Photo of what you display on open shelves?

13 years ago

Hi all,

I have a 24" wide open shelf cabinet and I'm wondering what to display on it. I guess you can say our kitchen style is "scrubbed farmhouse" as another GW dubbed it.

Anyone want to show a photo of their open shelves for ideas?

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Comments (6)

allison0704
13 years ago
I have two hutches and several open shelves (low on the island). Maybe you can get a few ideas. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen
judydel
Original Author
13 years ago
Allison your kitchen is gorgeous, truly magazine worthy!

Thanks for posting photos. You have a knack for accessorizing in a natural, easy way (as opposed to too matchy matchy or canned). Does that make sense?

I probably should keep the canisters there until I run into something that makes me "Eueka!!! This is IT".
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I would not use any sort of open shelving for the models, which no doubt took many hours to build. I would go "cheap" (relatively speaking!) with Ikea's Billy bookcase and attach the optional glass-front doors. A few months with the models on open shelving and they'll be covered with dust. You don't want to have to keep feather-dusting them. And you want to protect them so your son can have them for years to come. You could go buy clear acrylic cases from a place like Michaels, but they are pretty costly. You have plenty of space for a bookcase or two on the wall where there is now the floor lamp and armchair. Simply pull the armchair (or whatever replacement chair) out a few feet in front of it. If more than 2 boys are going to be hanging out in the room (sons plus friends), I wouldn't even get a recliner. I'd get another sofa for more seating. And some beanbag chairs. To jazz up the place, I might even suggest hanging a WWII plane kite in the room!
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Your shelves are really lovely. I agree with Moton's idea to collect what you love over time... I wish I could do shelves like that but my kitchen is so small. I have a really nice, very old baker's rack at the far end of my kitchen where I keep glass bottles and jars I have collected over time from antique stores, travels, etc. I decided to use this in a way that would be both attractive to the eye and functional for a small kitchen. I use the glass jars and bottles for candy, cookies, dried fruits, extra tea bags, various baking supplies like bittersweet chocolate, brown sugar, etc... The glass pieces are interesting and the contents are colorful! You wouldn't believe how nice a simple glass jar full of marshmallows or tea bags can look! When a gang of 15 came for Thanksgiving, I gave the rack that old-time candy store feel. You can be so creative and really have fun with your shelves, especially if you don't "need" the space. For me, I never run out of things to throw into a nice glass jar. Right now while heavily baking for the holidays I have several jars filled with different nuts and another shelf is holding pretty tins with the baked goods in them ready for gifting. A friend of mine has open shelving like yours and she collects antique canister sets. She keeps several sets on the shelves and puts all kinds of stuff in them (with labels on the bottoms so she knows what's what!). It's a gorgeous collection. I don't think you need to stay kitchen-y though... if there is something you love, you'll make it work, just like you did with your beautiful kitchen! :)
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Rita, thank you! In that kitchen, I love the shelves placed perpendicular to the counters inside the bay over the sink. I may do something similar for plants, but not for anything I'd want to be able to reach easily/frequently. I am also not a huge open shelf fan, since I know exactly how grungy everything gets and how easy it is to knock things off, but I do have some stuff, like coffee mugs, that are in such constant rotation that it almost isn't even worth opening a door to get at them. Also, there's all that stuff that currently lives on my counter that could go up and off the counter – canisters, sugar bowl, carafes, etc.
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I'm function over form for the kitchen, so my pots and pans and some heavily used spices and lids and a utensil jar are all on the walls next to my range. These are all things that get touched/washed regularly, so not a lot of concern about grease. I have shelves further off (out of the grease zone) for decorative stuff and cookbooks. You have a lot of wall space going on to the sides of the kitchen. I'd skip 'decorating' next to the range and instead go all out with some dazzling art on those walls (plan ahead to light it).
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boxerpups
13 years ago
Judydel,

I have none. None!!! :* (
Okay a tiny shelf but that is it. I wish I had more like
your beautiful space. And since
I want to see all the other beauties out there, I will
contribute my little shelf and know that one day it might
grow to something bigger.
~boxer

Oh and here are a few other dreamy open shelf spaces. Not mine but wishing they were. : )
allison0704
13 years ago
Aw, thanks, Judydel!

If you haven't looked through, searched the website I linked, there are plenty more examples of open shelving, etc in the Kitchen section. I did a post last week on a fabulous "china room" that may make take your heartbeat up a notch!

Here is a link that might be useful: open storage china room
bmorepanic
13 years ago
More of a practical nature and just born yesterday. Pretty obviously, I'm not done yet. I took the picture this morning - it was romantic!
judydel
Original Author
13 years ago
bmore I love the way you have your cook-ware ready for action. I wish I had built that concept into our kitch-en so our cook-ware doesn't have to take up storage in our drawers. And I really love the way they look hanging! Are you going to change that? I've thought of putting in a pot rack over our island, but our island is too narrow (24" x 54") and I'm afraid my husband and sons will bonk their heads. Not good, unless I want to discourage them from cooking . . . NOT.

I do still want to buy one or two Le Crueset casserole dishes. I'm wondering if these would look-good featured on the bottom shelf. And then I'd take out the top shelf and buy something large to sit on the shelf above the LeCrueset?

Allison I saw that china room when you first posted it!!! WOWSA! I just would HATE to be responsible for keeping it all clean. If I had a room like that, I'd want it to be one of the "clean-rooms" that they set up in hospitals, factories, etc. so that no dust entered, lol.

Boxer, once again thanks for sharing your library of photos : ) You may not have a lot of open shelving, but what you do have is featured beautifully. Love that java!!

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Photo of what you display on open shelves?

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allison0704

judydel
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Photo of what you display on open shelves?

Comments (6)

allison0704

judydelOriginal Author

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boxerpups

allison0704

bmorepanic

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