Kitchen Design
Displaying Kitchen Supplies — Hot or Not?
Do some kitchens just beg for a cozy row of canisters and gear for all to see? Have a look and let us know what you think
Early in my magazine editing days, I read an interview with a local designer that I've never forgotten. Asked about the latest kitchen trends, the designer insisted that homeowners had moved beyond such outdated practices as storing canisters and utensil crocks right on the countertop. I was taken aback when I read that, and almost 15 years later, I still disagree with her.
Some people simply lack space to tuck their gear behind cabinet doors, especially those with tiny kitchens or avid cooks who own every gadget on the market. Practical considerations aside, though, I think a kitchen with no visible tools or sundries looks flat and soulless. We gravitate to kitchens because we crave a visceral sense of warmth and sustenance, and an empty kitchen strips that feeling away. Convenience counts too; personally, I'd rather not run to the pantry every time I need a teaspoon of salt or reach into a drawer to find just the right spatula.
If you choose pretty containers and keep them neatly arranged, they can add to rather than detract from your kitchen decor. Even if you don't cook, you can fill canisters with wine corks, candy or sugar cubes for coffee, or gather a collection of pretty olive wood spoons or sleek wire whisks in a pitcher.
What's your take? Is storing kitchen supplies in the open a do or a don't, if you have the choice? Leave a comment and tell us!
Some people simply lack space to tuck their gear behind cabinet doors, especially those with tiny kitchens or avid cooks who own every gadget on the market. Practical considerations aside, though, I think a kitchen with no visible tools or sundries looks flat and soulless. We gravitate to kitchens because we crave a visceral sense of warmth and sustenance, and an empty kitchen strips that feeling away. Convenience counts too; personally, I'd rather not run to the pantry every time I need a teaspoon of salt or reach into a drawer to find just the right spatula.
If you choose pretty containers and keep them neatly arranged, they can add to rather than detract from your kitchen decor. Even if you don't cook, you can fill canisters with wine corks, candy or sugar cubes for coffee, or gather a collection of pretty olive wood spoons or sleek wire whisks in a pitcher.
What's your take? Is storing kitchen supplies in the open a do or a don't, if you have the choice? Leave a comment and tell us!
It's easy to forget that banks of cabinetry are a relatively new addition to the kitchen scene — a few generations ago, you were more likely to find open shelving and a sturdy worktable. Even if this kitchen were big enough to stow dry goods in, it wouldn't radiate such old-fashioned warmth if the counters and shelves were bare.
Vintage canisters echo the antique stove in this space. My favorite touch is the colander, hung on the wall as you might mount a clock or a decorative object.
Old-world kitchens, particularly in rural areas, had many things in common with our country and cottage kitchens — open storage included. Cleared of clutter, the shelves and counters in this space would look all wrong.
Simple glass jars in a pleasing array of heights help to fill some of the blank space between the upper and lower cabinets in this kitchen. Without the countertop flotsam, the space would look bare and chilly.
Kitchen bric-a-brac doesn't have to be extensive to warm up the room. In this space, a handful of well-chosen necessities do the job without detracting from the minimalist aesthetic.
This petite kitchen elevates canister displays to an art form. Massing them on the shelves in different heights, with those gorgeous rows of red jars and copper pots, blends form and function in the best way.
A solitary line of containers nestled into the top of a cabinetry wall provides just enough homeyness to take away the chill of this minimalist kitchen.
How to keep open shelves under control