Open kitchen cabinets ideas

These Blanket Storage Ideas Are Actually So Clever

Erin Cavoto Erin Cavoto is the Editorial Assistant at ThePioneerWoman. com, covering food, holidays, home decor, and more.

70 original design ideas, design options

Can a kitchen with open shelves be comfortable and functional? This question often causes heated discussions on furniture forums. And this dispute can last forever, since in each case the answer will depend not on objective factors, but on subjective reasons - the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, lifestyle and habits, as well as on individual ideas about beauty.

Content:

• Advantages of open shelves in the kitchen
• Cons of open shelves
• Design options
• Shelf material selection
• Attachment features
• Storage on open shelves
• Open shelves in a small kitchen
• Kitchen-living room with open shelves
• Conclusion

Benefits of open shelving in the kitchen

You can evaluate how suitable this arrangement idea is for you by analyzing the advantages of such an idea listed below and the disadvantages that you may have to face.

• Open shelves can make a kitchen look lighter and more visually spacious.

• Open shelves are easier to use.

• A kitchen with open shelves will be cheaper.

• Such a non-trivial idea of ​​​​arrangement is guaranteed to bring variety to the usual interior and make it more interesting.

Open shelves serve as an addition to the kitchen set and are more decorative than practical.

• Storage needs to be considered. If the shelves are inaccurately stacked with assorted dishes in a pile with different kitchen utensils, then the feeling of disorder and clutter cannot be avoided. Thinking about the aesthetics of storage is the most important thing here. In addition, this order will have to be regularly maintained. Are you ready for this?

If you don't want to worry about every detail, you can use beautiful boxes and wicker baskets. You can hide everything neatly in them, and they look very nice in the interior.

• Open shelves collect dust every day, so you will have to wet clean more often than in the case of closed cabinets.

• The number of storage spaces will be reduced. Before abandoning upper cabinets in favor of shelves, think about whether you can really fit everything you need in lower cabinets. If you have a lot of dishes, kitchen gadgets, then you should abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bopen storage.

The tall cabinet module can compensate for the upper cabinets. You can store small kitchen appliances and bulk products in it. Such storage will be even more convenient than the option with wall cabinets, but the pencil case will not always be able to find a place, for example, it will not fit in very small kitchens up to 5 sq.m.

• Design is hard to come by. A less risky option is to make a kitchen set in the same style, with uniform facades; and it is much more difficult to choose shelves that are suitable in material, shade and style so that they blend perfectly with other furniture in the kitchen.

• Not suitable for most modern styles.

Hi-tech and minimalism, for example, only accept closed storage and absolute order.

Design options

The idea of ​​using shelves in kitchen design has many variations - from the most radical and unusual to less risky and easier to implement.

1. The most radical solution is to make a kitchen with shelves not only in the top but also in the bottom row.

The idea certainly has limited application. This arrangement option is more suitable for country kitchens and kitchens in garden houses.

In a city apartment or private house, this design idea needs a lot of work. In general, a kitchen with shelving will look most harmoniously in country, provence, eco, loft and scandi styles.

In Provence and Country, you can and should use curtains behind which you can hide pots, pans and other kitchen utensils stored on the shelves. So the interior will look more neat and well-groomed.

In the loft, metal shelves and racks will add brutality, which is precisely the main goal when creating an interior in such a style.

2. Eliminate upper cabinets entirely and replace them with shelves.

The interior will become visually lighter, but the amount of storage space will be significantly reduced, and you will have to think about the design of the now empty wall, as well as decide how to compensate for the missing cabinets.

An empty wall and backsplash area can be accentuated, for example, by decorating with a bright shade or decorating with a print. Materials with a beautiful natural texture can be used. A stylish chimney-type hood can also become a wall decoration.

3. The safest option, which will suit almost any style, is to make single inserts with open shelves.

They can be used in lower or upper cabinets or on a kitchen island.

Beveled corner shelves are a great way to make a set visually less bulky.

Proper lighting in a kitchen with open shelves will help set the accents. Beautiful lighting or a garland will help to emphasize the decorative effect. If you decide to abandon the upper cabinets, then it is necessary to provide good lighting for the working area. The luminaires, with light directed to the tabletop, can be installed on the walls or on the ceiling.

See many other interesting ideas in the video:

Choosing the material of the shelves

The choice of the material of the shelves is largely determined by the style of the interior.

For example, for a loft-style kitchen, shelves made of black or gray painted metal or rough and unfinished wood are suitable.

In Provence, you can use a tree with the effect of aging.

Stained wooden shelves are perfect for Scandinavian style.

Open inserts can be included in the design of the kitchen unit.

They can be made of the same material as the frame, differ from the main color of the set or match the facades. These inserts can be emphasized by painting them in a bright color.

Mounting features

When choosing shelves and organizing storage, it is important to consider the material of the walls to which they are attached and the load on them.

• Shelves should not be loaded with heavy items if they are attached to flimsy walls.
• Consider the appearance of the fasteners and their compatibility with the overall style of the interior. If you are not sure whether they will fit in design, it is better to make a hidden mount.

• It is better to strengthen the structure that will withstand the increased load even at the repair stage by installing mortgages. If you don’t have time, use a rack instead of shelves, then the main load will be on the floor, and not on the walls.

Shelves can be hung not only in the working area of ​​the kitchen, but for decorative purposes and above the dining table. In this case, it is better to make them narrow.

This may also be useful: Three ways to fix upper kitchen cabinets.

Storage on open shelves

Open shelves in the kitchen are more decorative than practical. They can not make up everything that is usually stored in closed cabinets.

It is better to store the items you use every day so that dust and grease do not accumulate on them. Decor (paintings, photo frames, sculptures, etc.) on the shelves should be used to a minimum.

A kitchen with open top and bottom cabinets will look stylish if you use beautiful organizers, wicker baskets and neat boxes for storage.

On the shelves you can put beautiful sets, wine glasses, a collection of unique vases or jugs, souvenir and hand-made dishes, candlesticks, clay pots, decoupage-painted bottles, stylish household appliances, paintings and photo frames.

If the shelves will store products used every day when cooking (spices, cereals, etc.), then get a collection of beautiful jars or baskets in the same style. They can be beautifully signed and neatly arranged in a row.

Open shelves in a small kitchen

Kitchen-living room with open shelves

Conclusion

A kitchen with open shelves can only be beautiful and comfortable with thoughtful storage. Such an idea is able to unload the interior, let in more light and air. However, it should be understood that the shelves are only an addition, and not an alternative to the usual way of arranging the working space of the kitchen.

13 best ideas for interior kitchen shelves • inTrends

Shelves are one of the most important interior elements that we never think about, but are really worth looking into. They are able to give your kitchen a certain aesthetics and functionality.

Open shelving trends are all the rage right now, but that doesn't mean everyone has to mount the first shelving unit they see on their kitchen wall. To get started, check out the kitchen shelf ideas below to see which options are more suitable and more affordable for you. And then you will make an important decision - to add a couple to your kitchen or not.

Storefront Kitchen Shelf Ideas

If you like industrial style, discover simple storefront shelving designs as part of a storage solution for bulk food and kitchen utensils. You can have a few cabinets and a few open shelves for a better harmony of both types, both of which together look good and natural in an industrial interior theme.

The best and cheapest solution for your industrial shelves is to make them yourself. Start with a wooden plank of the thickness and length you require. Then buy black pipes and use them as support brackets.

Another option is solid metal shelves. Look for the ones you usually see in commercial, office, warehouse or manufacturing environments. They will give you a real industrial feel.

Metal Kitchen Shelf Ideas

You can make your kitchen look like a professional commercial kitchen by replacing your kitchen shelves with stainless steel ones. They will help her look bright, like a mirror reflecting the light from the lamps, and they are very easy to care for, you just need to wipe them periodically with a damp cloth. You will also find that stainless steel shelving is the most hygienic option as it is non-porous.

We advise you to make sure that you use only high quality stainless steel for your shelves. Otherwise, you risk subjecting them to oxidation or metal corrosion. They will look disgusting and besides it is dangerous to health. Commercial metal is thicker and stronger, making it less likely to get scratches and dents.

Floating Kitchen Shelf Ideas

The floating shelf looks like it is hanging on the wall without any visual support. Thus, it seems to be floating on the wall. The current trend is to replace cabinets with floating kitchen shelves.

Be careful if you make the wrong decision to tear down all the cabinets and completely replace them with floating shelves. While they look beautiful on social media and in photos in design magazines, in practice they are not very functional.

The first dilemma is not protecting your cutlery or other kitchen utensils from grease and other food particles floating in the air during cooking.

This means that everything in the kitchen will be constantly dirty. Another problem is that clutter cannot be hidden. If you are one of those who have 1 million kitchen gadgets, then this solution is definitely not for you.

Bracketed Kitchen Shelf Ideas

The Shelf Bracket is a support that gives your shelf stability and allows you to secure it to the kitchen wall surface. But your brackets are not just functional elements. Since they are visible, it is your responsibility to make them decorative.

For an artisan, rustic or farmhouse style kitchen, you can choose wooden supports. They usually have curls cut out on them. Modern and industrial kitchens look good with metal brackets. They have a sleek and streamlined style with minimal detailing. Luxurious or elegant kitchens are adorned with gold brackets with many intricate designs.

Kitchen cabinet ideas

Most modern homes are built with built-in kitchen furniture. They usually consist of base cabinets running along the floor or top cabinets mounted on the wall. On top of your lower cabinets will be a countertop, which is the work surface in your kitchen. Kitchen cabinets are a convenient and logical method of creating storage in the kitchen, as they have doors that hide everything you store in them.

If you are in the process of renovating your kitchen, this is the perfect opportunity to create a new cabinet system in your kitchen. Check out ways to use today's innovations to increase storage space from the typical dead space in a kitchen cabinet. The most common places in the corners are hard to reach, dark and often become either unused or a place where kitchen appliances get old. Instead, you can install drawers or drawers.

Hanging kitchen shelf ideas

Not all shelves need to be fixed to the wall. If you have high ceilings, then you have plenty of room for shelves above the counters that are not against the wall. If you have a peninsula-style counter or an entire "kitchen island", then you have space above it for open storage.

You will need to fix the kitchen shelf in the ceiling at all four corners. This will create a platform that is accessible from all sides. You can then use the space to display decorative items or eye-catching kitchen utensils like copper pots.

Kitchen wall shelf ideas

Do you have a particular place where you like to work the most? Then maybe it's time to add a wall shelf or two above it. This way, you can keep your most used items close at hand. The shelf or shelves should not be large. They just need to be large enough to fit the items you need.

You can also use the wall shelf to create a custom workstation. It would be the perfect idea for coffee connoisseurs. It doesn't have to be a regular straight wall shelf. You may have triangular shaped corner shelves that fit into a dead space that is not currently being used.

Freestanding kitchen shelving ideas

Not everyone has enough wall space in their kitchen to install cabinets and shelves. Or, if you live in a rented house, the landlord has the right to stop you from drilling holes in the walls. In both of these situations, freestanding shelving is best.

To keep your kitchen spacious, look for shelving without sides or doors. They allow you to see the wall behind the shelving unit. This also makes them the perfect place to showcase your favorite kitchen décor. Not all shelving has to be large; you may have a small block sitting on your counter.

Open Shelf Ideas

You may not like the idea of ​​open kitchen shelves, but that doesn't mean you have to ditch them entirely. You can include one or a couple of open options in your kitchen design.

One of the most common open shelving kitchen ideas is to remove one of the cabinets and replace it with two open shelves. Another idea is to connect upper cabinets with shelves above the sink. If none of these ideas work, consider adding an open shelf attached to the bottom of your upper cabinets.

Ideas for modern kitchen shelves

If you want to create a modern kitchen feel, look for unique shelves. You can have shelves connected with long metal brackets to give the illusion of hanging from the ceiling. Or a wall with niches in which you can install and move shelves as needed. They allow you to have multiple storage solutions for specific items such as a spice rack, glassware, mugs or cookbooks.

If you prefer a modern white kitchen with an upscale look, consider using alternative materials. You can install tiled shelves on the front and top. Or you can have marble shelves that match the marble top.

Kitchen Pantry Shelf Ideas

Most modern kitchens have a separate cabinet used as a pantry. Some represent a small space, deep enough to accommodate several shelves at once. Others are shallow with wide-opening full-length cabinet doors. For the most successful homeowners, the pantry is a walk-in closet with the maximum kitchen space.

Regardless of the size of your pantry, the best thing you can do is make the most of the space available to you. Pick a storage system that suits your style of organization and is capable of holding everything you need. You may need a series of shelves, drawers or shelving.

Old Wood Kitchen Shelf Ideas

If you want a rustic or farmhouse style kitchen then using reclaimed wood is a must. Look for long boards made from old wood. They make the best wooden shelves. It's okay if your shelves are defective or don't look the same. That's the beauty of old wood.

The only thing you should be aware of is possible dangers of injury, such as splinters, sharp edges or pieces of old metal fittings that could accidentally cut in some way. It is also helpful to choose pieces of wood that can be easily flattened and flattened. Thus, you can easily stack your kitchen utensils on them.

When reusing wood, it is sometimes difficult to tell how long the shelves will be. Because of this, you might want to get creative with your DIY wooden shelf. You can make one long shelf that takes up the entire kitchen, or several independent shorter options.

Optimization ideas for kitchen shelves

Kitchen shelves are not just pretty pictures or attractive kitchen designs.

Learn more

• Country cottages furniture
• 
  Portable hand mixer
• 
  Closet designs for bedrooms
• 
  Modern house paint color
• 
  Lilac goes with what color
• 
  New trends in home decor
• 
  How to make the most of a small bathroom
• 
  Home design flooring
• 
  Can you cut peonies
• 
  Latest colour shades for houses
• 
  Kitchen wall colours ideas