The Open-Cabinet concept has been around for quite some time. In the past two years though, this trend has really taken off and gained in popularity. Having any kind of shelving in your kitchen can be an excellent way to showcase your special dishware or brightly colored spices and cooking ingredients. You can also add in additional décor to add in a bit of personality to make your space really stand out!
Open cabinets can really make visitors welcome and at home when they are visiting you. They will feel comfortable enough to help themselves because they don’t have to ask you where everything is, since it is right there in plain view. You want guests to grab a cup, pour some coffee and feel relaxed to sit back and enjoy a conversation with you. Having an open cabinet set up is an invitation to freedom.
And here is the moment of truth about open kitchen shelving: it’s much more inexpensive than installing new cabinets. Taking the doors off and applying fresh paint can really open up your kitchen and brighten up the space. Open the doors to your kitchen cabinets and take a look. What do you see? Are things haphazardly thrown in there or are your cabinets organized? If you are already pretty well organized, then you are well on your way to making an easy transition to the open-cabinet concept.
You can increase your storage options with open shelves because cabinets are just a fixed, closed off space. Most often having cabinet doors encourages clutter and disorganization. When you have open shelves you want everything to look clean and together. With open shelving you can create a warm, comfortable space that is modern but relaxed.
You may not be sure yet if this style of open shelving is for you; below are five unique ways you can pull of this style in your own kitchen! You will see just how easy it is to let your creativity flow and really open up your space.
Decorative Traditional Corbel Shelves:
You can add a lot of visual interest to your kitchen space with stained or painted wood shelves and decorative corbels. If you have a minimal amount of space to work with and you need to customize your shelving this is a quick and easy way to go. The shelves can easily be customized to the size you need since the materials can be installed wherever you need them to accommodate almost any measurement.
Modern Styled Metal Shelving:
If cottage styled looks just aren’t for you, an alternative consideration would be metal shelving. It can really give your kitchen space a crisp modern feel. It can be purchased with or without brackets. This way, the items you place on display can really be the focal point in the room. As an added bonus, these types of shelves are easy to clean and – since they are non-porous – they are fairly germ-resistant.
Remove a Few Cabinet Doors:
If you have a full set of cabinets, but you still want to have an “open-concept” look, try removing just a few doors. You can add in some paint or stain for a great Saturday project that can spice up the look of your kitchen while keeping your budget small. When the time comes to revert back to the closed-cabinet look once again, you can simply re-attach the old doors and be on your way in no time.
Remove a Full Cabinet:
In some instances, if you have a cabinet hanging on your wall that restricts the amount of space you need or the look you are going for, you can remove it from the wall completely. Once it is down you will likely want to paint the entire wall to cover where the cabinet once was. Then you can install shelves. This is a good way to install metal shelves with hooks on them to showcase your pots and pans.
For Small Kitchens, Try Stand-Alone Shelving:
If you don’t have a lot of wall space and shelving isn’t an option you might try to incorporate some stand-alone shelves. That just might do the trick. If you can find an area in your kitchen that a cubby system or tall shelving unit can be set up, it will give you the feeling of open shelving and it will help to add in some additional storage space. You can opt for plain wood, metal, or even granite to match your existing granite countertops. The choices are endless!
The trick with open shelving is to benefit from a clever use of the space provided. When it is done correctly, the open kitchen shelving option will be very functional and visually attractive. You can put your favorite pieces on display as well as keeping it all within easy reach. Be careful here – if you do it wrong this could work out to be a haven for clutter. Take your time and do your research so you can get the most benefit from the space available.
