Declutter Your Kitchen with Stylish Open Shelving

If your kitchen cabinets are stuffed to the brim with rarely used gadgets and dishware, while daily staples like spices and snacks get lost in the shuffle, it may be time for an organizational overhaul. Open shelving can be the perfect solution to eliminate clutter and create a tidier, more functional kitchen that also boasts plenty of style.

Unlike enclosed cabinets, open shelves allow you to see everything at a glance while keeping items within arm's reach. This visibility ensures that all your kitchen tools and ingredients stay top of mind instead of languishing, forgotten, on a dark shelf. Open shelving makes the most of vertical wall space, freeing up precious counter area. And the simplicity of the design adds a contemporary edge suited to modern and minimalist decors.

Getting Started with Open Shelving

Assessing Your Needs

Before diving into open shelving designs, first assess your household's needs. Consider how you utilize your existing kitchen storage. What items or appliances do you access on a daily basis? These frequently reached-for pieces, like spices, oils, dishes, and snacks should take priority on any new open shelves.

Take measurements of available wall space to determine what size shelving unit makes sense, while still leaving room to navigate comfortably. If yours is a compact galley style kitchen with limited square footage, slimmer shelving can maximize vertical storage. Those with more expansive kitchens may opt for longer shelves spanning entire walls as room dividers.

Finding the Right Spot

Placement of open shelving requires some strategy for both form and function. Avoid tucking shelves in corners or alcoves with poor visibility. Opt for easily viewed areas, such as above the stove, along the back kitchen wall, or flanking the refrigerator. This ensures you can identify contents at a glance. Shelves near prep and cooking zones keep essentials close by, while display shelving makes an excellent conversation piece in more visible gathering areas.

Factor in existing layout elements like windows, doorways, and light fixtures when deciding on shelf placement. You'll want to allow proper clearance so the room still flows nicely. And be sure there are grounded electrical outlets in the vicinity if you'll be showcasing small appliances.

Design Styles to Choose From

While the streamlined look of open shelving inherently skews modern, the materials and finishing details you select can introduce other styles. Black metal open shelves with exposed hardware supports have an edgy, industrial chic vibe. Wood shelves with a light natural stain or bright color paint align with Scandinavian and cottage styles. Or take inspiration from bohemian flavored designs by mixing varied shelf shapes and materials like wrought iron, reclaimed wood, or even woven baskets.

Creative Ways to Use Open Shelving

For Organization

Group like items together on shelves categorically to promote organization. Designate one shelf for all breakfast items like coffee mugs, cereal bowls and smoothie blender. Another shelf could corral oils, vinegars and other flavor boosters. Clear storage bins are useful for containing loose items like packets of spices, tea bags or snack bars.

Woven baskets in natural fibers like rattan complement the simplicity of open shelving. Use them to store bulk dry goods or fruits and vegetables. The texture also adds nice visual contrast with the sleekness of metal brackets. For a homier display, incorporate potted herbs or decorative ceramic canisters.

For Display

Show off your best stemware, stacked books or prized cookware collection with open shelving that doubles as display space. Group items with cohesive colors and textures for curated vignettes. Intersperse decorative accents like candles, trays or artwork. This elevates shelves from purely utilitarian to an integral part of your decor scheme with artistic flair.

Dishware displayed on open shelving makes for an inviting, hospitality forward style when entertaining guests. It also provides easy access for setting a beautifully coordinated tablescape. Dress shelves up further with ambient lighting to spotlight beloved treasures.

For Small Spaces

Don't resign compact kitchens to a perpetually cluttered state. Well designed open shelves maximize every inch by utilizing corners and vertical real estate that may get overlooked. Install corner floating shelves or vertical racks on the sides of existing cabinetry. These nooks are perfect to stash frequently grabbed items.

Narrow galley style kitchens truly benefit from open shelves flanking either side. This lends symmetry while eliminating visual boundaries to make the space appear more expansive. Just be sure to keep items sparse and meticulously organized so these high visibility shelves don't revert back to clutter zones.

Choosing Materials and Finishes

Wood Shelving

Wood brings warmth that contrasts pleasingly with many kitchen materials like stone, tile, glass or metals. Opt for wood shelves in kitchens with a homey, traditional leaning aesthetic. Unfinished light woods like maple or ash have a casual Scandinavian vibe. Walnut makes a dramatic deep brown statement, especially against bright white walls.

unfinished wood allows you to customize the look by staining, painting or distressing shelves yourself. A crisp coat of bright white paint pops against exposed brick. Shabby chic styles will love a chippy, worn finish in pastel hues. Or keep the natural wood look for an understated style.

Metal Shelving

Industrial style kitchens should incorporate black or dark metal open shelves and brackets for cohesion. The bold metal finish pairs nicely with concrete floors, exposed ductwork or stainless steel appliances. It also complements white subway tile backsplashes beautifully. Opt for shelves and standards with clean lines and visible joints to continue the aesthetic.

For slightly softer but still sleek metallic shelves, brass, bronze and nickel offer shiny alternatives. Mixing metal finishes, like brass shelves atop black metal uprights, makes for an eclectic designer look. Powder coated colors also lend pops of cherry red, cobalt blue or sunny yellow without veering overly feminine.

Glass or Acrylic

Transparent glass or acrylic shelves further the light, airy quality open shelving lends kitchens. Visible light filtering through shelves maintains that unencumbered aesthetic. Glass shelves with polished chrome posts embellish modern and contemporary spaces. Or introduce an organic touch with woven rattan brackets supporting glass shelves in earthy cottages or boho kitchens.

Colored glass shelves make a vibrant style statement that beautifully catches and reflects light. Vibrant jewel tones like emerald green and sapphire blue create drama against neutral walls. Even opaque white glass maintains translucency for ethereal qualities.

Decorating Your New Open Shelves

Essential Styling Tips

The edited look of open shelving comes down to judiciously curating displayed items. Follow the old adage "less is more" by keeping just the essentials or select decorative items on exhibit. Too many pieces crammed together on shelves translates to visual clutter disrupting the clean simplicity you want to achieve.

Rotate items seasonally so displays don't become tired and dusty. Bring out holiday serveware for a limited engagement, then store it away in favor of lighter everyday pieces. Develop a regular dusting regimen as well to keep open shelves looking their best.

Incorporate Lighting

Task lighting mounted underneath open shelves provides functional illumination for food prep zones. Position directional lights to avoid glare while working at a nearby countertop. Strip lighting throws off a nice ambient glow for overall room brightness.

Mini pendant lights dangling over open shelving make excellent accent lighting. Opt for pendants in materials like black wrought iron, natural jute or rattan to match kitchen decor. Use matching colors, shapes and sizes for a cohesive and custom built-in look.

Add Greenery

Work greenery into open shelf displays to soften hard materials and lend life to all that open space. Trailing ivy or philodendron spill nicely over shelf edges. Air plants mounted onto wood boards complement floating shelves. Or use planters atop shelves for fresh herbs and vegetables to flavor dishes.

Small potted succulents line shelves nicely without impeding functionality. Their sculptural shapes make intriguing accents between kitchen tools. Decorative vases filled with faux eucalyptus stems or dried grasses make shelves feel freshly styled.

Preventing Clutter with Open Shelving

The Power of Minimalism

Adopting a minimalist mindset helps keep open shelving from regressing into disarray. Be disciplined in limiting items on display to the essentials your household regularly uses plus a spare few cherished decorative objects. Too many pieces crammed onto shelves defeats the purpose of clutter-free open storage.

Maintain strict editing among like items as well. For example, do you really require fifteen coffee mugs on daily display? Keep just four to six favorites exhibited at a time. The others can be stowed away and rotated out occasionally for subtle variety. Apply similar logic to glassware, cookbooks and small appliances.

Clever Storage Solutions

Contain pieces prone to appearing messy when left loose. Dedicate covered canisters for things like packaged food, tea bags, snacks, and baking supplies. Clear acrylic trays corral smaller gadgets like spice bottles, silicone utensils or measuring cups so they don't spread out. Use matching aesthetic boxes or baskets to house items you want to grab quickly but keep free of dust.

Woven baskets work especially well for produce storage on open shelves. The breathable material allows ethylene gases to escape so fruits and vegetables stay fresh longer. Designate broad, shallow baskets for bulky vegetables and deeper baskets for heavier root produce and fruit.

Keep Surfaces Clean

Dust open shelves frequently to prevent a dingy, neglected look. Use microfiber cloths to trap and remove dust without redistributing it. For more thorough cleaning, occasionally remove all items from shelves. Then wash shelves down with a mild soap and water solution. Let them air dry completely before restyling and replacing items.

Achieving Balance with Closed Storage

Hybrid Approach

For the best of both worlds, incorporate open shelving thoughtfully among some closed cabinetry. Place open shelves in one featured area, like behind the stove or above the refrigerator. Flank this functional display area with traditional upper cabinets for concealed storage. The mixture of closed and open storage options prevents a cold, sterile look.

Another smart approach positions open shelves solely on bottom halves of walls, maintaining efficiency. Then install upper cabinets on top halves for tucking away lesser used items. Just be conscious of ergonomics when placing shelves too high.

Complementary Materials and Finishes

When blending storage options, choose cohesive finishes to tie the look together. For example, pair walnut open shelving with walnut cabinets for seamless transitions. Or mix black metal shelves with matching hardware on white shaker style cabinets for crisp contrast. Repeating finishes, whether natural wood tones, sleek metals or painted colors, makes disparate elements appear purposefully designed.

Thoughtful Design Transitions

Carefully plan where closed storage borders open shelves in kitchen layouts. Avoid abrupt visual shifts between the two stylistically different elements. Instead, thoughtfully transition through the use of full height pantry cabinets or partition walls. This helps delineate open and closed storage areas.

Gradually decreasing cabinet sizes can similarly transition spaces. Full floor to ceiling units give way to shorter upper cabinets. Finally, open shelves occupy the bottom portion of walls for an integrated look. Filler panels, attractive end panels on cabinetry, also subtly help with staggered aesthetic transitions.

Open shelving lends beautiful simplicity to contemporary kitchen designs through smart organization. Stylish shelves clearance clutter while clearing out valuable counter real estate and keeping everyday essentials visible and conveniently accessed. With some strategy around placement, storage solutions and decor styling, open shelves maintain both form and function for years beyond initial installation.

Seeking more kitchen organization ideas and shelf inspiration? Browse our photo galleries showcasing creative open shelving implementations from the homes of our readers. Discover inventive ways they store, display and highlight favorite kitchen items with these versatile units. Whether your style leans modern, industrial, bohemian or classic, we've got you covered with this extensive gallery.