Last year I wrote about shelving inspiration for the kitchen (image above) after seeing open shelving accessorised with colourful kitchenware to inspire me. I’ll admit that my thirst for open shelving in the kitchen originates from the sets of er… the now defunct Lipstick Jungle (image below via Casa Sugar) and teen hit watched by overgrown kids like myself, Gossip Girl. Both series are set in New York and the open shelving featured shows how Americans (and set designers) have open plan living down pat, even in apartments.
Finally, after much toing and froing, we’re about to do our kitchen (cue much moaning about everything being boxed up etc). We’ve gone for open shelving as ours is a decent sized kitchen but with a bit of an awkward shape. That, and open shelving will give me an excuse to continue to buy colourful kitchen gear and homewares. Obviously the ‘downside’ of open shelving is that we’ll have to be tidy but at the same time as reducing clutter, I think that a little clutter on the shelves will give it a vibrant, eclectic feel of a well used space.
I’ve been looking around for inspiration and these Baroque style CD shelves by Seletti, £135 at Heals look fabulous with chic crockery on display (via Living Etc April 2010 issue – image via Kitchenisms) and really liven up the end corner of a worktop. You could achieve the same look on a budget by getting a CD rack from somewhere like Ikea and a suitably sized frame with a paint job.
Whilst this isn’t my style of kitchen (via House Beautiful), I also like the idea of floor to ceiling open shelving – with two small children abounding and me obsessed with finding ‘a place for everything’, it could also keep treasured items away from naughty fingers. The white shelves on the right which I found on Remodelista are more interesting and I’m now thinking we should get the new back doors frame done in a bold colour like their green back door.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Good luck with re-doing your kitchen!
I love the look of open shelving in other people’s kitchens, and the first picture you posted is gorgeous! But in my own home, I worry about the practicality of it, especially the fact that it all gets so dusty! So I’ve compromised and had a glass fronted cabinet instead – you still get to see everything, but being enclosed, it doesn’t get dusty.
Love them …. but I too worry about dust especially as I am possibly the un-domesticated person you will EVER meet. Im not a big fan of glass fronted stuff though, so would probably opt for less is more, so just a few shelves perhaps. Keep us updated
I’ve convinced myself that the shelves will be regularly cleaned, not least because we have a cleaner. But I am a bit worried re the dust… We live in an old house – a flipping dust magnate! Can’t see us changing our mind about open shelves as I’m obsessed with it now…
Ours is either going to be 2 long shelves or 4 – 2 short on either side of an extractor. I’m not big on cleaning but the cleaner is…
DO YOU HAVE A GLASS SHELF TO FIT OVER A 900 COOKER
desings are really amazing and a good colour combination