Is Open Shelving Right for Your Kitchen?
Open shelving has become more popular recently as many people are moving away from wall cabinets. Displaying items on shelving offers a modern, minimalistic aesthetic, and prevents a kitchen lacking personality. Whilst it looks fantastic on Instagram and Pinterest, will it work in your kitchen?
Storage
One of the main benefits of open shelving is that your crockery is on show. Dedicate your space to your favourite or most stylish pieces, or have your most-used items close by and conveniently located. Shelves are also useful for filling spaces that are too small for cabinets.
However, shelving may offer less storage space than a similarly sized cabinet. The usability of these shelves – and what you will put on them – needs to be considered before you decide if they are a practical addition to your home.
Adding Space
Opting for open shelving can make your kitchen feel airier and larger than it would with wall cabinets. The breezy feel is especially true for smaller cooking areas – your space can be made brighter and more appealing by replacing cabinets with shelves. Not only will you notice the difference, but your kitchen will feel more open and welcoming for guests too. Shelves imbue a relaxed kitchen style, and guests will not need to ask where your mugs or crockery are kept.
More Affordable
You may be thinking of switching to open shelves for a more practical reason. Shelves are a great choice if you are upgrading on a budget, as they are usually more affordable than whole cabinets. Our wooden kitchen shelves start from just £9.50 each, and our stylish floating shelves begin at just £20 each. We stock a range of sizes to allow these products to be suitable for your kitchen.
All of our shelves are supplied with sufficient fixings and supports. Before you decide whether open shelves are suitable for your kitchen, you will need to ensure that the wall can support enough weight. If you currently have cabinets on the wall, it is more than likely that you will be able to put shelves up instead.
Try It Before Committing
See if open shelves work in your kitchen by removing your cabinet doors. As a good halfway step, it will help you decide whether to choose cabinetry or shelves. Should you choose to leave the cabinets in place and the doors off, the back of the cabinet will provide a place to add a splash of colour or pattern.
Open shelves are worth considering if you want to display your items on show. Would you choose shelves in your kitchen? Let us know below, or on Twitter and Facebook!