Why Open Shelving Might Not Be Right For Your Kitchen

Open shelving is the perfect place to showcase pretty glassware and your favorite bowls. Plus, it provides extra storage space in areas of your kitchen that would otherwise be left unused, giving you heaps more room for showcasing trinkets, vases, and even pictures. However, before putting up those shelves, and arranging all your crockery in the perfect Insta-worthy position, consider if they'll mar or match your lifestyle. Items placed on open shelving can get mighty dusty and even greasy with cooking oils.

The truth is that if you have a busy home and don't have a lot of spare time to dust, then open shelving is a style choice you should sidestep. Even if you're regularly using the crockery and glassware arranged on the shelves, they will gather dust more quickly than if they were stored in closed cabinetry. While stacking your glasses and plates means you'll only have to dust the topmost item, it's still an annoying chore. In most cases, you'll have to remove every item and dust down the shelving before rinsing your worst-affected glassware and crockery.

However, worse than the dust, is the accumulation of grease from regular cooking. If you cook everyday and don't have an extractor fan, you may have noticed that the cabinets closest to your stove have become covered in a greasy film. Wiping cupboards down with citrus eliminates this problem, but it's trickier to handle when the grease has coated individual utensils.

Apart from regular maintenance, open shelving also requires you to be organized at all times so the items you've displayed look appealing. This design choice might not be for you if your crockery is mismatched and cluttered, as an array of designs and colors can overwhelm a kitchen space. Having said that, some people like the pressure of having their plates on display as it forces them to streamline and embrace minimalism. It also means they have easy access to daily-use items, such as cereal bowls and dinner plates, making it a useful kitchen organization hack. Moreover, if you don't live on a busy street or keep their windows open, your shelves may not get dusty quickly.

If you're a maximalist and still want to store your best dinnerware on open shelving, consider displaying prettier items that you don't use regularly. That way you can run a feather duster across them whenever you clean your kitchen so they look immaculate in between those rare uses. Then when you have a dinner party and want to adorn your dining table with a large platter or special salad bowl, you can simply give them a rinse before use. Alternatively, place your best pieces in a glass-fronted cabinet to get the best of both worlds — you'll be able to showcase your swankiest bowls and wine glasses while keeping them dust-free.