Photo: Jenny Stanley of Bob Vila
The biggest design decision of my DIY kitchen renovation wasn't the color scheme or material choice. The question was whether to ditch the upper cabinets and replace them with open shelves. My husband and I went back and forth on the topic. He opined that there was no way he could have missed the box-shaped dumpster, but I wondered where I would put my stuff. After all, we took the plunge and have been living in an open-shelf kitchen for several years now.
Throughout my career as an editor for Homes and Gardens, I have heard both sides of the open-shelf debate. Most people either prefer an uncluttered, easily accessible look or dislike clutter and potentially limited functionality.
In fact, both parties have valid arguments. In a recent conversation with her Stephanie Pierce, Director of Design and Trends at MasterBrand Cabinetry, we learned that open shelving in the kitchen is no longer just for looks. It is now the standard for building functional components within a space. “It's completely a lifestyle choice,” Pierce says. After experiencing it myself I couldn't agree more.
My renovated kitchen has no upper cabinets, a counter-to-ceiling subway tile backsplash, a new vented range hood, and two 7's.1/4Among other things, there's a 57-inch x 57-inch wood shelf (but these are projects related to the article you're reading right now). Oh, and a pipe-mounted pot rack! More on that later.
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The space feels larger and brighter.
Photo: Jenny Stanley of Bob Vila
Design-wise, choosing open shelves was a great decision. My spouse likes to cook and I also cook sometimes. We appreciate the convenient and flexible nature of the kitchen. Removing the top cabinets not only brought more light around the window, but also allowed me to see all the dishes I own. Luckily, I love beautiful plates, bowls, mugs, and glasses. Displaying them as functional kitchen decorations that can be replaced as often as needed is something I value at this stage in life.
Since the new kitchen only has drawers in the bottom cabinets, we had to designate storage space elsewhere for some small appliances, large platters, and specialized tools like mixer attachments and pizza peels. We made room for additional shelving in the laundry/utility space just off the kitchen.
We also had to make some tough downsizing decisions to accommodate our open shelving concept. Although we saved some sentimental items, we donated many of the hand-me-down dishes, utensils, and unused kitchen items we had collected over the years.
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We cook less and more often.
Photo: Jenny Stanley of Bob Vila
Open kitchen shelving requires careful maintenance, which is what I was most concerned about for my family. Before the renovation, the cupboards had an endless supply of clean items, so dirty dishes were piling up in the sink and on the counter. No more.
As it turned out, all I had to do was adjust my routine. Now that kitchen cleanliness is more exposed, we're making it a priority. Admittedly, I found it more difficult at first. But washing the dishes and putting them back in place at the end of the day is actually quite satisfying. We also set up a pot rack where frying pans, saucepans, and colanders can all be displayed within reach of the chef. These can also be washed and put away every night.
Dust and oil will also accumulate.
Without cabinet covers, dirt can collect on open shelves and items stored on them. In my familiar kitchen, features like a ducted range hood and easy-to-clean backsplash are especially important to minimize problems. Additionally, as mentioned above, regularly rotating your collection of small dishes essentially prevents buildup. Clean items don't need to be used and left out so long that they get dirty before being washed and returned.
In fact, the only thing that needs to be dusted and degreased from time to time is the shelf itself, just like I used to do with the old upper cabinets. I haven't had to sand and refinish the wood yet, but I imagine it will need some maintenance in the next few years.
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Styling open shelves can be difficult.
Photo: Jenny Stanley of Bob Vila
Simple white and black dinnerware inspired the design of my tuxedo kitchen and simplified the styling task to some extent. A neutral base color allows you to add one or more accents and is fun and easy to change up, but too much variety can look cluttered. It's important to vet all new purchases to prevent clutter.
Another limiting factor is the size of your kitchen shelves. For example, the “cheap” bowl plate that my husband enjoys with dinner is so wide that he doesn't have any room to display it. On the contrary, we've come to appreciate cleverly designed items that are functional yet streamlined, like these stackable wine glasses. The biggest challenge for our family was learning how to decorate our shelves in a way that not only satisfied our culinary desires, but also maintained order.
Now that I have a system in place for keeping the open areas of my kitchen organized, I can't imagine going back to a boxy clutter collector. I'm on Team Open Shelf from now on!
