Open Up Your Kitchen with Brilliant Open Shelf Decorating Tips

Open shelves are having a major moment in kitchen design. Unlike closed cabinets, open shelving lets you prominently display decorative dishes, cookbooks, and colorful kitchenware. It creates a lighter, airier look and makes items easy to access. However, the key is styling open shelves in a way that avoids looking cluttered. Use these clever tips to decorate open kitchen shelves with practical storage and stylish flair.

Strategically selecting storage containers is the first step for curating an organized, aesthetically pleasing shelving display. Glass jars, metal canisters, and ceramic pieces make chic vessels for pantry staples like pasta, rice, and snacks. Compared to opaque containers, clear jars keep everything visible so you can easily identify contents. See-through storage also continues the open, lightweight vibe. For freshness, choose airtight jars with rubber gaskets. Style tip: mixing up container heights, shapes, and materials creates appealing variety.

Choose Practical yet Stylish Storage Containers

When selecting containers for open shelf storage, consider materials like glass, metal, wood, and ceramic. Glass jars are great for displaying goods while keeping air tight. Metallic canisters lend an industrial vibe. Wood brings warmth, and ceramic provides classic appeal. Evaluate the pros and cons of each material for your needs.

Mix Up Container Styles and Sizes

Too much uniformity can make open shelves appear monotonous. For visual interest, incorporate containers in an assortment of sizes and silhouettes. Combining glass jars, woven baskets, and ceramic canisters together keeps things compelling. Just be sure the overall aesthetic aligns.

Placing taller angular jars next to short round ones creates dimension. Stagger items from front to back as well for depth. Keeping scale and color cohesive – while varying shapes – prevents a hodgepodge look.

Label to Help Identify Contents

Handwritten chalkboard labels add a personalized touch for labeling clear jars. For a minimalist look, use subtle frosted vinyl or metallic markers on glass. Printable water-resistant labels also work nicely. Match the aesthetic of labels to containers – a chalkboard tag pairs better with a mason jar than sleek metal bin.

Adhesive vinyl labels allow you to discreetly identify contents without impacting your display's overall style. For an eclectic approach, tie baker’s twine around glass jars and tag with a printed or handwritten label.

Display Your Best Dishware

Showcase your favorite dinnerware, serveware and glassware. Stack plates and bowls in your most-loved colors and patterns to make them a focal point. Add visual elevation by securing plate stacks on acrylic risers, cake stands, or mini angled shelves.

For drama, stagger stack angles to create height. Or fan plates out in triangular formations rather than placing straight up and down. Include bold pops of color like red glassware or vivid dish towels to inject vibrancy.

Play with Height and Arrangements

Varying plate and bowl displays provides eye-catching dimension. Incorporate acrylic risers and multi-level stands to offset pieces. Placing the same dinnerware at different heights and angles amps up the interest.

Get creative with geometric shapes rather than doing basic vertical stacks. Fanning plates out in triangle formations, or clustering in asymmetrical piles, keeps the focus on pretty dishware.

Add Pops of Color

Inject your shelf display with vibrant accents to contrast neutral dishware. Vividly colored glassware, fruit bowls, or dish towels make bold statements. Or lean brightly hued cookbooks against stacks of white plates.

Repetition of a color provides cohesion. For example, a red fruit bowl, red dish scrubber, and row of red cookbooks ties everything together. Limit pops of color to 1 or 2 so they don’t fight for attention.

Incorporate Meaningful Decor Touches

Personalize open shelves with sentimental objects like framed photos, travel trinkets, or favorite houseplants. Cookbooks show interests while decorating. Include a few special pieces that reflect your tastes and personality.

Greenery is a must for adding life to open shelves. Succulents, air plants, or herb garden pots infuse freshness. Just a few tasteful touches make ordinary shelves extraordinary.

Style Around Favorite Colors

Select one or two bold accent colors to repeat throughout your shelf decor. For example, bring in pops of blue with dishware, blue glass bottles, and a blue cookbook end cap.

An all-white open shelf backdrop lets accent colors pop. Then weave in metal, wood, or black accents for contrast against the clean white dishes.

Keep within Kitchen Style

Ensure open shelf decor aligns with the overall kitchen aesthetic. The preppy farmhouse look pairs better with woven baskets, ceramic crocks, and a distressed wood cutting board.

Contemporary and modern kitchens work best with colorful geometric cookware, gleaming metal containers, and sleek accessories. Avoid cluttering an elegant kitchen with knickknacks.

Display Practical Items Creatively

Store oft-used staples like oils, spices, and canned goods in ways that enhance their function. Group similar ingredients to keep things neat and easy to grab. Hang utensils from mounted racks for quick access.

Upright utensil crocks corral cooking tools together nicely. Anchor smaller jars and bottles in place by nestling them in decorative boxes or trays. Elevate form and function.

Maximize Vertical Space

Take advantage of vertical real estate above and below open shelves. Mounted racks and strips on walls or inside cabinet doors expand storage. For narrow spaces, install spice racks vertically.

Slide extra shelving into deep base cabinets to double surface area. Wall-mounted knife and cutting board strips keep these essentials handy but out of the way.

Multipurpose Accessories

Opt for storage accessories that pull double duty. Open shelves with integrated rail hooks allow you to hang mugs, utensils, or towels. Spice racks that include built-in knife blocks combine two necessary items.

Pegboard panels mount to walls for hanging everything from pots to cleaning tools. The key is choosing multipurpose furniture and organizers to maximize functionality.

With some strategic styling techniques, it’s easy to create an eye-catching kitchen display with open shelves. Use a combination of elegant dishware, transparent storage jars, and meaningful decorative accents. Don’t forget to incorporate greenery for a finishing touch of freshness.

Have fun playing with height, color, and arranging items in asymmetrical ways. Most importantly, decorate open shelves to flaunt your personal taste and showcase cherished kitchen items. Which tips are you excited to try in your kitchen?