If your kitchen is feeling tired and dated, open shelves can provide a quick and stylish upgrade. Replacing upper cabinets with floating shelves instantly creates a more modern, airy look. Exposing your tableware, cookbooks and decor provides a personalized touch. Wall shelves also optimize and maximize your kitchen’s available space. Read on to explore the latest kitchen shelving trends to infuse your cooking space with a dose of character.
Wall shelves allow you to accessorize your kitchen with the dishes, glassware and accents that showcase your personal taste. The colorful pots and pans grandma gifted you or those hand-thrown bowls you scored on vacation can take center stage. Floating shelves create a focal point that draws the eye upward, opening up the room. And you can easily switch out decor items to keep up with changing trends and seasons.
Shelving Design Trends Adding Style to Kitchens
Floating shelves mounted directly on the wall provide a light, airy look that feels built-in yet customizable. The simple, streamlined silhouette complements both modern and traditional kitchen aesthetics. Mixing open shelving with glass door upper cabinets allows you to get the best of both worlds – display space and concealed storage. Beyond the classic floating shelf, there are lots of on-trend shelving approaches to try:
- Wood tones and reclaimed wood bring natural warmth
- Bold black metal brackets and piping add modern edge
- Brightly colored shelves make a vibrant statement
- Patterned or textured shelves add visual interest
- Extending shelves upwards to the ceiling draws the eyes up
- Shelves lining entire walls create a unified look
Don’t be afraid to introduce an unexpected shelving shape or material. Hexagonal, angled and even curving shelves can make your kitchen layout feel bespoke. The shelving size, placement and style options are nearly endless!
Maximizing Wall Space with Creative Shelving Ideas
Strategically arranged wall shelves prevent wasted space in your kitchen. No need for boring evenly spaced shelves in a linear formation. Get creative with these spatial ideas:
Alternate floating shelves at upper and lower levels for a dynamic look. Shelves surrounding windows optimize visual space while allowing light to stream through. Fill the sometimes awkward area between countertops and upper cabinets with a narrow shelf for often-used accessories. Shelving on the side of peninsulas or kitchen islands provides a perfect platform for displaying cookbooks and decor.
Unexpected Shelving Spots
Look beyond the typical wall area surrounding your countertops. Spots like above the stove or sink, either side of the refrigerator, and next to doorways offer prime but often overlooked real estate for shelving. Even the inside of cabinet doors can provide a handy landing spot for shelves to corral small jars and bottles.
Multi-Purpose Shelving
Shelving that pulls double or triple duty is the key to fully maximizing available space. For example, window shelves provide attractive display space and frame the view. While open shelves allow you to access items easily, glass door cabinets keep extras dust-free. And shelves lining the walls or surrounding the refrigerator integrate storage seamlessly into the existing layout.
Displaying Tableware and Decor Accents
One of the best aspects of open shelving is that it allows you to spotlight your prettiest plates, mugs and serving pieces. Consider these style tips for setting up an eye-catching shelving display:
- Stack coordinating everyday dishes in imperfect towers and piles.
- Cross-merchandise tableware with home decor items like plants, candles and artwork.
- Create little vignettes by pairing objects with decorative value.
- Add interest with a mix of materials like stoneware, wood and metal.
- Incorporate pops of color or patterns for visual impact.
Remember, shelving offers the chance to showcase your personal taste and treasures. So don’t hide away those handmade pottery mugs or colorful Fiestaware mixing bowls. Put your most loved and used items on display to bring warmth, nostalgia and personality into your updated kitchen.
Keeping an Organized, Clutter-Free Look
The thought of exposed shelves can be intimidating for those who crave tidiness. But you can maintain an organized appearance with some styling strategies:
- Use baskets, bins and trays to corral like items
- Only display your most visually pleasing and regularly used pieces
- Allow some artfully stacked dishes and imperfect piles
- Limit clutter-creating small appliances and gadgets
- Establish a regular dusting and cleaning regimen
The key is to go for a curated, collected look rather than cramming every item onto your shelves. Maintain some negative space between items and groups. It’s also helpful to keep fewer commonly used appliances and gadgets on the open shelves. Store any overflow items or small appliances you only use occasionally in bottom cabinets.
Creative Clutter Solutions
Pinterest-worthy kitchens with meticulously styled open shelves set a high bar. But you can still maintain both beautiful and functional open shelves in your real-world kitchen with some savvy solutions:
- Mount deeper shelves to allow stacking items in two rows, keeping things accessible but organized.
- Try under-cabinet lid racks to corral awkward lids so they aren’t cluttering shelves.
- Use shelf dividers and risers to neatly separate and contain items.
Remember that grouped collections, stacks and assortments look artful, not messy. So go ahead and pile those vintage ceramic mixing bowls or display the beautiful cutting boards you never use.
Storage and Organization Solutions
Just because items are exposed doesn’t mean shelves can’t stay organized. Use these handy storage ideas:
- Store menu plans, cookbooks and decor up high for easy access
- Keep large platters, bowls and dishes on lower shelves
- Use baskets and bins to group like items
- Try cascading shelf organizers for small items
- Add corner shelves or vertical dividers
Don’t forget to use the prime real estate at eye level. This space is perfect for your most frequently used and best looking items you want to show off. Less used serving platters and large dishes can live on lower shelves. While rarely used items like roasting pans and extra glassware can hide up high.
Maximize Shelf Function
To make the most of your open shelf storage, implement these space-saving techniques:
- Use risers, dividers and tiered shelves to double storage space.
- Opt for extra deep shelves to allow stacking items.
- Try under-shelf storage like lid racks and hanging utensil hooks.
- Add hooks on the shelves’ undersides to hold mugs, pans and utensils.
Getting creative with vertical space helps you keep necessities within reach while maintaining your shelves’ styled appearance.
Mixing Open Shelves and Closed Storage
While exposed shelving has an undeniable visual appeal, closed storage still plays an important functional role. The best approach is usually to find the right balance of open and concealed storage for your kitchen.
Enclose rarely used overflow items like extra dishes, small appliances and serving platters in glass door cabinets. This keeps them dust-free but still visible. For large and bulky items like stock pots, stand mixers and food processors, lower cabinets conceal the clutter while still keeping items accessible.
If you need more enclosed storage but don’t want to lose the light and open look, try bookcase-style cabinets with solid sides and either glass fronts or a mix of open and solid shelves. Any style of closed storage helps corral excess items you still want handy but don’t need on daily display.
Creative Mixed Storage
To enjoy the styling potential of open shelves along with functional enclosed storage, get creative with ways to mix the two:
- Install full-height pantry cabinetry on one kitchen wall balanced by floating shelves on the opposite wall.
- Incorporate glass door cabinets just for dishes to protect heirloom pieces from fading while displaying other decor.
- Try bookcase cabinets to hold appliances, with spacious countertop shelving for frequently used gadgets and accessories.
- Mount shelves alongside upper cabinets to create a layered look mixing materials and open/closed storage.
Blending different types of shelving helps you reap the aesthetic benefits of open shelves without sacrificing needed storage space.
Achieving an Airy, Spacious Look with Shelves
One of the most appealing aspects of open shelving is the sense of space and openness it provides. Eliminating bulky upper cabinets makes any kitchen feel more expansive and airy. Here’s how wall shelves visually enhance your kitchen layout:
- Floating shelves have an light, ethereal quality that opens up walls visually.
- You can see through and around shelves, creating continuous sightlines.
- White shelves and light wood tones keep things bright and reflective.
- Angled or spaced shelves allow more space between items.
The clean sightlines and weightless look of wall shelves make kitchens feel more open and breathable. Your cooking space will be infused with light even if the existing layout remains unchanged. It’s an easy upgrade that delivers a major visual impact.
Maximize the Illusion of Space
A few simple design choices will strengthen the sense of expanded space from your new open shelves:
- Use reflective surfaces like glass shelves and stainless steel brackets.
- Incorporate mirrors to play up visual space.
- Opt for wall-mounted shelves that don’t obstruct floor space.
- Paint the shelves, walls and trim the same light, bright color.
- Add recessed lighting above or below shelves.
Keeping things light, airy and continuous helps open shelving enhance your kitchen’s atmosphere and feel more spacious than closed cabinets.
Affordable and Easy Ways to Install Shelving
One of the best aspects of open shelves is how budget-friendly they are compared to traditional cabinetry. Floating shelves start around $20-$30 each from home improvement stores. Or you can easily DIY sturdy, modern-looking shelves with brackets and boards.
Premade shelf units designed for wall mounting are widely available and affordable. Many also include mounting hardware for an easy install. For a built-in custom look, paint your new shelves to match existing cabinets. Just make sure to securely anchor shelves to wall studs to safely support dishes and cookware.
Other inexpensive, beginner-friendly options include self-adhesive shelves that stick directly onto the wall. This allows you to easily rearrange shelf placement as needed. You can also repurpose wooden crates, boxes or salvaged boards to create unique wall-mounted shelves on the cheap.
Creative Installation Ideas
Take your wall shelves from basic to bold with these inspired design details:
- Use accent colors or patterns on brackets and trim.
- Incorporate reclaimed wood shelves for rustic charm.
- Opt for pipes or industrial brackets in black, brass or chrome.
- Install shelves at playful angles for visual interest.
- Mount shelves so they appear to be floating with invisible hardware.
While open shelves don’t require extensive construction, take the time to add special touches that reflect your personal taste and kitchen’s style.
With limitless design possibilities, wall shelves offer the chance to add a unique focal point and tons of style to your kitchen. Floating shelves create an instant sense of modern, personalized flair. Maximize and open up available wall space while infusing your own aesthetic.
Display treasured dishes and decor in place of boring cabinets. Maintain organization through smart storage solutions and clutter control. While the look is bold, installing affordable shelves is within reach. Accessorizing with open, floating shelving brings out your kitchen’s full style potential.
