Storage is essential to a stylish, efficient, and highly functional kitchen, but kitchen storage isn't one size fits all. Your design style, personal taste, household, and how you cook all influence how much and what type of storage you need. One direction in kitchen design is open storage. Is it right for you?

What we love about open storage

Open and airy. Open shelving allows light to flow through the room and contributes to an airy feeling. The kitchen reads bigger and brighter.

Right at your fingertips. Some items need to be readily accessible (oils, spices used every day). Open shelves strategically placed near the cooking area, but safely removed from heat sources, keep these items in reach.

Less cabinetry, lower cost. Cabinetry is a significant portion of the kitchen budget. Replacing some upper cabinets with open shelves can reduce cost while keeping a balance of open and closed storage.

Adds depth to a small or narrow kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry maximizes storage but can feel closed in. Replacing some cabinetry with open storage, or even glass-front cabinets, gives the kitchen a greater sense of depth, especially in smaller or narrower footprints.

A canvas for display. A wall of cabinets is sleek and uniform; open storage is more eclectic. Open shelves let you create a curated display of your favorite items: books, candles, decorative dishes, glassware. The wall behind the shelves can also become part of the design statement, with paint, wallpaper, or tile as a focal point.

What we don't like as much

Nowhere to hide. Open shelves mean everything is on display. There's nowhere to hide stacks of plain dishes or chipped coffee mugs. The answer is usually a combination of open and closed storage.

More cleaning and maintenance. Open storage means more dusting and cleaning. Items can be prone to grease splatters, especially near a stove, so regular wipe-downs are essential.

Stored items are exposed. Items in open storage face sunlight, moisture, grease, and food residue. Carefully consider placement, and keep delicate items in protected storage.

Can read cluttered. Be careful what you keep in open storage, and willing to maintain it. Even if you start with a curated arrangement, don't fall into the trap of "just putting something down temporarily" on these handy shelves. Clutter creeps in fast.

Which option is right for you?

Replacing all upper cabinets with open shelves is a real commitment to ongoing maintenance. For some, that's a non-starter. Many people fall in the middle, where open storage appeals on a limited basis. A combination of some open shelves and a few glass-front cabinets can break up a wall of cabinetry without taking on the herculean task of maintaining all open shelves. We dig into broader storage options in our storage solutions guide.

Talk through storage with a designer

If you're planning a kitchen and want to talk through how to balance open and closed storage in your space, we'd love to talk.

Schedule a showroom visit at our 5,000 square foot showroom in Norwell. No pressure, just a real conversation about your home.

Transitions Kitchens, Baths & Remodeling
433 Washington St, Norwell, MA
(781) 871-0881