Trend Alert: Opening Shelving in Kitchens

Designing kitchens is one of my favorite rooms to design because they can be a real challenge! Ensuring there is adequate storage space, and countertop areas all while making the space looks beautiful – it can be a lot. One aspect of kitchen design that is taking the interior design world by storm right now is Open Shelving! If you follow a few professional designers on social media you may have already seen this featured recently. Let’s take a closer look!

Why we love open shelving!

Open shelving in kitchens is a fantastic way to add a decorative touch to an otherwise sterile and stark environment. With a range of finishes now available, kitchens are feeling less sterile like and more a part of our homes these days.

We love open shelving in kitchens because it takes this idea of making kitchens a more comfortable space by adding a homely and decorative touch. Instead of closing items away in upper cabinets, consider open shelving to make your space feel more spacious!

How to use open shelving! 

It’s relatively straight forward to incorporate open shelving in your kitchen. Instead of installing upper cabinets, swap them out for floating shelves! You could use timber, stainless steel or have them clad in quartz or stone for a super luxurious feel.

What to watch for when using open shelving.

There are some considerations to take into account when thinking of using open shelving in your kitchen…

Firstly, not all upper cabinets should be swapped out for shelving. Open shelving should be a feature or accent in a kitchen, and therefore not replace cabinet storage space. Choose one main wall to use open shelving, like the range or sink wall.

On that note – if you have a particularly small kitchen, open shelving may not be a good idea! You’d be better off with the additional cabinet space instead of swapping them for open shelving.

Make sure your floating shelves are safely secured to the wall. Depending on what you plan to store here may require heavy duty fixings.

This may go without saying, but it’s important to be aware that whatever you display on your open shelving will need to look good. If you plan on stacking a load of cookware on them it’s unlikely to look great, so think about what you want to display on them before going head first.

Ways to make open shelving last in your home

Open shelving can last many years in your home if used and styled well!

The first step is to decide which finish of shelves would look the best in your kitchen. Have you already used oak or walnut in your space? This would be a great material to use for the shelving while making it cohesive with the existing space and materials.

Next, you should consider what will be displayed on the shelves. While it is possible to use them as extensions of cabinet storage, it’s key to make sure the items or objects are stylish.

Here are some ideas for what to display on open shelving in kitchens: Canisters with dried pasta, decorative bowls, decorative plates, glasses, and vases.

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