Natal & Krycek, I didn't have to wash the contents of the shelves every month...they got washed often because we used them all the time. I just took all the stuff down to clean the surface of the shelves once a month. I also had a pantry closet and an island, and I designed the upper drawers around the stove to hold all my spices and oils, with the less frequently used ones above, so I had the luxury of devoting a lot of space to everyday china and glass. We have a lot of dinner parties, so having a separate area for bar things, coffee and tea, silverware, table setting stuff, and recycling (which is what went in the breakfast bar behind the table), and having all that stuff accessible, was great. Alison, I love the colors in the kitchen you linked us to. I surrounded my fridge in a similar way, except that I made one side facing out for open slots for trays, baking sheets, platters, and all the other big flat things that are such a pain in cabinets; and the other side, which faced sideways to the door to the dining room, I made into a bookcase for my ridiculous number of cookbooks. That was nice because it created a little book-lined entry, and blocked the view into the kitchen from the dining room. Oh - another note - a tip from Martha Stewart, which I adopted years ago: The secret to protecting painted shelves is paste wax. After they were painted and had dried and cured for a week, I gave the top surface a coat of Butcher's wax. Kept the paint intact, unmarked, and easy to wipe clean. I do that to painted bookshelves, too. If I have to put things away before I'm satisfied that the paint is fully hardened, I put a piece of waxed paper under everything until then.

If you click on the yellow lettering in this post, you will see lots of kitchens with open shelving. I think they look fantastic. Here is a link that might be useful: Open Shelves

The cabinets were some of my original kitchen cabinets that I had stored away, and I refinished them. The sink is my old cast iron sink that I recently replaced with a cast iron farmhouse sink in the main kitchen. I did have a carpenter set the cabinets and help with the countertops - and a plumber put in the sink. The electrical and plumbing for a kitchenette were already there. We had that roughed in years ago. We just never could afford to finish it. I refinished the main kitchen cabinets and that got me thinking about creative ways to use what I already had on hand. You have to post some pics of your shelves when done. I see so many different ones in Houzz and Pinterest pics and you are doing so much good research that I am sure yours will be lovely:)

The minimalist look is very appealing! Reminds me of a photo I recently saw on the Instagram account of one of the brands we sell. Here's the item shown in that photo. If you're still interested in the adjustable/articulating wall lamps, here are some ideas: Savoy House Dakota Hudson Valley Latham Savoy House Morland Hudson Valley Metal No.2 George Kovacs Save Your Marriage (cute name, huh?) Plus, some wall lamps that are not adjustable, but are stylish: Hudson Valley Signature House of Troy Hyde Park Elk Boudreaux Sonneman Chelsea Kichler Alden These are just a few options. Let me know what you think!