What to Consider Before Installing Open Kitchen Shelving

By September 23, 2019Kitchens
Open Shelving Kitchen Ideas

From hanging and floating shelves over the main food prep area to freestanding shelves situated on the wall in place of cabinetry, open shelving in kitchen design has truly come alive in the last few years. Once implemented into kitchens as the bare beginnings of kitchen storage solutions, open shelving is more tied to farmhouse-style kitchens and minimalist design ideas these days. As attractive as these modern open-storage solutions may be, they are not a good fit for every kitchen or every kitchen user. Here are a few things to consider about open kitchen shelving and whether or not they are the best kitchen shelving option for you!

Closed Cabinetry Does Have Its Perks  

Things evolved from crude shelving to closed cabinetry over the years for good reasons. With closed cabinets, you can tuck away all the clutter and keep the kitchen looking tidy. For the most part, regular cabinets are a logical shelving concept. Before you start thinking about how to style open kitchen shelves in your kitchen layout, it’s best to consider if you really want to eliminate all your cabinets or just a few. 

 

How to install open shelving in kitchen

Open Shelves Require a Bit of Forethought 

You know how you currently unload the dishwasher quickly and slap everything in the cabinets? If you are going to be using open shelves for something like storing dishes, some old habits will have to change. Everything that you place on your open shelves will have to be carefully considered and organized. Otherwise, your kitchen wall shelving could end up with a mess of clutter that makes your entire kitchen look messy. Some people like the idea of using open shelves to display things like pasta and ingredients, such as flour, sugar, and spices. This can look nice, but, again, you’ll have to be careful with what you choose to have on open display. 

Open Shelving Must Be Properly Installed

This is a huge thing to consider. If you have picked up a DIY kit and are wondering how to install open shelving in kitchen areas, you may want to reach out to a professional to get the job done right. There are all kinds of ways shelving can be installed, but the shelving has to be completely stable, anchored securely, and capable of holding heavy weight. Consider just how many pounds a shelf full of glasses would weigh and now think about how easy it will be for such weight to strip a good screw right out of the wall. With this in mind, installing shelves is better left to the experts.

Open Shelving Kitchen Ideas

You Must Pick the Best Location 

Houzz provides a good list of open shelving kitchen idea locations, but the real good options are going to change according to your kitchen layout or design. For example, open shelving over the sink may be nice for some homes, but a lot of kitchens have a window over the sink, so this placement might not work. 

Takeaways to Remember Before Installing Open Kitchen Shelving 

  • Closed cabinetry will always have its perks; a collaboration of open & closed shelving is always a good mix. 
  • Open shelving installation is usually not a DIY task. 
  • Picking the best location will make all the difference in how happy you are with the end result.
  • Once installed, your open shelving becomes a design element of the space, along with everything on the shelf. 

Open Shelving Installation in NJ

Many people are perfectly happy with the unique open shelves they have installed in their kitchen, but this is a major change to make and should be carefully considered. For more help with how to pick open shelving or cabinetry for your kitchen remodel, reach out to us at RWC Windows, Doors & More. 

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