Open shelving has become a popular feature in modern kitchen designs, offering both charm and personalization while maintaining a sleek and tidy aesthetic. As interior designer Hannah Goldberg, founder of Hannah Charlotte Interiors, notes, open shelves can be both a blessing and a curse in kitchen design.
One of the first considerations when deciding on open shelving is your dishware. If you plan to display your dishes, consider whether you would be happy with their appearance on a daily basis. Emma Kemper, author of House Rules: 100 Ways to Feel at Home, advises that open shelving may not be suitable if you don’t have complete dishware sets or if you prefer a clutter-free look after using the kitchen. However, if you love your dishes and want to showcase them, open shelving could be an ideal solution.
Open shelving can be a great choice for displaying unique items like niche teapots and colorful glass bottles with cool stories. However, be realistic about your design and organization style. If you’re a maximalist knick-knack lover looking at minimalist kitchen photos, you may be disappointed. If you’re an aspirational neat freak but not fully there, open shelving may not be right for you. Give it a test run. If it helps with organization, great! But if it’s a chore and you dread organizing dishes and glassware daily, closed storage is better.
Open shelving can be practical for smaller kitchens as it doesn’t fill walls and absorb limited light. It’s also a solution for unusual layouts. Experts say it makes sense in small, dark kitchens with limited storage. Finally, open shelving is exposed to dust. If you don’t like dusting and don’t need more storage or display style storage, avoid it. If you store dishes on open shelves and don’t dust regularly, you may need to rinse or wipe dishes before using them. But if you’re willing to dust and wipe down open shelves often, go for it.
