Not all spaces are made the same, but in a kitchen with plenty of cabinetry, along with a walk-in butler’s pantry… open shelving is still more than welcome in our book. I’ve seen some clickbait articles coming for it pretty hard lately, and I believe that if done right, open shelving will never go out of style. Sometimes, a place to rest the eye and an intentionally designed open area are a welcome respite. Here are a few of our best tips for open shelving in a kitchen.
First things first, you’ve seen a few sneak peeks in this space, and we’re slowly helping our sweet clients put their home together with all the glorious details… so stay tuned! Today, I’m sharing a little sneak peek of the kitchen area.
But first, the beautiful details behind this backsplash… because if you remember the before… It’s come such a long way.
With the butler’s pantry included (and more of that to come with some fun shares), it just made sense to have some open shelving here.
Without further ado, here are a few of our best tips for open shelving in a kitchen.
1. Our Best Tips for Open Shelving In a Kitchen: Utilize Your Materials
In this fabulous kitchen {if we do say so ourselves}, we’ve diversified our tile use by pulling from the same line in two separate patterns. This was truly an opportunity to showcase the tile and bring intentional interest to a space that holds neutrals and wood tones beautifully. Every space is different. Always consider what’s happening behind that open shelving in your kitchen. From wallpaper to wall color to shelving options, this will be your glorious backdrop for telling your story in your home. Yes, I do sound dramatic, but it’s true. I think open shelving has received a bad wrap recently because not all rooms have space for it, and when they do, it’s not intentionally designed.
A few rules of thumb I always follow:
a. Go for contrast: with color, shape, size, etc. This adds simple interest to your backsplash.
b. Always take it as high as possible with natural boundaries. It’s worth the extra cost in labor and materials. Nothing says I-didn’t-know-what-I-was-doing like ending your backsplash in a random place when you could have done more and taken it to the top. Well-placed tile automatically adds interest, dimension, and feels planned in a way that someone may see and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
These two elements: interest + intentional placement, really make for a great combo for creating the perfect backdrop when it comes to open shelving.
2. Our Best Tips for Open Shelving In a Kitchen: Avoid Plugs + Switches
Just do it. It takes planning ahead and organization. When building, local codes will require certain placements, but usually allow exceptions if you have a specific request, like placing them on a side wall or mounting them under a shelf instead of on the backsplash. If you have a beautiful tile, nothing ruins it more than those plugs front and center. It’s worth fighting the good fight to reconfigure your placement to make it look better overall.
3. Our Best Tips for Open Shelving In a Kitchen: Use Under-Cabinet Lighting
Our go-to for all things lighting is, of course, Kichler. They use a discreet tape lighting that we absolutely love, which adds so much ambience at night when needed. The best part? They come with a dimmer switch, making them easy to adjust to your needs. We always say one of the keys to a great space is using lighting in smart ways, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Another testament to moving ahead with a plan, when it comes to open shelving in a kitchen.
4. Our Best Tips for Kitchen Open Shelving In a Kitchen: Choose an Intention
And curate wisely. In other words, style it, but make your open shelving functional. Does it have a purpose? Do you want it to be a coffee bar area? Maybe a place to showcase your collection of cookbooks? Combine elements of storage {baskets for extra space}, purpose {like extra water bottles that suddenly become stylish when stored + old cookbooks of value}, and treasured finds with meaning, that all say “I belong in the kitchen”.
It needs to feel realistic. The old tin with recipes belongs there. So do your containers of flour and sugar, along with your mixer and your grandmother’s meaningful cookbooks. Find elements of meaning, and keep them there to be used. It’s the best version of form vs. function for your kitchen.
5. Our Best Tips for Kitchen Open Shelving In a Kitchen: Simple Rules for Styling
a. Create symmetry and balance wherever possible. See the two pairings of baskets here? They have a purpose for hidden storage, but they also create balance.
b. Curate with groupings of three or odd numbers, wherever possible, to add interest.
c. Vary heights so that the elements work well together with contrast.
d. They don’t have to match, but they need to “go”. — This will be key for more of your collected look.
e. Leave places for the eye to rest. This is where the rules above with intentional tile, plugs + switches, + under cabinet lighting shine best to reinforce your design.
We hope a look into some of these ideas has helped some of you create your best spaces today!
Have an inspired day!
