Tell us about your basket collection. I collect Native American and African baskets and display some on the wall, as they are true pieces of art. Would you consider hanging some of yours above the bookcase?

The lamp doesn’t seem to go. I would clear out the whole room. Then I’d decide on a cohesive plan.
It basically looks like a storage closet instead of a display cabinet. If I were going to use it for storage I would do something to the glass so there wasn’t a clear view. If using for display I would heavily edit and keep only those things that are truly pretty or special. You could also line the back of the shelves with color or paper.You need more art above the piece . I’d replace the lamp with a floor lamp. I would be neat to have one that could spotlight the art.

I was drawn to your post because I love what good, important art does for a kitchen. I think you have a great start to a really good look. Using your baskets as art, as you're already doing but just a bit more effectively, would be wonderful. In the picture at least it seems blah to me because all those browns "cluttering" into each other, along with everything else, instead of the important pieces having a chance to shine.

I second clearing out, but just to the point of getting stuff sitting around so you can see clearly what you have to build on. Also agree with at least temporarily removing the lamp and the picture while you decide if you want to add them back in on that wall.

I think your bookcase is a terrific asset, but I'd for sure visually simplify by painting it to blend into the wall and become a base to set off your art, instead of pulling attention down. That'd make a dramatic difference by throwing attention to both your baskets and your table, which is of course a very important feature in itself. If further simplifying was needed, you might shirr quiet fabric inside the cabinet's glass doors (adding visual texture if some was needed) or put a simple opaque film on the glass itself. Painting the inside of the bookcase a coordinating tone, perhaps just the center section for a secondary display, might also be an idea to play with if you had something you also wanted to show off in there.

Then decide what it might still need. A new ceiling fixture? A little oil painting of the region those baskets come from?

Extend your love for baskets and create a basket wall!

Regarding the bookcase itself, should I replace the glass with frosted glass?