I love it. Especially photo number 2. I don't worry so much about the whole everything will get dirty. I would just put the dishes that I use regularly, so they'll be heading through the dishwasher regularly. Then I would wipe the shelves down now and again.

If the hood is doing the job it's supposed, wouldn't think those shelves would get any dirtier than anywhere else in the kitchen.

I find open shelves so handy :)

They will get greasy for sure. If you don't mind the upkeep then go for it but I wouldn't want to deal with it.

I’ve had white open shelving surrounding my hood for four years and haven’t had any issues with them getting dirty. In fact, I would say I wipe more dust off the top of them more than anything and I cook pretty regularly. :)

I absolutely love that look. I think kitchen #2 is fab!

Love the look but not for me.

I've seen the dust on dishes that have been air dried overnight on the counter. That early morning light in my kitchen tells all.

We installed open shelving right next to our hood and the only issues I have is with the glass shades on the articulating lights on the wall. The dishes I use everyday and we installed a very nice exhaust hood. This is our second home where we have installed open shelving, I just love it, the look and the ease!

The overall look is pleasing and it affords you additional space to house your glasses.

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Looks and practicality are not the same . I would never have open shelves anywhere in a kitchen but near acooktop or range would be a nono for sure. No matter how good your venting grease and dust fly around in a kitchen . If you like the look you could try glass door cabinets at least then you just will have to clean the doors.IMO both those pics are done purely for show. Base cabinets that are all drawers are the best way to handle dishes, pots , glassware and still have the clean look of fewer upper cabinets.

I think it's all personal preference. I was an early adopter of base drawer cabinets (over 15 years ago) so totally agree on that. As to open shelves, I love them in a kitchen, I do cook I'd say far more than the "average" person (and I don't mean in a microwave!) and I have had no problems with open shelving. If there is that much dust /grime in the air, it might be time to take a look at the central heat and air, and consider putting in a better filter or even an electrostatic dust collector (or whatever they are called!)

And again, how people cook is a factor... are you a regular deep fat fryer? I'm not. I use lids on my pots and pans when I cook. I am a very neat cook, I clean as I go... by the time I'm ready to serve a meal, 90% of the cleanup has been done. So maybe these factor in to why open shelves work for me... but they certainly are not just for looks :)

I just find it's like everything else. Regular maintenance cleaning means little-to-no major cleaning.

I will say that I once purchased a home where the occupants had been extremely heavy smokers (and or, just over the course of years so much soot had accumulated). Everything was greasy/dirty/gross... it was a tight housing market in that area at that time.... every home we wanted sold immediately!

At any rate, cleaned and painted/papered/new floors etc... virtually every surface in the home. No more dirt/grease/soot, and no problems with keeping the resulting kitchen and shelving clean.

Just my thoughts, your mileage may vary!

It's a nice look but also a pain in the tuckus to keep grease free. You'd probably want to clean them once a week - so there you are - bringing out the step ladder to reach the shelves and the contents to clean them. I have enough to do in the kitchen so it would be too much of a chore for me...Best Wishes!

In a small kitchen, if that was the only storage available, I would live with it, but generally not a fan of the concept or the appearance. IMO both the kitchens above would look much nicer without it. Also, these shelves would be too high for me to access except the lowest ones.

In my opinion I love the look of open shelves at the cooking station gives a nice clean look but I wouldn’t store a third shelf thats too high in my view also in terms of cleaning isn’t that what the hood is there for to inhale all the grease but as mimommie say it’s based on your preference.

Cleaning is a nightmare. I have pots n pans placed on my top cabinets. Still collected grease n dust. Lucky I have a sliding glass door that separate my wet kitchen from my dry. Not much oil in dry kitchen. Used to love the idea of open shelves. But it's only good if you are meticulous. I am not.

I would put money on the owner of the two pictured kitchens having a housekeeper. I'm all about ease of cleaning/maintenance in a kitchen. Open shelves don't read that way, IMO.

Some people say, "No wire hangers". I say, No open shelving.

I say "no" to both, and throw in loveseats while you're at it!

As much as I like the look, I like to have upper cabinets more.

I love the look of open shelves, but prefer it closer to the dishwasher. Easy unloading of frequently used dishes.

Open shelving is pretty, but it has two downsides:

1, which has been mentioned over and over is cleaning. There is not a surface in your home that doesn't need weekly dusting. This is just more dusting and cleaning. I would have to run everything through the dishwasher once a week, same as I wash the butter dish and spoon plate, toaster and cooking utensils that I keep in the crock on my counter. Anything out has to be cleaned weekly. Ugghhh.

2. For most people storage space, especially in our kitchens, is lacking. We own more than what we have room to store. Are your upper cabinets half empty? Mine aren't. I need more kitchen storage, not less. Not that I need as much as I own, but I like my dishes and glassware and serving ware and stuff.

Is this a standard 30 inch wide x 36 in tall hood in a kitchen with a standard 9 foot ceiling? Thank you. It looks perfect to me!

I would do an open shelf strictly for design. I would use it for accessories, not for dishes, glasses, etc. Maybe a candle, a decorative jar, a small picture, etc.

I had some small open shelves by the window over my kitchen sink, feet away from the stove. i was shocked at how nasty they became.

I guess it just wouldn't bother me. It  would only be 1 shelf out of quartzite or glass. I clean my quartzite every single night  after I cook. One more shelf wouldn't bother me but I'm all about design so I know I'm different!! I'm not always practical!!

I had open shelving on the sink side of a galley kitchen for 11 years: loved it!
Unloaded dishes from dishwasher straight on to the shelf —- so convenient! The only things I noticed needing dusting were the things not used regularly up on the highest shelves. (I had three tiers on each side of the sink.) Everything in regular rotation stays clean. Wipe shelves down every so often.

I hate having to open doors to put things away constantly in my current unrenovated kitchen: hence doors left ajar all day.

I didn’t have anything on those shelves that I didn’t want to look at —- so no plastic containers, etc. Just fruit, veggies, and all my everyday dishes and some attractive serving and mixing bowls.

That being said, I also love putting things in drawers, and if you have enough room for that (I didn’t in my small kitchen) or you have a nice pantry, I could see just omitting all upper cabinets! Makes your kitchen feel less stuffy, more open.

Personaly I think its funny how most assume that there will be soot, grease and dust when I would gather that those folks have never had a open shelf kitchen, I would place my bet on those that have an open face kitchen that when they say they do not get much dust or grease to be correct. Each look it not for everyone I prefer the open look to the upper cabinets to me cabinets equal clutter.

@Wendy Simonson - do you dust the shelves inside your bedroom closet weekly? Do you dust the top of your dresser weekly? I dust the shelves off inside my closet about every 6 months when I reverse summer and winter clothing. My dresser is dusted weekly. I don't have as much dust on the bedroom closet shelves after 6 months as I do on my dresser in a week. I can't speak for your home, but I can say that in my house open spaces get dustier than the spaces that are inside a cabinet.

It's the grease. Even with the most powerful hood. Open shelving away from the hood would be much better.

i would not prefer wood in wall whether cabinet or open shelve. 90 percent of homes caught fire because of stove. if you have complete wall tiled around stove and use metal shelves only - it might save your home from big fire. also flooring in kitchen has to be tiled instead of hardwood

- Is anyone disagree to me?