The appeal of open shelves goes beyond this visual splendor – and there’s a lot to love about the way they look.

To start with, open shelves offer a unique look not just because of the shelves themselves, but because of what they hold. Your plates, bottles, spices, pots – now that all of it is always on display, they all become part of the look.

With that, comes the perfect middle ground between form and function: since you will have your things exposed, you’ll do well by keeping only what’s truly useful. Think about it – it’s so easy to accumulate useless junk in the back of cabinets behind the items you actually use. Things you either can’t reach or can’t see. Open shelves have no business with excess, everything you see should be useful and within reach!

Similarly, and this is something we really take for granted, it makes for a much better experience in the kitchen. No longer will you have to open one cabinet door after another trying to remember where you’ve left your favorite cereal bowl. No longer will you lose track of your plates and cups.

Combine that with a beautiful set of dishes and you’ve got yourself a look!

1. Wooden Cubes

Wooden cubes are easy to install. Source: The Mess of Men

Simple wooden cubes are perfect for open shelves. Usually the natural wooden look doesn’t even need to be painted, since the rustic wood matches very well with most kitchens.

They can serve as a complement to cabinets or entirely replace them to become the main shelf. You would only have to consider the weight – dishware tends to be quite heavy, so it’s worth making sure the shelf is sturdy enough and is well installed to prevent accidents.

It’s always important to note: never use tall open shelves to store things like forks and knives! Having to reach for them from places where they can fall on top of you (or someone else) is very dangerous.

2. Open pantry

open pantry
An open pantry is perfect for a kitchen! Source: The Spruce

Combining a pantry with open shelves is one of the greatest ideas ever in the history of kitchens. Think about it: your entire pantry visible to you in one glance. You won’t have to leave the kitchen, open a door, scramble to find things... none of that!

With an open shelf pantry, you can have everything labeled and stored in transparent containers, making it super easy and convenient to find what you need. On top of that, you will know whenever you need to resupply at a glance!

3. White and light

white and light
White colors suit a kitchen well! Source: HouseBeautiful

White is a really nice color for kitchens because it accents that clean look and in turn, makes the whole place much brighter because of light reflections. Combine that with white open shelves and white dishes, and you’ve got yourself a matching look for the ages.

4. Open cabinets

open cabinets
Open cabinets can be adapted from normal cabinets. Source: homelovr

A fun and interesting way of implementing open shelves is by adapting cabinets! This is a known method that can even be DIYed if you have the right tools. It consists of removing cabinet doors and either painting the inside or applying wallpaper to it. Remove the hinges and you’re good to go!

This is a fairly simple project, because there’s no need to remove the cabinets, mess with the walls, or remodel any part of your kitchen. In fact, you’re removing something (the doors) to make for more convenient shelves!

5. Corner shelf

corner shelf
Make a corner shelf space. Source: Domino

No space? No problem! You can install a small but very useful open shelf in a corner that you can use as cutting room, keeping your spices and main tools easy to find, and creating more space in your kitchen. Once again, combine that with matching kitchenware, and you can create beautiful looks effortlessly!

Need more help with a kitchen project? Talk to a kitchen expert today and get free quotes in your area!


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