You guys know that I am OBSESSED with open shelving in the kitchen. We have done many different versions of open shelves in our kitchen & still have more that I haven’t even shared yet.. I love playing around with any kind of shelving & it’s no different in the kitchen. I get asked a lot about styling kitchen shelves and what to do with them. Well, there are so many variables and it all depends on how you want to use them & how they have to function in your kitchen. Below are 5 ways to style shelves to inspire yours, but before you read ask yourself these questions before styling yours…
- Why do you want open shelving? Storage or display?
- How do you need your shelves to function in your space?
- What do you want to store/display on the shelves?
- Who will be using the shelving?
- How many shelves do you want?
- Ok. Now it’s time to get inspired…
DIY Open Shelves [HERE]
Open shelving is a design choice that can be not only cost saving but a great way to show off some style within your kitchen. Like the rest of my house, I have shuffled around my shelf decor and displays by adding small Smeg appliances to displaying vintage stoneware.
Pop of Copper [HERE]
You could easily use your open shelving to show some splashes of color through unique kitchenware or kitchen tools. For me our kitchen is many shades of white so I used the shelves to add a pop of interest to the space. The copper pieces pop so much against the white dishes & I think it is a great touch for any kitchen. I am so in love with our shelves and their versatility, and they keep me honest and tidy by forcing me to keep our plates clean and organized. In your kitchen you could use the shelves to pop different metal tones, colors, & textures to add more interest to the space.
Cottage Style Open Shelves [HERE]
For these open shelves, I want to make sure I filled the space with different heights & dimensions. I started with practical kitchen items … but I also wanted to add some other pieces like art, books, antiques, & greenery. I knew I needed something to fill the space on the bottom shelf & I’m so glad I added the wood cutting board, it filled the space and gave added texture to the shelf. Cottage open shelves to me are filled with eclectic collected items that make the kitchen extra cozy & inviting.
Greenhouse Open shelves [HERE]
You know I always use any moment to turn it into an ode to my love for plants. Open shelves in a well lit kitchen are a great place to show off your green thumb and enjoy some nature inside your home. The best part of using your shelves for greenery? You can display your potted fresh herbs for cooking.. it doesn’t get much more fresh than that. Of course if you don’t have a green thumb you could always use faux plants & no-one would be the wiser.
White Farmhouse Shelves [HERE]
One style I LOVE for kitchen shelves is all white dishes. When I look at this it feels so fresh & bright to me … Bonus tip: adding a plant or two always brings life back into your space. The pops of gold & green are great for every season & I love the way they bring dimension to the all white space.
Antique Farmhouse Shelves [HERE]
Everything I do at our home tends to give those antique farmhouse vibes so it’s no surprise here, but adding in antique elements to your open shelves can still make them functional but yet extra charming at the same time. Chippy architectural salvage, worn wood tones, & functional vintage pieces like those drawers make these kitchen shelves inviting and useful at the same time. My FAVORITE way to style open shelves in the kitchen is displaying antique finds among the items we use daily.
I hope you guys feel inspired by these different ways to style open kitchen shelves. I love moving things around until it gets the right look, it’s such a fun process to create. For even MORE kitchen inspiration check out my blog posts, Cozy Cottage Kitchen Corner & New Art In The Kitchen. As always, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and every other day! Xx Liz Marie
Beautiful! I love the small Smeg appliances and canisters. Where are they from?
You nailed it…your shelving is both functional and decorative ! I am sure you probably have blogged about the counter tops before but I haven’t been able to find it. What are your counter tops ? Are they able to withstand normal kitchen use and still look fabulous? ( wondering about heat resistance, scratching, fading etc.). What are the best materials to use for the shelves? Have you ever tried matching the shelves with the same material as the counter tops? One more question, when you do open shelving on either side of a window or sink (similar to your layout) should the shelving be the same on both sides? I would love your input on these questions or maybe you could point me to a previous post? Thanks again for sharing!
Yes, I do have a blog post about our countertops [here]! I’m not a careful person so having countertops that I can’t dent, scratch, burn, or stain is an absolute must. I do have a shelf that matches my countertops & see in the blog here! I have done similar shelving on both sides but I’ve also done different shelving on both sides of the sink. Here are a few blog posts to see … the same … different … another one!
Thank you! I LOVE the look and now that I know the counter tops can actually be functional AND beautiful at the same time I am sold ! Quartz is the answer for our kitchen whether we end up remodeling the current home or take the leap and build the duplex we have planned. Glad we live in the GR area too because Lakeside did a splendid job. Regarding the shelving, you make it look so easy…when I try to style something it never looks that good!
Hi Mary, I love ebay for finding the best prices on Smeg appliances & here for the canisters! Hope this is helpful!
I love these open kitchen shelves! So beautiful!
Love love love this post, only wish I had some open shelving!! I’m wondering if your cookbook holder, with the open cookbook and the rolling pin holding the pages, is really a cookbook holder or a diy from something else. I’ve never seen that and I’m loving it, which means I need to have one,, lol thank you for your blog, I love to see you farmhouse evolve and all the changes you make. Beautiful!!!
Your styling as always is so impeccable. I really love it.