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Tips for Arranging Open Kitchen Shelving
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
There are a ton of great kitchen cabinets out there, but sometimes, if you are in a tight space, upper cabinets can close in on the room in and make it feel smaller. There are pros and cons to using open shelves instead, but all of the pictures below seem to belong on the pro list. A few tips for curating open shelves:
1) Your biggest enemy is dust. If you don't use the items often, you will have to keep them free of dust. Also, you should take them all down a few times a month and give the shelves a quick dusting.
2) Arrange items with similar shapes or colors to keep it looking like a total mishmash of clutter. For example, you might want to show off your collection of sugar bowls and creamers, or stick to all-white items on the shelves (Eva Zeisel's china for Crate and Barrel is a great set to purchase for open shelf showing off).
3) Treat each bowl, glass, or plate like a piece of sculpture when you are arranging. Take a step back and check out the composition as you go along. Leave ample space between items.
4) Getting tired of the look of your kitchen? Switch the shelf arrangement around! If you have a neat row of clear wine glasses on the open shelves, you can switch them out with a colorful set of mixing bowls from the cabinets below to get a totally new look.
5) There are no rules. Don't be afraid to try different arrangements and mixing and matching different objects together. Check out the images below to steal ideas!
1) Your biggest enemy is dust. If you don't use the items often, you will have to keep them free of dust. Also, you should take them all down a few times a month and give the shelves a quick dusting.
2) Arrange items with similar shapes or colors to keep it looking like a total mishmash of clutter. For example, you might want to show off your collection of sugar bowls and creamers, or stick to all-white items on the shelves (Eva Zeisel's china for Crate and Barrel is a great set to purchase for open shelf showing off).
3) Treat each bowl, glass, or plate like a piece of sculpture when you are arranging. Take a step back and check out the composition as you go along. Leave ample space between items.
4) Getting tired of the look of your kitchen? Switch the shelf arrangement around! If you have a neat row of clear wine glasses on the open shelves, you can switch them out with a colorful set of mixing bowls from the cabinets below to get a totally new look.
5) There are no rules. Don't be afraid to try different arrangements and mixing and matching different objects together. Check out the images below to steal ideas!
by Gast Architects
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The discipline of sticking to white and steel objects above lets a fish sit pretty next to some pots. Below, baskets give a streamlined look.
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An all-white palette here keeps everything looking neat.
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| Here the palette of the objects goes along with the palette of the cabinets, counters and tiles for a uniform look. |
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Here steel, white, and clear glass give this kitchen a clean, modern restaurant aesthetic.
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Here the open shelves let in the light.
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These shelves allow the backsplash to shine.
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Here the shelves are part of a greater composition with the cabinets and appliances. It's almost Mondrain.
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| I love the way these open shelves divide the kitchen without cutting it off. |
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| Ditto. |
by Susan M. Davis
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Here a collection is shown off on open shelves in two rooms at once.
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| Now that's disciplined arrangement! |
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I like the way these are tucked into the larger cabinet wall.
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Translucent glass used here is sort of in the middle between closed cabinets and open shelves. You still have to arrange thoughtfully, but it solves the dust issue.
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Comments
karen74 Love the idea of "treating each bowl, glass, or plate like a piece of sculpture". Old kitchens can look amazing thanks to a beautiful arrangment of some nice serving dishes. The kitchen by SchappacherWhite Ltd. is the best. really cool.
4 years ago · Like
Becky Harris Karen, I find myself drawn to SchappecherWhite all the time. They've got the touch!
4 years ago · Like
bdexter Do you have any suggestions or guidelines for the distance between open shelves?
3 years ago · Like
Becky Harris bdexter, too funny, I was just considering the same thing regarding shower shelves and shampoo bottles. I would suggest laying out how much you'll need to stack. Perhaps your wine glasses will be the tallest items? Leave a few inches for clearance above that measurement and I think it will let you know how much height you need.
3 years ago · Like
mdkeller I am looking for a site that would make shelving like Pottery Barn uses for display in their stores. They are square wooden shelves that "float" on the wall using bracket arms and the tracking that they attach to on the wall is somehow dry walled right next to the tracking. It looks like the shelves are attached to the wall on this "slit" in the dry wall. In addition, they have them wired for mini canned lights. Very cool and would look great in any house. Just trying to track down where a person could buy something like this. Thanks!
3 years ago · Like
kathlorang I'd like to know where to find that type of 'floating' shelf as well. All I ever find are cheap, ugly, Ikea shelves that show the screw or brackets.
2 years ago · Like
Edith Logan I like the look of open shelving because it offers a fresh look to the kitchen and you can display your lovely dishes where you can see them and appreciate them.
19 months ago · Like
sjsrs Lee Valley sells floating shelf support brackets (drill into the center of each board). We used them to mount 4 inch solid fir shelves in our bathroom and kitchen.
8 months ago · Like
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