Design Notes
The kitchen is the center of the home, which means it should be given good consideration when planning its layout. This is especially true when it comes to cabinet design. Closed, glass front, and open shelving are the options available for kitchen cabinets. Open shelving has become a popular choice with homeowners and designers alike due to the elegance and style it brings to the kitchen. Let’s talk about the benefits it can bring to your home and some helpful design tips.
What Is Open Shelving?
Standard kitchens have cabinets with doors, but open shelving eliminates cabinets completely. It can be used in lieu of upper cabinets entirely or pair perfectly with standard cabinets. Open shelving is an option that blends with multiple styles and sizes.
What Are The Benefits Of Open Shelving?
Not only are they a beautiful option in the kitchen, but open shelving comes with several benefits that make it a viable choice when planning your renovation. Some of them include:
- Increased Storage
- Fits awkward layouts
- Small looks bigger
- Easy maintenance
- Budget friendly
Opening shelving increases storage because, while cabinets can store items, they can also tend to be messy and disorganized. Include glass jars and even baskets that will look good on the shelf, keep everything in its place, and give you the needed storage. Sometimes a kitchen layout can be awkward, making it difficult to maximize space, but shelving can help accomplish this goal. They can go in places cabinets cannot, such as above sinks and narrow areas. Open shelving brings an added benefit to smaller spaces because it gives the illusion of being bigger. Closed cabinets can make an area feel cramped, but shelves allow more of the kitchen to be seen, making the area feel larger.
If you need to clean out the cabinets, you know it means taking everything out and wiping the inside and outside of them, but shelves are super easy. Just a simple swipe takes care of it all. Opening shelving is considered budget-friendly since it uses less material, helping you to get the kitchen you need on the budget you set. Learn a few more of the reasons this option brings to you here. The benefits of open shelving are many and can be a great choice for your new kitchen design.
Design Tips For Open Shelving
Open shelving is a unique design style and one that requires different planning than standard cabinets. Careful thought should be applied when designing the layout and shelving. Here are a few things to consider when starting your renovation.
- Varying lengths: By choosing to have shelves of different lengths, you can create visual interest in your kitchen. This also allows the shelves to fit into small or tighter areas of the kitchen and accommodate a variety of items.
- Contrast: Two-toned is a popular design element in kitchens. It can be carried into open shelving by having it painted or stained a contrasting color to the rest of the kitchen.
- Artwork: Open shelving is not only functional but also a great way to add art to your kitchen. Consider using a live edge for the shelf or a bold color.
- Depth: By making them thicker, they can stand out more
- Pairing: Open shelving works well as a complement to standard cabinets or can stand alone in place of upper cabinets altogether.
- Backsplash: Since backsplashes are placed against the wall, it is important to consider what will be there, such as a nice wall color or backsplash that goes from counter to ceiling. The results are always stunning.
Open shelving can add a fresh look to your kitchen and help it stand apart from other designs. Our designers are experienced and able to help you create a layout and design that reflects your style and suits your unique needs. Grab a few more design tips here.
When To Not Have Open Shelving
While it is a popular design trend for many homeowners, there are times when open shelving may not be the best option for your kitchen. Here are a few reasons:
- Everyone can see: Open shelving makes an area feel more airy and allows all your items to be seen. If you have a lot of mismatched dishes or you would prefer for your friends to see every dish you own, you might want to at least limit the open shelves you have. You can always include some floating shelves instead.
- Keeping it clean: When it comes to open shelving, you can’t just stuff it and forget it. This choice requires you to keep things a bit tidier. While boxes and canisters can help, if you don’t want to always have to make sure it looks presentable, you might want to opt out of this choice.
- Clutter: Open shelving makes things accessible, but it also means that there is a tendency to place more than is necessary on a shelf, which can make the space look cluttered.
The decision is up to you; we encourage you to look at inspiration boards, consider your needs in the kitchen, and what will work best for your space.
Walker Woodworking Too much clutter can detract from your home’s wellness and leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed if it sticks around long enough. It can also make it difficult to concentrate, which can affect the entire family. It’s important to set about decluttering in an eco-friendly way to ensure that you aren’t throwing out things that could be put to good use elsewhere. With so many landfills already overflowing, it’s imperative for us all to do our part and keep recycling.
Keep reading for some great tips from Greenbook Design on how to declutter your home in an eco-friendly way.
Greenbrook DesignWarmer weather is just around the corner, meaning we can finally spend more time outside doing what we love, like grilling, swimming, and sitting around fire pits. One thing that all of these have in common is that they can be done in your own backyard. Outdoor spaces are trending this year and for good reason, since they provide a change of scenery for homeowners without having to drive somewhere, plus they add more usable space to your home. Enjoy fresh air, cool summer nights, and time with family all within the safety of your own home. Here are a few reasons and benefits to adding or upgrading your outdoor space.
Greenbrook DesignColor. It is what gives our world variety and speaks a language all its own. It is a versatile element that is used in various professions such as art, entertainment, and even cooking. Interior designers thrive on color to express their client’s personality and tell their story. Color is also the common thread that ties other elements, like texture and pattern. Woven together, they create a sense of unity and influence the mood. It is fairly common knowledge that each color implies a mood, such as blue is calm, green represents growth, and yellow expresses happiness. The colors you select for your home can have an effect on the atmosphere, and more and more homeowners are looking to add a little comfort with color.
Walker WoodworkingThe kitchen sink is probably one of the most important elements in the kitchen, since it’s where we wash dishes, rinse food, and wash our hands. There are so many options, such as stainless steel, porcelain, and ceramic. Then, of course, there are multiple styles and sizes. At Greenbrook, we are always looking for new items that will meet a need for our clients, and sinks definitely are one of them, which is why we are an authorized dealer for the Karran Sinks.
Walker Woodworking Old meets new to create a blend of something beautiful, which is one way to summarize grand millennial style. While minimalism is still a popular trend, many millennials are finding comfort and freedom of expression from their beloved family heritage. Grand millennial is a combination of the new with things of the past, like that old wingback chair from grandma’s attic, and breathing new life into it through reupholstering it. This style also pairs perfectly with many people’s desire to recycle and reduce waste by repurposing existing materials. Let’s unpack this style a little more and find out if it is right for you.
Walker Woodworking 