Photo by Crown Point Cabinetry/Houzz
Has open shelving caught your eye? Whether on Pinterest or a dog-eared page in a glossy shelter magazine, open shelving in the kitchen is all the rage. It’s a look with universal appeal. This versatile shelf choice works in the city and country spaces; it’s equally suited to a rustic farmhouse-style home and a modern Brooklyn brownstone.
Opting for a cabinet-free (or partly cabinet-free) kitchen makes a strong statement when done right. But does this shelf style make sense in your kitchen space? As with any design decision, there are pros and cons. We’ve polled design experts to come up with the very best and worst qualities of open shelving, which you should consider before you rip up your kitchen.
Pro: Open shelving is trendy
Open shelving in kitchens doesn’t seem to be going out of style anytime soon, experts say.
“Taking out the top kitchen cabinets is a very popular design trend, because it makes the space feel more open and expansive,” explains Megan Lewis, a building expert with Lowe’s.
It can also add style by displaying that collection of pretty dishes. Open shelves are a beautiful way to display china in a kitchen space, points out home organization expert Marty Basher of Modular Closets.
Con: Shelves that are open can be a hot mess
Are you a “Konvert,” aka a devotee of Marie Kondo‘s minimalist tidying methods? Adhering to Kondo-level neatness is pretty much required with open shelving, to keep them looking presentable.
“Very few people are extremely tidy, and these shelves need an organized approach to stacking and storing dishes,” points out Liz Toombs, an interior decorator and owner of PDR Interiors, in Lexington, KY. If the items and utensils don’t match or coordinate with one another, your open shelves (and your decor) will look messy.
“The goal is to enhance the room’s design, not detract from it, and kids’ sippy cups, random teacups, and mismatched dishes will not look good on these shelves,” Toombs says.
To curb the clutter on your shelf space, consider hiding smaller items in baskets and transferring food staples such as dried beans, rice, flour, and sugar into glass canisters, Basher advises. Or beautify your kitchen storage with clear plastic or wire bins on this kind of built-in shelving.
Pro: You’ll save money on wall-mounted shelving
Photo by Design Shop Interiors
Fewer materials and easier installation make open shelving (or floating shelves) an affordable storage option if you want to remodel your kitchen space.
“This shelving can save you money, as compared to standard upper cabinets,” says Toombs. If you’re especially handy, putting up open shelves can be a budget-friendly DIY home improvement project.
“Homeowners can save up to $1,000, both by doing your own installation of shelves and by not purchasing cabinets from a retailer,” Lewis says. A white backsplash here will help highlight your wall shelves, and plain tile is usually affordable, too.
Con: You might have to do more dishes with these shelves
The cleaning requirements for open shelving can be a nightmare, says Toombs.
“Heat from appliances causes dirt and dust in the air to stick to exposed surfaces, including your cups, glasses, dishware, and the actual shelves,” she says. That means you’ll probably be washing your plates, glassware, and bowls much more often than if you had closed cabinets for your storage.
Pro: You can go halfway with these shelves
Good news if you’re not sure you want to go fully open with your dish storage: You can install half-open shelving and half cabinets. This will allow you to get on board with the open shelves trend and keep clutter at bay.
“Put mismatched dishes and pots and pans in the cabinets, and feature your decorative items on the open shelves,” says Basher.
Pump up the space in between your open shelf and cabinets with a subway tile backsplash or shiplap. Or install a nearby bookcase as an additional storage idea (the look will mimic your new open shelves).
Con: Open shelving can look cheap
Installation for this type of shelving requires strong anchoring and sturdy, quality materials.
“You don’t want open shelves to warp or sag, or they’ll make the kitchen look cheap and poorly done,” says Toombs.
But the main things that cheapen this storage look are the items you place on the shelves, says Lewis. If it looks as if you shoved everything on the shelf, it’ll look tacky. You can use this opportunity to downsize and streamline your inventory of kitchen and pantry items.
“Throw out anything chipped, never used, or outdated, and buy new dishes that match,” Basher says, adding that you can opt for different shades if they are part of a single color scheme, but remember to group like items when you display these new purchases.
The post Open Shelving in the Kitchen: Pros and Cons appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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