Decorating & Design
30 Kitchens That Dare To Bare All With Open Shelves
Updated on April 6, 2017
Lately there’s one feature in kitchens that designers seem to be using over and over again: open shelves. Nothing creates an airy look faster (working in tandem with ample lower storage, of course), but if you don’t have the space to dedicate an entire wall to displaying décor, or the time to keep them neat and tidy, consider incorporating a couple of built-in shelves to break up an expanse of bulky uppers. Click through to get more ideas for displaying open shelves from 30 House & Home kitchens that dare to bare all.
A paneled ceiling, patterned runner, bistro-style subway tile and open shelving work harmoniously in this kitchen by Toronto designer Barbara Purdy.
Former H&H art director Mandy Milks teamed up with designer Mazen El-Abdallah to maximize style and function in this 11′-wide galley kitchen.
See more of Mazen El-Abdallah’s work on H&H TV.
Floating cabinets make this kitchen feel wider, while shelves wired with recessed lights display everyday dishes.
“I hate upper cabinets; they interfere with the clean lines and you’re always digging in them,” says designer Viki Mansell. Here she used bleached reclaimed ash drawers and hardwood to keep the space feeling bright.
See more of Viki Mansell’s work here.
In this galley kitchen, limiting uppers to only one side of the space helps natural light pour in.
Former H&H design editor Sarah Hartill teamed up with Ikea to create this cheerful family kitchen. Counter-to-ceiling subway tile and walnut shelves hold an attractive collection of pottery.
Raw wood shelves with ‘curlicue’ metal brackets achieve an industrial vibe in this kitchen.
Stainless steel touches take center stage in this seaside kitchen on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast.
Beloved chef Lynn Crawford suggests making your stove the focal point of your kitchen. “My kitchen island, sink and seasonings are right beside the stove, so all I have to do is pivot,” she says.
Open shelves display pottery, which adds a hit of blue to former H&H design editor Sarah Hartill’s all-white kitchen.
In stylist and designer Nicola Marc’s kitchen, deep open kitchen cupboards house her cherished assortment of wedding china and glassware.
H&H design editor Kai Ethier found her solid maple kitchen cabinets at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for less than $700 and had them repainted in Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue (22). Open shelves match the natural butcher-block counter.
See more of this kitchen on H&H TV.
In designer Alix Navarrete’s kitchen, open shelves and a beverage center encourage guests to help themselves.
A lively rug adds oomph to this white-on-white kitchen, while white shelves blend into into subway tile.
French library shelves pop against an original brick wall in this rustic kitchen, lending an industrial note.
H&H‘s director of TV production and online video, Sheri Graham-Delagran, opted for crackle-finish subway tiles, open shelves and cherry red Thonet bistro stools in her family kitchen.
Floating stainless steel shelves work well with full-height marble walls in this gleaming kitchen.
Carrying the natural Silestone counters up the wall provides a seamless look. A select few floating shelves keep glasses at the ready.
Charcoal ceramic tiles, walnut cabinetry and stainless steel shelves are a winning trio in this stylish kitchen.
HGTV host Danielle Nicholas Bryk wanted an urban, unfitted look for her kitchen. She chose backslash tiles with a crocodile leather texture and an industrial pot rail to complete the look.
In interior designer Betty Theodoropolous’s kitchen, an arched doorway leads into the butler’s pantry. Butcher block acts as a humble counterpoint to Statuario marble on the island, while three glass shelves hold a small assemblage of white dishware.
Pastry chef-turned-photographer Nikole Herriot’s kitchen has an urban farmhouse feel with handmade dishes stacked on open blond wood shelves.
In this Victorian home, exposed original brick, walnut shelves and marble counters keep the overall feel modern.
See more of this kitchen on H&H TV.
In H&H senior design editor Stacey Smithers’s own kitchen, a long open shelf holds dishes and is a place to display vintage pottery and art.
John Baker and Juli Daoust-Baker (the duo behind the popular design store Mjölk) chose clean-lined white oak for their kitchen. Warm metal touches like brass hooks harmonize the minimalist space.
See more of this home on H&H TV.
Fairytale-like Zoffany wallpaper steals the show in this Ikea kitchen makeover by former H&H design editor Sarah Hartill. A humble wood shelf plays up hues in the wallpaper and doesn’t take away from the equally bold pattern of the buffalo check blind.
Breezy blue walls and slim maple shelves work well together in this open-concept kitchen on Cape Breton Island.
For her own kitchen reno, H&H senior editor Sally Armstrong chose to incorporate built-ins that flow from the kitchen to the adjacent family room.
This bistro-style kitchen feels like a French patisserie or bustling café with its practical subway tiles and casual seating.
Rather than choosing typical white subway tiles, former H&H design editor Sarah Hartill chose textured hexagonal tiles for this Ikea kitchen makeover. White shelves run in line with the vent hood and are the ideal place to display glass bottles and a potted fern.