Open shelving is making a comeback in modern kitchens. When done right, open shelving can make a small kitchen look bigger, give your kitchen a sense of elegance and charm, and make it easier for you to reach the items you use regularly. However, open shelving runs the risk of looking cluttered and cheap if it isn't well thought out. Below are common issues to help you decide if open shelving is right for your next remodel.
Make Sure You Have Plenty of Lower Cabinets
Most people use the top shelf of their closed upper cabinets to store items they do not use regularly. With open shelving, if you do not use an item, it will collect dust. For this reason, items you do not use should be stored in lower cabinets as opposed to your top-shelf. You should make sure that your kitchen has enough space for adequate lower counters before installing open shelving.
Do You Have Items You Want to Display
Open shelving is both a functional and aesthetic choice. If you go through your current upper cabinets, chances are you will find some items that are not stored in a visually appealing manner. Perhaps you have packets of spices in a box or flour stored in its bag instead of a flour container. When planning your new kitchen, these items should be shifted to lower cabinets or your pantry. For this reason, many people install a large, floor-to-ceiling cabinet to expand their pantry space when they have open shelving.
Choose a Combination of Open Shelving and Upper Cabinets
If you don't have enough lower cabinets to store the items you don't use regularly or are not appealing to look at, you should consider a combination of open and closed upper cabinets. You can have a small section of open shelves for your everyday dishes and keep the majority of your kitchen with closed cabinetry. An expert can help you decide where to put open cabinets to create the most visual impact while still having some or most of your upper cabinets closed.
Don't Overload Your Shelves
With open shelving, it is important to leave plenty of space between items for ease of access and general appearance. Because of this, you may need more shelving than you currently have in your cabinets. This can be achieved by installing more vertical shelves or by extending your shelving space.
Open shelving can be visually pleasing and useful. However, you need to make sure you plan your kitchen to make the most of the open shelving. A kitchen remodeling service can help you decide if open shelving is best for your next remodel.
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