• Home
  • Houses
    • Outside
    • Celeb, Show & Historic Houses
    • Our Houses
  • Kitchens
    • Blk&Wht Kitchen
    • Blue Kitchen
    • Gray & Neutral Kitchens
    • Green Kitchen
    • Red, Orange, Purple Kitchen
    • White Kitchen
    • Yellow Kitchen
    • Rustic Kitchen
    • Wood Kitchen
    • Modern Kitchen
    • Kitchen & Cabinet Features
    • Sinks & Faucets
  • Decor
    • Accessories
    • Collecting
    • Color
    • Domestic Details
    • Holiday
    • For Kids
    • Laundry-Utility-Mudrooms
    • For Pets
    • Picture Walls & Windows
    • Rooms
    • Rugs
  • Bathrooms
    • Cottage Bath
    • Eclectic Bath
    • Modern Bath
    • Traditional Bath
    • Powder Room
    • Bath Features
  • Cooking
  • Press
  • About
  • Contact

Atticmag

Home Décor & Home Cooking

  • Home
  • Houses
    • Outside
    • Celeb, Show & Historic Houses
    • Our Houses
  • Kitchens
    • Blk&Wht Kitchen
    • Blue Kitchen
    • Gray & Neutral Kitchens
    • Green Kitchen
    • Red, Orange, Purple Kitchen
    • White Kitchen
    • Yellow Kitchen
    • Rustic Kitchen
    • Wood Kitchen
    • Modern Kitchen
    • Kitchen & Cabinet Features
    • Sinks & Faucets
  • Decor
    • Accessories
    • Collecting
    • Color
    • Domestic Details
    • Holiday
    • For Kids
    • Laundry-Utility-Mudrooms
    • For Pets
    • Picture Walls & Windows
    • Rooms
    • Rugs
  • Bathrooms
    • Cottage Bath
    • Eclectic Bath
    • Modern Bath
    • Traditional Bath
    • Powder Room
    • Bath Features
  • Cooking
  • Press
  • About
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Kitchens / Kitchen & Cabinet Features / Open Kitchen Shelves

Open Kitchen Shelves

March 29, 2015 by Jane F 1 Comment

open kitchen shelves - dishware storage on white cantilevered shelves mounted on white subway tile - house beautiful via atticmagKitchens are more interesting as rooms when they are move away from fortress cabinets to open kitchen shelves.

Think of it this way: no other room in the house has furniture lining every inch of every wall, floor to ceiling, so why should the kitchen? I think it’s time to let go of the “gotta hide it” urge and allow serve ware, cookware and other accessories to be displayed as well as stored on open kitchen shelves.

These ten kitchens offer a variety of ways to approach open storage. And while many of the accessories displayed in these kitchens look carefully arranged (because they are styled for photography) a more casual approach is equally valid and practical.

One end of a classic white kitchen [top] has three thick white shelves that run the length of the wall. They are cantilevered, rather than attached to the sides, which makes them appear to float. Using shelves in this way eliminates the need for a corner cabinet on the right and allows for a small amount of open space between the shelves and the sink. It’s pretty, and highlights the  gleamingly clean look of the counter-to-ceiling backsplash.
open kitchen shelves - stainless corner shelves installed between a window wall and cabinet - decorpad via atticmagA similar classic white kitchen  — these two look enough alike to be the same space but I raised the lack of individuality some time ago in my All-White Kitchens — Trend Over post — does something different with open shelves. In this corner, stainless steel shelves are lodged between the window wall and the cabinet adjacent to the range since that space isn’t deep enough for a cabinet. The shelves match the range and hood and a accessibility is preserved.
open kitchen shelves - white-painted wood shelves with ogee brackets over painted wood paneling adjacent to a sink - bill litchfield via atticmagThe Atlanta architect William B. Litchfield specializes in country style white kitchens with a good deal of planking and other features we’ve noted in Allison’s Dine in Kitchens post and mine on Kitchen Island Variations. On this end of a sink wall, charming white-painted shelves supported by ogee brackets are used for glassware and dish storage. The lowest shelf is shorter than the two above to make space for the slender table lamp. Table lamps on kitchen counters are trending but it’s especially notable, since the shelving has been adjusted for that purpose.
open kitchen shelves - rustic natural wood shelves with triangular brackets adjacent to a pro style range - alleideen.com via atticmagA pair of short natural wood bracket shelves with simple triangular supports are a good fit in a rustic kitchen where fresh herbs are kept directly above a prep area adjacent to the range. This is a statement about the way a kitchen is used, about ingredients, and about what’s important to the cook — a subtle and individual design, display and color choice.
open kitchen shelves - gray painted vintage divided upper wall shelf with an open ogee bracket bottom offering space for hanging utensils - welke.nl via atticmagVintage storage cabinets like this one add ineffable character to any kitchen. I’m not crazy about having it over a range since it’s obviously flammable. But the open space between the bracketed bottom is a handy spot for hanging utensils, no doubt. On the other hand, such a shelf add so much character to the kitchen it’s a treat to hang it anywhere.
open kitchen shelves - open upper cabinet shelves with aqua contrast painted back and bracket-shape upper corners house beautiful via atticmagWhether the open upper cabinets are new, or just cleverly altered after the doors were removed, the point is made. Painting the backs of the interiors a pale blue-green, which is opposite the orange hue in the backsplash, makes them wave at you and upstage the patterned tile. There’s a lesson in this look, which could easily be applied to a budget renovation.
open kitchen shelves - contemporary corner shelf with open bottom and wedge-shaped upper shelves that swivel - design extra studio via atticmagOkay, it’s a contraption in a display showroom. But I’ve been holding on to this photo of this open corner cabinet and shelving for two reasons. First, the open corner base cabinet allows access from two sides, and it’s raised slightly above the adjacent cabinet, which provides an unusual opportunity to gain a few more inches below. Second, the single fixed upper shelf anchors the pole and the wedge-shaped shelves swivel out of the way. I’m not sure how this stripper pole shelving would function in an actual kitchen — something moving way up there could take flight — but it presents a thoughtful approach to kitchen use.
open kitchen shelves - open base cabinet shelves for cookware storage between an Aga cooker and a pantry cupboard - living etc via atticmagOpen shelving on kitchen base cabinets is rarely seen in the U.S. I’m not sure why but Americans want closed drawers there. This arrangement seems logical between the Aga and the pantry cupboard and it’s inexpensive. It does require some significant bending to use.
open kitchen shelves - Chichester painted kitchen cabinets with shallow open base cabinet shelves and open pull out cutting board and tray storage - kit stone kitchens via atticmagFitted English cabinets from Kit Stone feature shallow base cabinet storage flanking the range niche which is very handy for many things apart from coffee mugs. What I truly love and covet though, is the slim cabinet with built in vertical slots for cutting boards and trays. Mine are stored vertically but behind a door that’s constantly being opened and closed. These seem so much easier to grab.
open kitchen shelves - floor to ceiling open wood shelving on each side of a Trausen refrigerator with a flat-screen shelf above - House Beautiful via AtticmagThis certainly must be the mother of all open shelving ideas and, trust me, it’s bigger than it appears. The centerpiece is a Traulsen commercial refrigerator made to look built in. Instead of putting upper and lower narrow doors on the sides, the owner chose elegant end-grain shelves sturdy enough to stow a Kitchen Aid mixer and microwave. The space above the fridge is an odd place to tuck in a flat screen but why ever not?

(Source: House Beautiful 1, 6, 10, decorpad, William B. Litchfield, alleideen.com, welke.nl, design extra studio, living etc., kit stone kitchens)

Copy and Paste to Quick-Share this Post:  http://bit.ly/1ynHmRA

 

Filed Under: Kitchen & Cabinet Features Tagged With: alleideencom, Atticmag, design extra studio, House Beautiful, Kit Stone Kitchens, kitchen shelves with bracket supports, Living Etc, natural wood kitchen shelves, open kitchen base cabinet shelves, open kitchen shelves, open shallow base cabinet shelves, open shelving around a refrigerator, open swivel shelves, open upper kitchen cabinets with contrast paint in back, open upper kitchen shelves, stainless steel kitchen shelves, vintage kitchen storage shelf, welke.nl, William B. Litchfield

Comments

  1. Regality (aka The Quing) says

    April 1, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    Open kitchen shelves are fine as long as items that are used regularly are stored on them. If infrequently used items are stored there, then there is a gruesome amount of kitchen crud that collects on them–grease, dust, etc.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This blog is kept spam free by WP-SpamFree.

Home Decor

mini two-compartment architectural planter by Vagabond Vintage - via Atticmag

Mini Architectural Planters

September 5, 2018 By Jane F Leave a Comment

linen bed sheets - Italian linen triple hemstich linen bed sheets -Cuddledown via Atticmag

Making Sense of Linen Bed Sheets

May 30, 2018 By Jane F 2 Comments

ready made curtain hack for store bought linen panels - aticmag

Ready-Made Curtain Panels Hack

May 7, 2018 By Jane F 5 Comments

cobalt blue front door - Southern Living via Atticmag

Front Door Blues

May 14, 2017 By Jane F 2 Comments

peony pink - vase of pink peony flowers - Pinterest via Atticmag

Peony Pink Power

April 24, 2017 By Jane F 1 Comment

Recent Comments

  • justin leon on Kitchen Cabinet Pull-Out Ideas
  • Jane on Making Sense of Linen Bed Sheets
  • Sherrie on Unfitted English Kitchens
  • Marilyn on Whimsical Bicycle Vanity
  • ann rattay on Vintage Limoges & Silver Table
Tweets by atticmag

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in