Open shelving is a functional, convenient, and cost-effective kitchen storage solution. And if you like the idea of corner-open shelving or want to discard the cupboards, then the open shelving style ticks both the functionality and style boxes in custom-made kitchens.
Are you planning to install open shelving in your kitchen? Here are the upsides and downsides of open shelving that you should know beforehand.
Upsides of Open Kitchen Shelving
1. It’s Affordable
You can install open shelving in a day, as it is one of the small kitchen design updates you can make. And open shelving removes the need for complete cabinetry, saving a substantial chunk of your total expenditure.
2. Organising is Easy
It is easy to organise items in open shelving. Store similar items together; for instance, store glasses, plates, bowls, and other dishes for a consistent and orderly look. Furthermore, open shelving is handy for entertainers, as it facilitates guests who help with the cleaning up to know where items are placed.
3. More Options for Storage
If you have an open wall above your kitchen sink and cooking workplace, install open shelves here, and you’ll get vital accessibility within an arm’s reach. You won’t find it difficult to access hard-to-reach places or awkwardly placed items to get what you need.
4. It Is Easy to Clean
As open shelves do not have partitions or doors, it is easy to clean your open shelving. And as you will be using the items placed on your open shelves often, they are less vulnerable to accumulating dust, and you can wipe down your shelves while your dishes are getting washed.
5. Welcoming & Provides Clear Visibility
Open shelves offer clear visibility, and they are welcoming. They facilitate a sense of familiarity and comfort. It means you or someone else can easily find what they need.
Downsides of Open Kitchen Shelving
1. Dirt Will Be Visible
In open shelving, you can’t hide the dirt. So if you’re someone who likes to entertain often, you have to be alert about keeping up with your cleaning.
2. Shelf Depth Is Not Good
When selecting your open shelves, make sure they’re not so deep that you can store too many items behind one another. Choose narrower open shelving than your lower cabinets, as if you place too much on your open shelves, you risk making your kitchen look packed and messy.
3. Plenty of Open Storage May Not Be a Good Thing
If you’re installing open shelves, ensure they are set aside for the items you use often.
4. It Can Look Inexpensive
Open shelving is not ideal for the whole kitchen. Choose one wall space you think would look appropriate with open shelving, which would be handy to access the items you often use, and create a feature wall with your open shelving. As open shelving provides distinctive visual appeal against the rest of your cabinetry, in all likelihood, it will attract the most attention, so it’s imperative to select materials that look and feel premium.
5. Displays Everything
You need to choose prudently the items you need to showcase. Avoid storing mismatched bowls and souvenirs on your open shelves as it creates visual chaos.
The Bottom Line
You need to plan well for open kitchen shelving and use it prudently to enhance the kitchen storage and boost the aesthetic appeal. If you need help with an open shelving kitchen, kitchen splashback, or butler’s pantry, call us at Paradise Kitchens on 02 9757 4400 or get a kitchen quote online, and our expert kitchen designers will be happy to assist you.
