open to ideas
cobi's house • display • organizing • Comments (5)
I’ve often had people ask me about the open-shelves in my kitchen. There’s an understandable fear of dust and grease making them impractical. Well I can tell you that after living with them for 6 years, I don’t find that to be a big enough issue to over-ride the appealing look, and ease of use, they bring to my kitchen.
Here are some other beautiful examples of open shelves in kitchens…
Gorgeous! But what if you aren’t renovating and want to create the look in your existing kitchen? Try removing the doors on a section of your cabinetry and paint out the interiors for a similar look…
Open shelves are often the key feature to a country kitchen…
But there are very hip looking kitchens with open shelves too…
And even loft spaces…
Open shelving is a wonderful way to show off a collection and make sure it gets use!
If you can’t find a way to incorporate open shelves into your upper cabinetry, you may want to think about a section of the lowers…
Or creating an impromptu version in a hutch…
Or even on a basic set of shelves…
Wherever open shelves are, they’re a beautiful way to create displays and vignettes in your home…
Or bring in colour…
The lack of colour on these shelves creates a more calm, classic, almost utilitarian look…
But hey, if colour is your thing, don’t hold back…
Basically, this idea is for anyone who’s open to it!
Comments
Oh Cobi,
You’ve picked such a fantastic selection of the most beautiful open shelves! I just painted my kitchen white from cream with an antique glaze and simply love it. All the doors were reinstalled but the 2 glass doors needed another coat of paint so we removed them again to paint. I walked out of the kitchen and when I walked back in I was stunned at just how lovely the open cabinet with no doors was to me doors.
Sadly hubs did not agree so the glass doors will go back on for now (or at least until I can bend his arm!)
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful collection and yes the ease of no doors is so worth it!
Sandra
www.serendipitoushome.blogspot.com
Hi Ellen,
Lucky you, renovating! I love my counter tops. Mine is honed which is more porous than polished (you may want to consider that), but it has that great aged look when it’s honed.
When it’s installed you should have it sealed and reseal it every few years. You can also wax it to help resist stains (although I seldom do).
You can see some marks on the finish if you leave a lemon on it or vinegar or anything acidic but it isn’t a colour change - it’s just a more dull finish that you can only see in the light. I’m careful but it doesn’t bother me at all. I love it and would do it again, no problem.
What a coincidence! Just minutes ago I was going through my folder of inspiration clippings and came across your kitchen article in H&H magazine, that I had saved from 2004. I’m in the planning stages of a kitchen reno and was thinking about Carrara marble on my peninsula and maybe a honed black granite around my stove top and apron sink. Have you been happy with the counters? People keep warning me that they stain easily and I won’t be happy with them.
Thank you Cobi for telling everyone - it’s a great look and isn’t a big deal about the cleaning. It is on my to-do list in our kitchen!
Love how open shelving looks, but I hate to dust. That is the one consideration to think about.