What is the latest hot trend with clean lines ? Open kitchen shelves ! They sure have something for everyone. As well as looking stylish, they go with any interior whether it is contemporary, vintage or rustic. Shelves always look good thanks to the endless possibilities for decoration that they offer, and also blend harmoniously with closed kitchen cabinets, for the perfect combination of style and functionality. Interested ? Let’s take a look at the benefits – and a few drawbacks – of this design solution.
The “pros” of open kitchen shelves
The growing success of kitchen wall shelves definitely means they are a trend to be reckoned with. And there’s no denying that they offer a lot of benefits.
For an ultra-modern, streamlined décor
The growing success of kitchen wall shelves definitely means they are a trend to be reckoned with. And there’s no denying that they offer a lot of benefits.
For an ultra-modern, streamlined décor
To combine closed and open storage units
The absolute best ? Blending wall shelves with closed tall units. This combines the stylish vibe of the former with the functionality of the latter. It has to be said that closed units are essential in a kitchen to hide everything that takes up room or is not very attractive (certain utensils, objects or even foodstuffs, for example).
At an affordable price
Another benefit (and not the least important one) is the affordable price of this open storage solution. As they are less complex, not requiring hinges, push-pull systems, handles or doors, open kitchen shelves reduce the price of both materials and labour. And they are easier to assemble.
The “cons” of wall shelves
In spite of all this, there are also a few drawbacks to open kitchen shelves – or rather, a few warnings you need to heed, to be sure this is the right solution for you and your lifestyle.
They require regular maintenance
Warning number 1 : if cleaning is not your favourite activity, wall shelves can quickly become a problem as they get dusty. Whereas closed cabinets have the advantage of protecting your kitchen utensils and accessories from dust. So you will have to take the time to run a duster over your shelves – but also your ornaments and tother objects they are holding – at regular intervals. Especially because, in kitchens, they are prone to attract grease from cooking, making them harder to clean.
They must be well organised
Of course you don’t have to be obsessed with tidying up to fit shelves in your home. But let’s be honest : you do have to be well organised. Since the contents of your shelves are on display for everyone to see you will have to enjoy keeping them neat to avoid them becoming messy and cluttered. On the contrary, place the focus on a streamlined look, for an airy feel.
You need a big kitchen
Some people say you need a large area in order to build wall shelves into a kitchen. Why ? Because you risk being short of storage. This is partly true, of course. Because we are all great cooks who love inventing tasty new dishes, we tend to have lots of electrical appliances, tools, etc. – in short, all the requisite paraphernalia. But we would rather keep it all out of sight.
Even though compact kitchens are indeed less suitable, because they have less potential for storage, there is nothing preventing you from adding a small stylish shelf for your aromatic plants alongside closed tall units to contain everything you want to conceal. So there’s a solution to suit everyone.
