When designed properly, open kitchen shelving is a design trend that is highly functional

Open kitchen shelving is a bit of a controversy among designers and homeowners alike. It's one of those trends that people either really love or really dislike. The truth is, open kitchen shelving is a trendy look that brings a sense of serenity and order to your kitchen. It's a great way to display your matching dishware collection and when designed properly is a highly functional modern design.

The key is to keep working on your organizational system until it all gels. If you've never had open kitchen shelving, it can take a little while to get the exact right mix of items that make them both functional, and visually interesting. There's really only one rule, keep tweaking and rearranging until you have a system that works for you.

Here are some tips, tricks, and hacks on where to begin and how to make your open kitchen shelving have that airy look that we all love!

The Benefits of Open Kitchen Shelving

Before we get into the tips and tricks, let's take a second and list a few benefits open shelving offers in the kitchen. While it's not a look that works for everyone, open shelving can inject some fresh, modern vibes into your kitchen and is actually remarkably functional. Open kitchen shelving is:

Open Kitchen Shelving Is Flexible

You can choose to feature only open kitchen shelving in your kitchen or a combination of open shelving and cabinets. The concept is flexible in that way. If you're not sure, you can get a feel for open shelving by simply removing the doors from one of your cabinets. This can give you an idea if open shelving works for you.

Great for Filling “Odd” Spaces

Open kitchen shelving can make unusable space in your kitchen usable. For example, custom shelving around and over a door frame can actually add a fair amount of storage in an area that traditionally is wasted!

Display Treasured Items

if you love staging tableaus, or have a special set of heirloom dishes, open shelving is the perfect way to neatly and artistically display them in your kitchen. You have the flexibility to switch “scenes” when the mood strikes, for example changing your design to fit the season.

It may take a little time, but if you try open shelving, you'll learn to love the benefits it offers as a design trend

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Tips For Living With and Organizing Open Kitchen Shelving

How you arrange and organize your kitchen with open shelves takes a little planning. Here are a few tips and tricks to get the most out of open shelving.

Keep it Sparse

The beauty of open shelving is that it offers the flexibility of mixing it up. Try using open shelves as a way to break up the cabinets. This can open the room significantly while still providing closed storage for unsightly items and appliances.

Put Items You Use Every Day On Open Shelving

Keep important things within reach on open shelves. It's handy on those bleary eyed mornings to go to your shelf and grab your coffee mug and cereal bowl, or handy when you need to get dinner on the table at the end of a busy workday. Open shelves are also pretty helpful for guests who may not be familiar with where you keep your glassware or dishes.

Add Special Items For Display

You can also mix things up and add special pieces as visual focal points on open shelves, for example, if you collect teapots, or antique ironstone, open shelves are a great way to display your treasures!

Stick with Monochrome Items

The easiest way to keep your shelves looking clean, modern and organized is to stick with a single color. For example, floating wood shelves over white subway tile, holding white dinnerware can offer a stark, minimalist, open modern look.

Stick With Clear Glass

Like monochrome items, clear glass will automatically provide an organized modern look. Plus a bonus, clear glass reflects light and can make your kitchen appear more open and bright.

Use Open Shelves in Unexpected Places

For most homeowners, the concept of open shelves is usually using them to replace upper cabinets. Open shelves on a base cabinet, or on an island can add beauty and texture to an unexpected space and create visual interest in your design.

Open kitchen shelving is a growing trend in kitchen remodeling. Whether you choose to replace all of your upper cabinets with open shelves or use the to extend storage space into unused areas lie around a door or in an island, open kitchen shelving can add a dramatic effect to any kitchen and provide a sense of openness and space, while being completely functional. If you'd like to learn more, click here to speak with a designer at Toulmin Kitchen & Bath. They can offer you exciting ways to add some open shelving to your kitchen remodeling project!

About Toulmin Kitchen & Bath Design - We're West Alabama's award-winning, premier kitchen and bath showroom. We're experts who are known for a design-build process that makes the construction process stress-free. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a design consultation.