Five Reasons Open Kitchen Shelves Work in the Kitchen

I have wanted open kitchen shelves for years and I can’t wait to share with you five reasons why open shelves work so well.

I am a huge fan of open kitchen shelving. It’s not because I have had open shelves in my kitchen for years. In fact, I just put them in our Waco Airbnb home a few months ago. (I still need to paint my shelves so be patient with me if you can.) But I have wanted open kitchen shelves for years and I can’t wait to share with you five reasons why open shelves work so well.

Budget-Friendly

I have done a few kitchen renovations and the biggest expense by far is cabinetry. You can save almost 50% by using open shelving on top, instead of cabinets. If you have a budget issue you can also put in open shelves to start and replace them later with regular cabinets. 

I put in open shelves in our Waco kitchen, as you can see. I wanted to save money in the budget but I have to say I love how they look.

Great for Collectors

If you are like me and have a lot of stuff to display, open shelves are the best. I collect a lot of fun glassware and architectural elements and I love putting them on these kitchen shelves. I don’t have a lot of shelves in our Waco home, so these shelves are both practical and great for display. 

I store wine glasses and drinkware on these shelves but also included some colorful seltzer bottles and architectural pieces. Since I collect lots of glassware, books, vintage china, and glass jars, I look forward to rearranging these shelves quite often.

Always In Sight

I love having kitchenware insight and I think this is especially important for short term rentals. I store all of our drinkware on the shelves now and the plates and bowls are underneath in a drawer.

I think glasses and silverware are the most commonly used items in the kitchen, so why not put the glassware where my guests can easily find them?

Decorating Opportunities

I love white kitchens but I will be honest with you, they can get a little boring. Open kitchen shelves are another option for decorating in our Waco home and I love that. My favorite thing is to add a bit of color which of course brings the eye up in the room.

I think the biggest concern most people have about open kitchen shelves is storage and keeping the shelves looking nice. It’s pretty easy to store the less attractive items in the bottom cabinets and drawers. And don’t feel intimidated that you have to always change up the decor on your shelves. Stock the shelves with some glassware and you will likely be happy for a long time.

Test it Out

There is a great way to test out open kitchen shelves. If you are doing a remodel, put in open shelves as a trial. See if you like them. If, after a while, you don’t like them, then add cabinets later on.

I just need to get to Waco to paint my open kitchen shelves.

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