown. The orange and yellow had thinned out so much the brown didn't flow much. This is taped up temporarily but it will be cut in half and framed up there.