I'm curious to see the responses to this myself. I only have 2 with glass fronts in the house we are building but have already been thinking about what to put in them (I also have some open shelving which is a different challenge....I currently have 3 open shelves in my home but the new house has 6 open shelves so been thinking on those also). I do have quite a few all white dishes and such and will likely put some of those in the glass cabinets but curious to see everyone else's approach to them!

I think there are many ways to do glass doors. Personally I am not a fan of having perfectly placed all matching items staged like a china cabinet. . I feel that it's your kitchen - I am going to see mismatched coffee cup, cereal boxes and of course I would love to find your M&Ms!

I like some of the frosted glass or patterened glass since it gives hints of the pieces behind but you still have the reflection of the glass.

Here are some pics:

This last picture is clear glass but with a privacy filmed applied to it!

Good luck!!

You have identified the problem precisely! Unless you have room elsewhere for those items, and a knack for staging cabinets, don't get glass doors. You can't stuff the cabinets full: they won't look good.

I had glass doors in a prior kitchen, but didn't do them in this kitchen. I wouldn't do them again unless I had a huge kitchen with excellent exhaust.

They look good with internal lighting and great staging. But if you are short on space, or if you don't like cleaning them very frequently, they're not a good choice.

In our last house, had a corner cupboard with a set of glass doors in the kitchen, 2 shelfs, bottom shelf,at first I had all the China tea cups, along with the matching teapot etc
2nd shelf I had placed the crystal glass ware.
New build here, no glass doors, as I don't have a lot of uppers,

Glass doors are very limiting. In a small kitchen they would be a hard no for me. The only glass doors I have are for my wine fridge ;)

Thank you for the ideas! I do like a glass that is wavy, handblown looking but not fully clear. This is for a mountain house where I just don't have ton-o-kitchen ware and with all he is building, there's going to be plenty of room.

I'm just wondering if it's a temptation to get drawn into the stage. Thank you for your responses!

In our current home, we only have one cabinet with glass. It’s located above our beverage fridge which does double duty as coffee station and bar when entertaining. Cabinet contains mostly glassware (wine and lowball glasses) along with coffee mugs and a few pretty dishes on the top.

In our previous house I had two cabinets with glass at the very top. Much less real estate to keep clean and pretty.

I have only two in my new build. I plan on putting my white, rarely used bowls, pitchers, ceramic cookware, etc., in them, Less is more, so there won't be a huge amount. I also have a nice pantry and loads of non-glass fronted cabinetry.

I looked over my plan and I'll have 6 closed doors and 6 glass. With plenty of fat and wide drawers. I think I'll be able to hide all the dark chocolate M&Ms and put the glassware in the glass doors. I think they're beautiful and it's something I've always wanted. And yes, I expect I will fall to the temptation of staging, LOL. Lots at Ikea, Home Goods and Tuesday Morning to fill those spots!

I ahve all my glassware and dishware in tall frosted glass door cabinets I have over 150 glasses and 8 sets of 12 setting dishes and I love the look of the frosted glass it is so much lighter looking than solid and not as in your face as clear. IMO you design the kitchen for how you live and if you do not know what you want in the glass doored cabinets don’t do them. I puposely designed a storage cube for all kinds of stuuf these glassdoors were on some tall cabinets others had pullouts some solid doors some not but I knew what was going in every one.

Agree with building cabinets for the stuff you have, not getting stuff to put in them. Also, have more hidden storage than you think you need -- just wait until you add sippy cups and plastic bowls and all that silliness to the things you already don't want to see! :)

Oh, acm, my heart! I can't wait to add sippy cups and plastic bowls! Happy!

I think it really comes down to the style of the kitchen...if space is limited...then less glass doors...but...all glass doors with translucent white panes takes over the whole look of the kitchen ...and partial see-thru glass sort of defeats the purpose...you can still see thru...(distracting)...you get the most bang for your buck with the divided pane doors..IMO....clear glass or patterned translucent...is more interesting..just a feature...not overwhelming..and more timeless ...most of all...the best thing i ever did to my kitchen was to use one wall space for floor to ceiling shallow pantry cabinets..in our case we have lots of windows..almost no upper cabinets...which makes a smaller (any) kitchen a much nicer place to be

Most importantly..when storage space is limited ..i wouldn’t waste any on things you don’t use...

I have 4 cabinets with glass doors, the rest are solid. The glass door cabinets hold my China and glasses. It looks nice, and if people come over or stay over they can help themselves to glasses and plates without having to open a bunch of cabinets to find them.

Also as an aside, I don‘t have mullions in my glass doors (so I disagree with statement above “you get the most bang for your buck with the divided pane doors...“). Lining up mullions with shelves drives me crazy, cause they never line up depending where you’re standing. I had that 20 years ago, and never again.

I can understand Shannons frustrations...however i have the unique experience of renting homes for the winter for many years so have seen and lived with lots of variations of this concept...i have never noticed this as a problem...and am picky about these details ,too....though i think maybe they chose what they put in them according to where the shelves looked best...and some even had glass shelves...inn most cases they had coffee cups and stemware and drinking glasses...as Shannon suggests...the reason i say mullions offer a little more is it offers a little obscuring detail ..over a completely open “display” type view...which to me sort of implies a need too be more matchy and tidy with the contents..

I did not realize glass fronts are still popular. Most kitchen renovations that I have seen in Los Angeles do not have them. I am not sure the last time I have seen one. I like all things hidden, if possible.

I LOVE glass doors but too many can be problematic in a kitchen. My 16 x 16 kitchen has two cabinets with glass doors where I store my dishes and glassware. All others have solid doors.

@nhbaskets: Have you considered replacing the solid shelves with glass (or removing the muntins) and perhaps adding lighting to your glass-front cabinet? We did both and it made such a difference.

rureadyinia, I actually have no idea what's in or not. It's just what I like. I've never ever followed a trend. I like classic. I'll never sell this house, as it's a mountain home. So it's all about what I like. :)

I just thought it was interesting as I never even contemplated glass fronts when we redid our kitchen about 5 years ago. I do not follow trends either. I tend to go with the house type. We have a slight mid century house now (we previously had a very tradional house) and thus all of our designs lend to that era. We are currently replacing all of the interior doors (current ones are original to this 1959 house and not in good shape). While I know most would choose white doors, we are replacing them with slab pecan/cherry stained doors to reflect the style of the house.

Going out to buy stuff for glass front cabinets is way too superficial to me. Either get frosted glass fronts to obscure things, embrace reality and accept show off ordinary items, or find some attractive and meaningful items to display that you already own.

Would focus on putting the single large items or all of one kind of item where they would be visible.

You could also get an attractive basket that just barely fits the space to with smaller or less organized looking stuff.

You could stack all your dinner plates beneath a pair of cups/mugs hanging from hooks from the shelf above -- what you would mostly see would be the cups/mugs. Ditto that with breakfast plates and coffee cup saucers.

A stack of serving bowls could have a gravy boat with handle hanging above it.

Ice tea glasses could be kept in straight rows.

You could choose frosted or tinted glass for a pair of the doors.

You could add a small colorful sun catchers to the glass inside the door and it could detract from any "mess" behind it.

https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Cardinal-Wire-Heart/dp/B001OPL8YM/ref=pd_sbs_236_4/144-1555078-4230766?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001OPL8YM&pd_rd_r=c0aace12-54a8-4f66-b715-5d46f23b6f20&pd_rd_w=wSWcs&pd_rd_wg=UNxit&pf_rd_p=bdc67ba8-ab69-42ee-b8d8-8f5336b36a83&pf_rd_r=ED0SFSQV0SB788P6Z9KA&psc=1&refRID=ED0SFSQV0SB788P6Z9KA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Stained-Glass-3D-Butterflies-and-Flowers-Suncatcher-15-x-5-5-Stunning/154016098536?hash=item23dc1328e8:g:aoYAAOSwIW1fF33B

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/149041068892684245/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/805636171/stained-glass-butterfly-with-flower?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=yellow+stained+glass&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&col=1

https://picclick.com/3-Vintage-Stained-Glass-Lead-Sun-Catchers-Friut-193556744414.html

In our current kitchen, we have three glass-fronted cabinets and one built-in corner china cabinet with glass.

We were pretty intentional about where we put the glass-fronted cabinets. One is above the range vent and another is above the fridge. Those both hold pretty things that we don’t use super often, like vases and nice serving bowls, so they are somewhat styled and are never used for every day items because they’re up high. The third cabinet holds our drinking glasses and mugs, which while not beautiful still look orderly enough even though they get constant use so are rearranged regularly. The corner cabinet was built for my china teacup collection. It is not staged and they are used daily, but they are still visually pleasing.

It might be best if you cut down the sheer number of glass-front cabinets that you’re planning. There is no way that we could pull off that many in our kitchen. Like you said, we need the day to day storage and I’m not a fan of buying pretty things just to stage cabinets. I want to love/use the things on display.

In terms of cereal boxes and M&Ms, because we were strategic in where we put the glass-front cabinets, it wouldn’t make any sense to store those items in them. We’ve got a pantry and enough closed cabinets for that (even with two teenagers who eat like it is their full-time job, which I guess right now it sort of is).

We have only one cabinet (2 doors) with glass doors, and I use it for glassware, a few decorative items, and some serving pieces.

When we built our home, I was torn on this as well. We ended up doing 2 cabinet doors with glass - LOVED IT! We didn't put anything special in there, but what we did have always looked organized. Unfortunately I do not have any closeups, but hope this helps!

Sammy—when I look at photos, that’s when I see how the mullions and shelves don’t line up. Living here everyday, it honestly doesn’t bother me. The cabinet is probably the most used upper cabinet in the kitchen (got to have my coffee and wine daily!) if we were to list the house (which won’t be happening in my lifetime) then I would probably take out one of the shelves and line the others up.

All of my pretty porcelain platters that have been passed down and have meaning, a couple of tea sets (one passed down from overseas, the other I bought some 20 years back), some barware - all items get utilized regularly, some daily... none are just for show, but all make me happy to see readily.

Our open shelving is for daily plates, bowls, and cups as well... I'm generally not a fan of saving anything for display purposes, but I think it IS nice to display everyday items that coordinate or just make you smile for whatever reason. :)

I have three upper glass doors in the run of cabinets which extend into my dining area and they function solely as a display area for my California pottery collection.

There is glass shelves and lighting and my designer took an entire afternoon to place everything. It was fascinating to observe at a distance as she juggled colors, shapes and proportions as well as positioning items so that light would fully illuminate to optimum advantage.

I don't use anything in there as it is solely for display purposes. My functional cabinets are not a pretty sight once the doors are opened :-).

I also think it depends on how fancy you are. I remember my moms kitchen. One cabinet with 2 glass doors and in there you saw mismatched mugs, boxes of tea, coffee cans, the salt and pepper shaker, plates, bowls, some cereal boxes. Just a wonderful mix of life. There wasn't enough room to be staged. I've always thought of glass cabinets that way.

Just like Seinfeld's kitchen

Good luck!

If you have to ask, you don't WANT them. If you aren't amazingly neat, you also don't want them.Hint? 99% of humans are not neat enough for any but a few over a bar area, and even then, discipline is required.

I have a client with ALL glass uppers, not created by me. Every year we have the same discussion. To which I say.............."either go buy a bunch of coordinating junk, or leave me alone on this, or get some solid door fronts. or, or, or, or, " Same answers every year.

It drives me insane : )

The “junk” goes in base drawers which you don’t describe as part of the plan and they should be included. Then the freedom to use a couple glass doored cabs arises as those drawers will store better than previous base cab doors w shelves. It need not be all or nothing . Even one or two wall cabs w glass can assist breaking up runs of wall cabs . If the aesthetic looks good and not overdone w wall cabs you certainly don’t need glass doors at all. Don’t hesitate to put in a couple, they won’t have to hold the junk , as long as good base drawers are in the plan. That’s the key.

Our glass doors are on both sides of the range top where there are no windows so it lightens the look there. We have good ventilation so no issue with keeping the glass clean. The interior is stained to match the island and they have antique glass so it is a little bit more obscured when not lit. They are 15" deep so I could store serving pieces that I use everyday along with wine glasses, pretty cake plates, and cook books to add some color. I opted not to have glass doors near the DWs where the everyday stuff goes as I wanted to keep the large window over the sink as the focal point.

Hard to suggest more specifically without seeing kitchen layout, but I would reduce the glassed cabinets to accommodate the type of useful items you’ll be storing - glass is also a pain to keep clean. Having them all together is visually appealing as well.

In our last home we designed something like below, but double the size and used special glass (See link). Like minded items and larger pieces made it efficient - platters, bowls, pottery, jugs, vases, extra dishes and wine glasses. Cupboards don’t have to be staged with unusable things; contents just can’t feel cluttered and messy.

https://www.fabglassandmirror.com/cabinet-glass?type=textured-glass

Here are some ideas and hope something would work with your kitchen

Maureen, thank you ever so much for those pictures. I really like those ideas! I'm a baker and serious cook and I love the idea of beautiful storage jars. While I do entertain and could use the glass cabs for those pieces....it's the mountains. I'm talking muscadines, country ham, fried apple pies and iced tea. We're casual up there.

I've got my kitchen down to half glass, designed together mostly, and others closed. I think it'll be nice and fun to set up! Again, thank you so much for those pics, I love those! And I'm off to look at your glass link. I think I want a handblown seeded look.

My dishes are all fiestaware so I absolutely love glass front cabinets!!

We have six glass front cabinets. One section has 4 and each glass panel has one item in it, such as the top shelves in Maureen's pic with the black cabinets. Everything I have in there (bowls, pitchers, tiered cake stands, tureens, etc.) is white and it looks simple and calming to me. The cabinets are wood, so the white stands out. The other section with 2 cabinets holds dinner plates (all white) and wine glasses. It works nicely for me, but having a large kitchen with ample storage for other items makes it easier to decide what can be behind the glass.

In our case, all but the bottom shelves are glass which I like with the interior cabinet lighting.

sheepla, I too have Fiestaware dishes! Aren't they fun? And they look gorgeous on display. I also have vintage Pyrex that is worthy of display. I say show off your everyday dishes. You'll use them often so they won't have time to gather dust.

I don’t have many upper cabinets but 3/4 of them have glass fronts. I have pretty and colorful glassware, plates, and bowls on the lower shelves within easy reach. This way, guests don’t need to keep asking, “where are the....?” And when ( if) they ever help to unload the dishwasher, they can see where to place the items. On the upper shelves are more decorative items, fragile glasses and pieces which are not in everyday use. In my solid fronted upper cabinets are more utilitarian items, like baking trays, cutting boards, trays etc.

Beautiful! So warm and inviting!

We had opaque glass and loved the contemporary look in our old small open concept kitchen below: Armstrong Performance Plus Engineered Walnut Floor Shell White. Backsplash is tempered glass over painted drywall (no grout).

Yes, very modern indeed! Happy for you!