Open Shelves – Designer’s perspective.
6 Min.Open shelving can be a perfect solution, or entirely the wrong choice for certain spaces (and certain people!). We chatted with JF designers Paula and Kathleen to get their take on where, when and how to use open shelves.
Kathleen says:
I use them whenever I have a willing client as it adds interest and breaks up large expanses of wall cabinets. Lots of people are afraid they can’t be tidy enough for open shelves but if you dedicate them to your prettiest pieces, they work for easy access storage as well as design interest. I have a kitchen I’m doing right now that has a baking area with open shelves and I envision beautiful mixing bowls sitting pretty on the shelves.
Open shelves should be avoided in smaller kitchens where you just don’t have enough space to dedicate lineal footage to only a few beautiful pieces. But even then it could still work for a design savvy minimalist.
Paula says:
I like everything behind closed doors, but depending on the client I love to use open shelving. It adds interest to the kitchen, an opportunity to add different materials and colors, metal brackets. It is like hardware. Open shelving can be another detail to make the kitchen more beautiful.
If you use the shelves to store items you use frequently, they can be very functional. I would if advise against it if the client has a self proclaimed tendency to be messy or has a lot of items that they don’t want on show. If the kitchen is very small, the amount of open shelves would be less than if it was a larger kitchen. As we talk to the clients we know right away if open shelves are a good idea or not.
I tend to style open shelves minimally. Less is more. For decorative items, it is good to have different items with different sizes. Books work vertically but also horizontally, items with different heights and proportions balance everything. But again, less is more. Not overloading the shelves and adding a green friend is always nice. A small plant adds a natural feeling to the space.
Open shelves are also great to way a better design. Sometimes, in order to have a symmetrical design, we are left off with a smaller space in the corner where open shelves fit far better than another small door. The corners are great spaces for open shelves. In a project I am working on right now there is a post right in the end of a wall. It doesn’t work for a cabinet, but it is perfect for open shelves.
If you’re considering adding open shelves to your kitchen design, come to one of our showrooms and chat through the options with a JF designer.
JF Content creator and marketing director. Olivia loves beautiful spaces, inside and outside. When she’s not writing and talking about gorgeous kitchens Olivia can be found riding her bicycle around the country.