11 Gorgeous Open Shelving Ideas That Upgrade Your Kitchen in Style

Updated On: Mar 18, 2024

Besides giving you convenient storage and a way to showcase your favourite recipes, culinary books, and other often-used supplies, kitchen open shelving doubles your productivity. It's also a fantastic opportunity to use creativity to add classic colours or eye-catching designs. Open shelves offer more than just aesthetic and functional advantages; they're also a cost-effective substitute for higher cabinets.

Open shelving is a great choice if you’re considering a kitchen remodel and searching for places to cut costs without compromising design or efficiency. Additionally, since it gets rid of an abundance of upper cabinets, it’s an ingenious trick for expanding the feeling of space in a kitchen.

Here is a thoughtfully curated list of 11 open kitchen shelf ideas to personalise and maximise your kitchen storage options. Let’s get started!

Minimal Floating Shelves in the Corner

Corner Kitchen Shelves Design

Lend your kitchen interiors a luxurious farmhouse feel by incorporating minimal floating shelves. The corner kitchen shelves design is an innovative way to put a dead nook to function.

wooden shelves are highly functional for storing kitchen equipment of varying weights. Additionally, the sleek design makes the space look clutter-free and pleasing to the eyes.
Display your crockery and beautiful spice jars for a warm and inviting ambience that defines your sense of taste and flavours.

Multifunctional Wall Shelves with Pegs

Multifunctional Kitchen Wall Shelf Ideas

A kitchen with thoughtfully planned open shelf placement can be just as functional and effective as one with a lot of mounted units. From storing condiment jars to exhibiting your cutlery set, you can customise the shelves to exhibit your artistic taste and preference for stylish kitchenware.

Bonus points for the pegs attached to a sturdy steel fixture that provide additional options for seamlessly hanging your spoons, pans, tongs and skimmers.

DIY Spice Racks

DIY Spice Racks - Kitchen Shelf Design

If you get confused while trying to instantly locate a spice while preparing your favourite meal, maybe it’s time to upscale your kitchen storage designs. Think about a singular floating spice rack if you intend to customise a few selected spices for everyday use or just want to keep them handy.

This DIY project requires scrap wood and any custom colour. You can even opt for a rustic wooden polish to create a traditional, earthy mood.

Aureate Open Shelving for Glassware Display
Aureate Open Shelving Kitchen for Glassware Display

This elegant kitchen has a chic addition in the form of an open shelf design with aureate indents. A wall of solid grey is made more cheerful by the clear glass, and the gleaming brass accents contrast sharply with the dark background, giving the impression of statement jewellery.

Cabinet pulls and the tap, among other kitchen equipment and fixtures, are coordinated with the cosy metal finish. Think about what’s close by when deciding what to stock on open shelves. They are positioned right above a wine fridge in this instance, so it makes sense to use them for glasses, containers, and barware.

A Blend of Open Shelving and Closed Cabinets

A Blend of Open Kitchen Shelving and Closed Cabinets

For maximum storage flexibility, think about combining closed cabinets with open shelving. To organise your clutter, you can maintain a few closed-off cabinets and utilise open shelving in the remaining areas of your kitchen. This kitchen shelf design is a useful way to make sure that your counters remain organised if you prefer the aesthetic of neat worktops.

This eclectic blend is an instance of architectural versatility and artistic visual appeal. While you can keep small gadgets and condiments on wall-mounted floating kitchen shelves to free up valuable counter space, opt for heavy equipment storage in the lower closed cabinets. It gives you ample room for hiding away unpleasant goods and items which are not used frequently.

Opt for a Singular Long Open Shelf

Singular Long Open Shelf Design for Kitchen

Revamp your kitchen space with a single long shelf that runs through the width of an entire wall. The incorporation of a wood floating shelf that spans the maximum horizontal wall surface gives this contemporary kitchen a cosier, more welcoming feel.

This open singular shelf is ideal for flexible use of placing important everyday-use items rather than stacking up seasonal collections. Use the limited space strategically to lend the room a clean and clutter-free look. You can store lightweight equipment like fruit baskets, glassware, vases and tea cups.

Open Shelving with Colour Drenching Formula

Simple Kitchen Shelf Design with Colour Drenching Formula

While colour drenching is a popular trend for drawing rooms and small home office spaces, you can take your creative endeavours up a notch by incorporating it into your kitchen’s open-shelf styling.

Opt for a bold colour scheme to paint the walls and wooden shelves. You can try DIY eggshell paint for a glossy and attractive hue. Additionally, eggshell paint is highly durable and a good pick for kitchen spaces.

The bold colour scheme demarcates the shelf area from the rest of the kitchen. You can use this open shelf design to decorate tintless white crockery, red vases and fresh flowers to add to the colour scheme.

Maximise Floor-to-Ceiling Open Shelving

Floor-to-Ceiling Open Shelving Kitchen Ideas

You can increase your kitchen storage space and make the most use of small spaces by installing floor-to-ceiling shelving units. This is a highly versatile and sturdy shelving unit with wooden shelves and iron suspenders. The lower unit is a bulky open cabinetry equipped for storing heavy kitchenware.

You can customise the upper shelves with everyday utility items that you want to keep handy, for instance, plates, glassware, bottles and baskets. Add opulent lighting fixtures for an added tinge of elegance.

Design an Open Kitchen Pantry

Open Pantry Kitchen Shelf Design

Open pantry shelving keeps things readily available, but it can look disorganised and unkempt if not properly styled, organised, and maintained. There are plenty of ways to arrange and accessorise necessities kept on open shelving so that your collection doesn’t appear to be a hoard.

This open pantry kitchen design makes the most out of the multifunctional shelving so that it serves a practical purpose and is visually appealing. From storing dried goods to extra kitchenware, this design is highly customisable for modern kitchen solutions.

A Blend of Glass and Brass

A Blend of Glass and Brass - Kitchen Shelf Ideas

Open shelving offers an outstanding opportunity to add new shades and textures to your design, which is an excellent aesthetic benefit.

This eclectic and dainty kitchen shelf design is a mix of exclusive design and luxurious appeal. Meticulously designed with high-quality glass and brass, this shelving unit is highly delicate and can store lightweight items.

Exhibit your eclectic glassware collection with a few traditional brass accent pieces to adorn the theme of the open shelving unit. Make sure to opt for a corner which is away from the high-traffic zone of the kitchen.

Try a Bespoke Design of Rounded Open Shelves

Round-cornered Open Shelf Design for Kitchen

A modern kitchen calls for luxe designs and artistic patterns that elevate the overall decor of your kitchen space. Round-cornered shelves are a minimalist yet chic design that exudes sophistication.

Even the smallest kitchens can feel more spacious and open with the addition of this simple kitchen shelf design. You can create the illusion that your kitchen is twice as large by eliminating a couple of wall cabinetry.

Incorporate shelf LED lighting for opulent illumination. These in-built lights are energy-efficient and create an attractive visual flair.

Add Style to Your Kitchen Open Shelf Design!

For a simple, contemporary display, arrange the items by colour or blend the whole collection. You’re more likely to reach for that tray or pitcher'not just for holiday celebrations but also for regular meals'if you

keep your favourite things visible. Whether they’re a singular shelf or three stacked, these open kitchen shelf ideas are sure to make a big impression.

Looking for more tips and tricks on how to incorporate open shelving ideas into your kitchen? Get in touch with the experts at Interior Company for complete planning and execution tips.

*Images used are for illustration purposes only. Interior Company does not hold any copyright to the images unless mentioned explicitly.

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    What should I keep in my open-shelf kitchen?

    You can achieve the ideal harmony between form and function by combining functional and ornamental elements. For instance, when deciding what to display on open shelves in a kitchen, mix functional pieces like serving bowls, glasses, and cookbooks with ornamental pieces like planters, wall art, and a moulded vase.

    How do I space open shelves in a kitchen?

    The thumb rule distance between shelves is 12 inches, but if you increase that to 15 or 18 inches, you can improve the perception of accessibility and contact.

    What is the ideal depth for open shelves in a kitchen?

    Usually measuring between 11.25″ and 12″ deep, kitchen shelves are a good size to accommodate most kitchenware and match the depth of many upper cabinets.

    What should be the ideal height of my kitchen shelves?

    You should always design kitchen shelving at an appropriate height to avoid inconvenience trying to access it. Shelves in a kitchen should be spaced 21 to 15 inches apart and 18 to 24 inches above the counter. This is the most popular and ideal shelving design measure.

    Are floating shelves still popular?

    The potential of floating shelves to provide an uncluttered visual and conceal all the hardware retaining them up has made them extremely popular over the years, lending a very contemporary, sleek appearance.