11 Inspiring Ways to Style Open Kitchen Shelves
Organise the contents of your open shelves along considered lines for a kitchen that looks deliciously appealing
Open shelves are big style news in the kitchen and for good reason. Practically speaking, storing anything from recipe ingredients to pots and pans on open shelves keeps them easily accessible. Shelves also look less obtrusive than wall units and don’t seem to eat into space in the way wall-hung cupboards can.
When it comes to aesthetics, open shelves look wonderful, too, allowing you to display favourite pieces and bring colour and detail to the kitchen. The trick is to spend a little time styling them. A jumbled assortment of china, storage jars and pans can look scruffy, but by editing and organising what you place on your shelves, and keeping the rest out of sight in kitchen cupboards, they can become as much art installation as practical storage.
When it comes to aesthetics, open shelves look wonderful, too, allowing you to display favourite pieces and bring colour and detail to the kitchen. The trick is to spend a little time styling them. A jumbled assortment of china, storage jars and pans can look scruffy, but by editing and organising what you place on your shelves, and keeping the rest out of sight in kitchen cupboards, they can become as much art installation as practical storage.
Build a recipe library
Shelves and books are a classic combination, and while we might keep our novels in the living room, recipe books belong in the kitchen. Arranging them on shelves that open out into adjoining space means the kitchen side of this deep unit is reserved for heavily used pans and crockery.
Shelves and books are a classic combination, and while we might keep our novels in the living room, recipe books belong in the kitchen. Arranging them on shelves that open out into adjoining space means the kitchen side of this deep unit is reserved for heavily used pans and crockery.
Celebrate a single material
This super serious cook’s kitchen celebrates that most cheffy of materials, copper. The beautiful range cooker was custom made from copper and stainless steel and the shelves are reserved exclusively for a large and gorgeously shiny collection of copper pans.
This super serious cook’s kitchen celebrates that most cheffy of materials, copper. The beautiful range cooker was custom made from copper and stainless steel and the shelves are reserved exclusively for a large and gorgeously shiny collection of copper pans.
Display patterned china
Kitchen shelves are a great place to display a collection of china. Choose pieces that have a vaguely culinary function – plates, jugs, small serving bowls – and have fun creating a colourful crowd of pieces, displayed across several shelves.
Kitchen shelves are a great place to display a collection of china. Choose pieces that have a vaguely culinary function – plates, jugs, small serving bowls – and have fun creating a colourful crowd of pieces, displayed across several shelves.
Think practically
When thoughtfully displayed, even utilitarian kitchen kit can look appealing, so don’t be afraid of reserving your shelves for purely practical objects. Position each item with a little space to breathe around it, rather than in a messy muddle, and the overall effect will be ordered and attractive.
Discover smart ways to keep the kitchen organised
When thoughtfully displayed, even utilitarian kitchen kit can look appealing, so don’t be afraid of reserving your shelves for purely practical objects. Position each item with a little space to breathe around it, rather than in a messy muddle, and the overall effect will be ordered and attractive.
Discover smart ways to keep the kitchen organised
Store dry goods
When stored in clear glass jars, many simple dried foods look really attractive. From rice and pasta, to colourful lentils and dried beans, food can make a lovely display. Source inexpensive glass jars and then pop a label on the back with the content’s use by date, before arranging on your shelves.
When stored in clear glass jars, many simple dried foods look really attractive. From rice and pasta, to colourful lentils and dried beans, food can make a lovely display. Source inexpensive glass jars and then pop a label on the back with the content’s use by date, before arranging on your shelves.
Create a monochrome scheme
Sticking to a neat scheme of black and white will give your shelves a feeling of order. This means you are then free to create a more jumbled, informal display, which will nevertheless look harmonious, thanks to the simple monochrome theme. A few items of glassware can also be incorporated. Here, dark wooden shelves help to anchor the look.
Sticking to a neat scheme of black and white will give your shelves a feeling of order. This means you are then free to create a more jumbled, informal display, which will nevertheless look harmonious, thanks to the simple monochrome theme. A few items of glassware can also be incorporated. Here, dark wooden shelves help to anchor the look.
Reserve for pottery
A collection of earthenware looks beautiful arranged on open shelves. Large items can be lined up side by side, while small dishes look great stacked in little towers. This huge assortment of pottery looks particularly rustic and warm as it’s arranged on shelves sitting against a wood-panelled wall.
A collection of earthenware looks beautiful arranged on open shelves. Large items can be lined up side by side, while small dishes look great stacked in little towers. This huge assortment of pottery looks particularly rustic and warm as it’s arranged on shelves sitting against a wood-panelled wall.
Keep it tidy
A very neat, ordered arrangement of mainly white china creates a feeling of symmetry in this kitchen. Painting the wall behind the shelves in a dark shade helps the few items of china and glassware stand out and gives an even greater sense of the pieces being carefully curated.
A very neat, ordered arrangement of mainly white china creates a feeling of symmetry in this kitchen. Painting the wall behind the shelves in a dark shade helps the few items of china and glassware stand out and gives an even greater sense of the pieces being carefully curated.
Save the top for sculptures
It can be hard to reach the top shelf, so it’s not the best location for regularly used items. Instead, treat it as a space for displaying objects not necessarily associated with a kitchen. Anything goes, really – here, striking sculptures made from cymbals and wheels brings an eclectic edge to the all-white scheme.
It can be hard to reach the top shelf, so it’s not the best location for regularly used items. Instead, treat it as a space for displaying objects not necessarily associated with a kitchen. Anything goes, really – here, striking sculptures made from cymbals and wheels brings an eclectic edge to the all-white scheme.
Do a disappearing act
Open shelves can blend beautifully into a sleek, minimal kitchen, so long as you line them with items that match the room’s scheme. Here, a simple white kitchen contains white shelves with white and clear-glass pieces on them. These objects bring some ghostly shape and form to the space, but also seem to melt into their surroundings for a very subtle look.
See more cool, contemporary white kitchens
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We’d love to see photos of your kitchen shelves in the Comments below.
Open shelves can blend beautifully into a sleek, minimal kitchen, so long as you line them with items that match the room’s scheme. Here, a simple white kitchen contains white shelves with white and clear-glass pieces on them. These objects bring some ghostly shape and form to the space, but also seem to melt into their surroundings for a very subtle look.
See more cool, contemporary white kitchens
TELL US…
We’d love to see photos of your kitchen shelves in the Comments below.
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A simple approach that never fails, arranging items according to one colour creates a coherent, unified look. Here, china of different shapes and sizes comes together to make an elegant display, thanks to its shared colourway.