I’ve really been on the fence on whether to share this post with you guys today or to wait. I hate sharing spaces that are not finished which is silly I suppose. When is a space truly ever finished? I think it’s a subject that might be helpful so I decided to share and you’ll get a little look into our kitchen since we decided to scrap those textured ceilings. Just like the title reads, I’m giving my thoughts on kitchen cabinets vs. open shelving. I think I’m pretty fair and balanced on this one because I genuinely love both! After a year and a half of living with open shelves in my kitchen I’ve come to some conclusions that you might find helpful if you’ve been considering them in your kitchen.
First, let me address the “not finished” part. A couple weeks ago I decided that I was going to try scraping those ugly textured ceilings instead of patiently waiting for my husband to plank the kitchen like we did in our dining room and powder room/laundry room. After we finished scraping the kitchen ceiling we came to many conclusions, which I plan on dishing all about very soon. Just know that the ceilings and the trim work in the photos to follow are not finished and yes, they are ugly!
Okay, let’s get to it! Here is a glimpse into the kitchen the day we started renovating the house. Part of the reason why we decided to give open shelving a try is mainly because there were so many cabinet doors broken or missing all together. After doing a little rearranging we were able to relocate a couple of the doors that were on the right side to the left and I ordered a couple bottom cabinet doors. We decided to leave the top cabinets on the right side open.
Kitchen Cabinets vs. Open Shelving
As you can see, we painted the cabinets and I used the space for extra plates, vintage milk glass, etc. It looked 100% better! I was more than happy with it.
After a year and a half of using the space I began to notice I was running a little short on closed storage. You know, for those things that are not display worthy. After the first of the year I gave my kitchen a good decluttering and It helped but it didn’t fix the problem. I knew that I needed those cabinets not for displaying pretty dishes but for more practical storage.
Here are my pro’s for open shelving:
- It brightens the space & and gives the room a larger feel.
- It’s a great way to display that pretty collection of dishes you own! If you don’t have a hutch this is a great alternative. Let’s face it, it’s super fun to decorate for the holidays.
- It can be an affordable option over cabinets.
Here’s what we came up with and I think it’s a great compromise.
I decided to leave the right side open to display my favorites and closed the left side for every day storage. I ordered more two more cabinet doors from Naked Kitchen Cabinet Doors. They’re somewhat local to use and one of the only places I could find unfinished cabinet doors in the existing style we have. They’ve been fantastic! In less than a week we had our doors.
I can’t believe how handy the one cabinet has been! We’ve been able to relocate our coffee and extra mixing bowls, etc. to the cabinet above. The counter top now stays clutter fee. I also think it looks a little more balanced and flows better than before.
I kept my favorite pieces out and the others are now in the hutch in the dining room. Sometimes, less is more. I may eventually install some doors with glass but for now I’m enjoying the open, airy feel.
Traditional Kitchen Cabinet Pros-
- Storage for all of those unsightly things you just need in your kitchen.
- It gives a clean, clutter-free appearance.
- Much less dusting is required!
There are great aspects to both and there are things I love about each option. If you’ve been on the fence hopefully this will help you make your decision. If you’ve lived in your home for a while I’m sure you know which cabinets are used for what. Just ask yourself if you can afford to lose the storage or not. If you can’t find a convenient way to store the items that are currently in the cabinet than I would say wait until you can, unless you can display those items in a way that works for you. Sometimes all your kitchen needs is a little refresh to make you fall in love with it again!
We’ve been focusing most of our attention into this room the past few weeks. Last week I shared the newest addition to our kitchen and you can read all about that here. I’m hoping to start planking the ceiling in the next week or so. Fingers crossed it gets done soon because I’m dying to share my thoughts on the whole ceiling fun we’ve been having over here. Did you here the sarcasm? Until then I hope you have a great rest of your week friends! Let me know your thoughts on opening shelving. I’d love to know if you have them and if so, do you love them or hate them?
Source List:
Cabinet Paint Color- Fieldstone by Benjamin Moore
Wall Color- Dove White by Benjamin Moore
Butcher Block Counter Tops & Apron Sink- Ikea
I like your new closed section. It does look more balanced and so pretty.
Thanks Marty! I couldn’t agree more. 🙂
It worked out so nicely to have the open part over the desk. AND how perfect you can order the doors and have them that fast. WIN WIN for you totally!
Thank you so much Patty. I agree, I think it works great over the desk, like it was the way it was supposed to be. 🙂
Looks great! Totally agree that there are pros and cons – I have mostly closed, but am about to install some open shelving in an empty kitchen nook. Looking forward to finally have a pretty place to display my milk glass in the kitchen 🙂
Thanks Jenn! You’ll love the open shelves. We have a couple in our breakfast nook for my vintage copper and I love them. I think have a combination of both is key. Good luck on your install! 🙂
May I ask what color your lower cabinets are?