I did this in our summer place, before we did our big renovation last year. I'm sorry I don't have pictures. But it worked out well. We had '80s oak cabinets. I took the doors off (in one area of the kitchen, not the whole room) 2 sets of upper cabinets and I painted them white. These weren't my "dish" cabinets -- I used them for cookbooks and pretty bowls and decorative items. I envy people who can have all their upper cabinets open with pretty bowls, plates, cups, etc., nicely arranged!

Maybe you could remove the doors on just a few upper cabs and leave some w/ doors so DH can still have space to store his ugly stuff?

auntjen, do you have a picture of your kitchen showing the cupboards? Is there an inset on your doors? If so maybe on some of the doors you could remove the inset and put in glass/chicken wire or even a curtain? That would soften the look and then you could still have some without doors for open shelving?

mmmm yes, I installed white wood base cabinets but kept the top ones without doors and painted them white to match. I love the effect, but now maybe 5 years or so later, I am thinking I might add glass doors to some of the seldom used cabinets - esp. the ones over the fridge and oven. I'm in the others a lot, and it is so much more convenient without doors - but I think the dust accumulates on the seldom used items, and besides, I'm beginning to think glass doors on those cabinets would give the ones without doors a more purposeful effect, and maybe not like I just forgot top doors or couldn't afford any, etc.!!!

I would love it.

Unfortunately, so would the cats.

AJ, If you aren't careful, your DH is going to hide your passport!! LOL

I think it takes a lot of discipline to keep open shelving looking organized, pretty and sparkling. You have brightly colored dishes which certainly would look terrific in open shelving. I like the idea from the other poster who suggested a combination of open shelves flanked by closed cabinets to hide the less attractive items.

I have not removed my upper cabinet doors.....just wanted to say I am enjoying going along with you on your decorating ride. Not too many posts for me!

I love the look and think all the manly ugly stuff could go in baskets (dh has his own cabinet of such stuff) but deep down, I know it would be a pain to clean and I would get tired of it. I do cook quite a bit and can see how grime would build up over everything.
And I would want everything on the shelves perfect all the time.

I'm enjoying your many posts but haven't had time to add much.

Thanks so much for the input - and for your kind words about my posts. :-) After giving this a bit more consideration, I think I'll hold off on removing any cabinet doors at this stage of the game. I've got one section of the old wall boards painted and it's turning out to be a very rustic look - think Grandma's ancient back porch - and I fear that removing the doors to the cabinets might make it look as though some kind of major destruction just happened in the kitchen! Too, I've noticed while taking down accessories from the walls that things get really nasty-dirty in a kitchen if they're out of the way and forgotten about when it comes time to clean. The point about cats being attracted to the shelves, if open, is another very strong consideration for me. Goodness knows I've got one that already knows how to turn on the kitchen faucet. I don't need them thinking they can mix up Friskies in my Fiestaware bowls. Maybe glass-fronted cabinets are in our "one of these days" future.

I need to take photos of the space. It's such a disaster right now that I really can't bring myself to do so yet!

You post made me smile. Remember saturated sunshine-yellow walls and pots and pans and plants hanging everywhere? Let it ALL hang out? I took off the doors and painted the inside of the cabinets a receding warm gray-blue to show off all the canned goods, dishes, etc., they were stuffed with, and loved it. After a couple of years I got tired of cleaning the greasy dust that accumulated over time on 5 surfaces at every level, or approximately 20 surfaces per cabinet, put them back on and painted everything kelly green to play off my new favorite poster. I did miss the quick finger-stick test for older canned goods, though. :)

I did miss the quick finger-stick test for older canned goods, though. :)

LOL! Yep - that's yet another reason why removing the doors now seems like it would be a very bad idea around our house!

Now Auntjen, please don't feel like you need to apologize for posting alot lately, for goodness sake! That's what the board is here for!!!!

Whew! I'm SO glad you've reconsidered removing your cabinet doors - for all the same greasy reasons others have posted. IMHO, the only homes open cabs would work are homes in which no one cooks at all, and also have staff to keep them clean and dusted! Who wants to eat anything off a plate that's been collecting dust for a couple weeks?

I removed the doors of the cupboards above the microwave and fridge. I'm too short to reach them, so I'm using that open space for display.

I like that idea bettymnz4, I may have to consider that in my future...5'3" doesn't work well in those areas!

One factor to keep in mind with either open shelving or cupboards with glass doors is that you cannot 'cram' as much stuff on/in them as you can with hidden storage. At least if you want it to look good. I love the look of open shelving but they'd have to come with cleaning staff. I do have glass inserts in some of my cabinet doors but have to arrange things more decoratively and therefor not as much stuff is in those cupboards. I do like the look tho and would do it again. I have glass shelves in those cupboards and they need dusting often. Not sure if the glass attracts dust more or if it's just more noticeable. I certainly don't dust my other kitchen shelves weekly but the glass shelves 'could' be done almost that often if I were a fanatical housekeeper, which I'm not.

We got a new refrigerator and the cabinets over it can't open all the way. My DGD took the doors off cause DH didn't want them off. I have balance problem so can't climb without danger. he has problems too and the cupboard was useless. Now I have a crockpot with three sections in it. I rarely use that cp so if it's needed there's somebody here who can climb.

I love the look of open shelving but unless you use those dishes often you have to wash before using.

shirley

Okay, here comes a catty post. A friend of mine, whom I find hilarious, is a true silver spoon southern belle. She removed all the cabinet doors on the kitchen uppers on the home on her ranch as part of her reno toward southwestern styling (and she's in the Southwest). She's quite artistic and loves bright colors. To me, it just looks like a kitchen with all the doors removed--like the painters forgot to put them back after they repainted. Also, she waves her hand and says the dust and grease is no problem, whatsoeeeeeeeevah, but she has a whole household staff!

Post away, isn't that why we are all here? :)

Ok. I feel I should clarify somethings, as I posted earlier about my cabinets without doors, and I agree that seldom used items sitting in the cabinets above my fridge, and to a lesser extent the stove, get a little filmy after time - and that is why I replaced the never-used fridge items with 4 early 1950's empty canisters....BUT I hadn't been up there in a year, and even if there were doors, contents would have been filmy. I Don't have much of an issue with other open upper cabinets. -------- I think a lot may have to do with how one cooks. A lot of frying or sauteing? I would NEVER have them open. I also live alone, and eat a lot of soups and salads, microwaved vegetables and so forth. I don't have a whole lot on display, on the open upper shelves - only a few larger not often used pieces, as I'm pretty short, but it's easy to take those few items down to wipe them now and then. I used to have to rinse out seldom used pieces when I HAD doors.

Hello Folks; you may enjoy the "Open" shelving look and the colors, inventory at first glance-- but if I am house hunting-and I am looking at your house-I won't be back- it just looks awful to me. You enjoy-I don't. I like doors; whats wrong with nice wood grain facing me rather than a multitude of products, textures and colors bombarding my senses when I take a look about the kitchen. Sorry-I like organization and I don't care what kind of cereal you like or what colors thrill you. Whew.

I have seen this done successfully but only done with a very neutral pallet...such as all white dishes. I think a mixture of colors of exposed dishes would visually make the space look cluttery. I have taken the cabinet doors off above the fridge & microwave and use baskets in their place. It is so great and so much easier to access the stuff in the baskets rather than the cabinets because I can just take the baskets down to find what I need. Plus it visually breaks up the sea of cabinets & adds some texture. You can see pics on my blog...link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Makeover

Gee thanks, Dazi, nice to know my kitchen sucks!
Actually, my dishes are carefully arranged/displayed, and complement my cottagey-retro look...yes, you would hate it, and it's colorful so I love it - but you are right about the marketing problem. If I go to sell, I would probably put doors on all my cabinets; possibly glass with maybe the peelable frosted look. But my kitchen would not appeal anyway to those who are looking for the gorgeous GW kitchens, so it's likely not just the lack of doors that's going to be the deal breaker!! (Who would ever store food in open cabinets, LOL!!) BTW, Ideamom, your kitchen is lovely!!----Penny

Peegee, your kitchen absolutely doesn't "suck"! I'm surprised at the rather vitriolic reaction above, but it reminds me of people on those HGTV shows who can't seem to get past a paint color when looking at a house that's for sale. ;-)

Ideamom, your kitchen is indeed lovely! Thanks for sharing!

Just had to chime in... my neighbor did this in her white cottage kitchen and it looks AMAZING, plus she loves not having to open up all the doors when she loads and unloads her DW. She had all white and cream dishes in the cabs, vintage and new, and it gives her kitchen an fresh, open, and very cohesive look.

We had two open shelves in our teeny tiny 1920's kitchen before our addition/renovation. We, too, stuck with all white palette. Because they were our everyday dishes - everything was either in use or in the DW on a daily basis, so no film or grease on the dishes. About once a month, I took everything off and wiped down the actual shelves as they had accumulated some dust for sure.

When it came time to do the new kitchen, I went with glass doors because while I love the open look, I was ready for a little more protection from the dust. But I still covet open shelving in other kitchens on a regular basis!