9 Open Shelving Kitchen Ideas To Consider for Your Project

Many homeowners consider lower and upper cabinets as the best kitchen storage options. The cabinets create an appealing focal point in the kitchen, and its doors can hide unsightly or cluttered dishes, pantry items, and other goods. Yet, embracing the right open shelving kitchen designs can make the room feel charming, organized, and welcoming.

Fairmont Kitchen Center is one of the top kitchen remodelers in Fairmont, WV, so we know about the many benefits of open shelving in kitchens. Draw inspiration for your kitchen upgrade with these trendy open shelving concepts. 

Are Open Shelves a Good Idea for Kitchen Storage?

Open shelves are storage platforms you mount onto walls to hold different items like books or decorative bowls. Though the concept is common for living rooms, bedrooms, and offices, it’s also gaining popularity in kitchens as a practical alternative to traditional box cabinets or under-the-counter drawers. 

After watching trending videos and researching different storage options for the kitchen, you might wonder if open shelves are worthwhile for your home. Kitchen remodel contractors who regularly help homeowners of all ages improve their kitchens can install open-concept shelving in your kitchen if you like having everyday items easily accessible. You should also consider this type of shelving if you meet any of these criteria:

• You have decor or high-end dishes you want to display.
• You don’t want your kitchen to look or feel cluttered.
• You don’t mind cleaning your kitchen more often to maintain neat, tidy shelves.

You can feature your best dishes and decorative cookware on open shelves while still having a functional play to store your other essential kitchen items. A potential drawback to this type of shelving is its ability to collect dust, grease, and other debris. Still, you can maintain your kitchen’s appearance and cleanliness by regularly wiping the shoves down and utilizing a range hood to reduce grease buildup. 

9 Open Concept Storage Ideas for Your Kitchen Remodel

If you think an open shelving kitchen design is for you, consider these ideas to personalize your new shelves and ensure they complement your new or current kitchen setup. 

1. Modular Cabinetry With Open Shelving

Modular cabinetry gives kitchens a unique aesthetic by filling the cabinet layout with connected cabinets of varying shapes and sizes. The look is visually pleasing with cabinet doors. Still, you can add dimension to your cabinets with a modular style incorporating open spaces. 

This stunning kitchen cabinet style offers the best of both worlds. You can have cabinets with doors that you can use for occasional items or things you don’t want guests to see. You’ll also have plenty of open space to showcase stylish dishes, canisters, and other odds and ends without committing to an entirely open shelving kitchen layout. 

2. Single-Level Shelving

For a clean look to your kitchen, why not install a long single shelf to span the length of one of your kitchen walls or create an extended corner shelf? With one shelf, you can free up wall space that would usually be for upper cabinets. Use the wall space for lighting fixtures or decor to liven up the room while leaving clean stacks of dishes and glassware on the shelf.

The shelf can also be a way to create two separate visuals while creating a custom kitchen design. Let’s say, for instance, that your kitchen has a marble backsplash. The shelving can go directly above the marble to create a clean yet functional line between the backsplash and the rest of the wall. 

3. Maximilism

Sometimes, homeowners prefer a lived-in kitchen vibe instead of a streamlined, minimalist aesthetic. In that case, embracing open shelves and maximalism is a great way to get the homey charm and appeal in your kitchen. 

Achieve this kitchen design by installing stacks of open shelves to fill one or more walls. Then, fill the shelves with dishes, cups, decor, baskets, and other items that you and your family use often. Create a break in the shelving without affecting the desired aesthetic by installing a rack under one of the shelves to hang pots and pans. 

4. Matching Shelving and Lighting Fixtures

For a cohesive interior design, choose open shelving kitchen ideas that match another feature in the room. For example, you could install shelves and pendant lighting with the same material or color. Drawing inspiration for your shelves with other features in your kitchen will make the design look intentional, inviting, and complete. 

5. Rustic Wood Shelves

With a farmhouse-style kitchen, rustic features can enhance the room’s overall design. That also works well with floating shelves.

Hanging boards of rustic-style stained or reclaimed wood will look wonderful in this type of kitchen. You can enhance the look and feel of the shelves by using wire hooks to support the boards and add a dramatic visual flair to them. 

6. Open Pantry

You don’t have to limit yourself to mounted floating shelves on your kitchen wall to embrace the open shelf concept. If you have a kitchen island, space on the end of a lower cabinet, or unused wall space, you can install an open pantry inside your kitchen. 

Having pantry items on open shelving is functional and stylish. Your items will be easily accessible, making food presentation a breeze. It will also ensure your dry goods stay organized and serve as a decorative feature in your kitchen. 

7. Open Cabinets

You don’t have to install new floating shelves in your kitchen to enjoy the look. Instead of dismantling your existing cabinetry to make room for shelving, you could remove your cabinet doors to expose their interiors. 

Removing one or more of your cabinet doors will open your kitchen by making it feel more spacious. Elevate your open cabinets further by painting their interiors a different color from the cabinet exterior or your lower cabinets to create an attractive statement feature.

8. Floating Shelves With Decor

Another great way to maximize your space without drastically changing the layout of your kitchen cabinets is by installing short lines of floating shelves and filling them with decor. This option works well around kitchen windows or in narrow corners. 

Filling the short shelves with decorative containers, knick-knacks, cookbooks, plants, and other items will give your kitchen a sense of character and charm. Floating shelves can undoubtedly be functional and house everyday items. Still, incorporating decorative items on short shelves can help your kitchen feel more unique and comfortable. 

9. Multi-Tiered Aesthetic

By maximizing your kitchen’s vertical space using multi-tiered floating shelves, you can get plenty of storage space without cluttering the room. Treat your open shelving like traditional cabinets and take them close to the ceiling. This way, you can have more than enough space for your dishes, cookware, select pantry items, plants, decor, and other items. 

Don’t worry about messes or clutter with multi-tiered shelving. You can keep things neat and clean by putting less-used items on the top shelf and everyday items on the bottom rows. 

Transform Your Kitchen With Professional Remodeling From Fairmont Kitchen Center

If you’re looking for ways to make your kitchen feel homey, welcoming, and stylish, an open shelving kitchen remodel could be your answer. Despite the many ways you can incorporate an open shelf concept, our team at Fairmont Kitchen Center can help narrow down the perfect style for your home. 

As one of the top remodeling contractors serving Fairmont, West Virginia, our team offers everything from custom woodworking to innovative remodeling services for a small kitchen space. No job is too complex for our award-winning team. Call (304) 933-5662 for a quote with Fairmont Kitchen Center today. Learn more now.