Is Open Shelving A Good Idea For Your Kitchen Remodel?

When it comes to kitchen remodeling, one of the biggest question marks for most homeowners is whether to go for open kitchen shelving or closed storage.

While each option has unique features and benefits to bring to the table, open kitchen shelving has received great recognition in the past few years. It has also been trending as one of the most popular kitchen designs lately and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

You will find open shelves in most modern kitchens, but the ultimate question is: is open shelving a good idea for your kitchen remodel?

Open Kitchen Shelving – Yay Or Nay?

Open shelving seems to be one of those design trends for a kitchen that you either love or hate; there’s really no middle ground. But, there’s no denying the fact that it adds such modern vibes to a kitchen, makes it look aesthetically pleasing, and also creates a stunning want to visual for the design of the entire space.

If you are looking to remodel your kitchen and give it a new look, but are on the fence about whether this particular design is the right one for you, take a look at some of the biggest benefits, and downsides of open kitchen shelving for your kitchen remodel.

The Good

Increased Flexibility And Accessibility

One of the best things about open kitchen shelving is how flexible and accessible it is. With this design, you no longer have to rummage through your drawers and cabinets to find what you are looking for.

The open design provides easy and immediate access to all the kitchen essentials such as dishes, cookware, glasses, and other such necessities. Not just that, but since you will be able to see everything in the open, it will save you a lot of time and effort that you are likely to spend otherwise looking for things.

Creates A More Spacious, Airy Look

If you have a small kitchen, open shelves are a great option for you. They feature a very important visual element that helps make small kitchens appear much brighter, larger, and more spacious than before.

It also creates an airy look by eliminating those cabinet doors, making it feel more open and roomy overall.

It Adds Style And Amps The Look And Feel Of The Space

All those people who are big on aesthetics will absolutely love the idea of open kitchen shelving. With the cabinet doors out of the equation, you can now experiment the wall behind the shelves by either painting it a bold, popping color, using natural wood, or utilizing it as a design aesthetic.

You can even install LED lights around the edges of the shelves for not just extra lighting but also to make it look very pretty.

It’s Easy On The Pocket

If you’ve ever gotten your kitchen remodeled or renovated in the past, you probably have an idea about how expensive cabinetry can be. The expenses majorly have to do with the amount of work and labor that goes on it. Furthermore, if you opt for custom cabinetry, the cost is likely to be even higher.

However, that’s where open kitchen shelving makes a difference. It’s quite a budget-friendly option that isn’t only easy on the pocket but is also highly time-effective. Both the products and installation costs of open kitchen shelving are fairly low, which means that you can allocate the extra money to other important features of your kitchen.

Ideal For Collectors

Are you a collector who loves collecting beautiful dishware, crockery, cutlery, and decorative pieces? If yes, open shelves are the ideal option for you to display your entire collection!

From certain china patterns to vintage mugs and literally anything and everything in between, you will be able to put all your collected items on display and even show them off to others!

Makes Things Look Organized And Proper

We all have that one cabinet in our kitchens where we stash all those kitchen items that we no longer need or those which we think we might need in the future, but we really don’t. If anything, this can create extreme disorganization in the kitchen space and simply make everything look messy.

With open shelving in your kitchen, you will be much inclined towards organization and making sure that everything is perfectly prim and proper.

The Bad

Requires Cleanliness And Maintenance

The most obvious downside about open kitchen shelving is that it invites a lot of dust and debris, so you will have to be particularly careful in terms of cleaning it and keeping it dust-free at all times.

While open shelves don’t exactly require a huge amount of maintenance, you will need to clean it on a daily basis, especially the lower sections on the shelves since they are much more prone to dust and also animal hair if you have pets in the house.

It Can Lead To Clutter

While this might across as a surprise considering how open kitchen shelving encourages organization as discussed above, it can also lead to a cluttered look and feel. The underlying issue here is that if you don’t have the time to clean your shelves due to a busy or hectic routine, the aesthetics are likely to be ruined.

Also, one of the biggest benefits of open shelves is that you can have your most frequently used kitchen items with easy access at your fingertips. However, this means that some of your less-attractive looking cookware and utensils are likely to be on display, creating quite a messy look overall.

Final Word

So, is open shelving a good idea for your kitchen remodel? Yes, for sure! While it surely comes with a few downsides, they don’t outweigh the benefits offered by open kitchen shelving.

The solution here is to have a mixture of open shelves with a few closed storage spaces like drawers and cabinets. After all, there’s no rule which says that you can’t have cabinets with open kitchen shelving!