Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Open Kitchen Storage?

So you may recall from my "Big Plans" post that I am dreaming of a kitchen built-in this year. While that dream is still very much alive, I thought it might be a good idea to explore some other options just in case my dreams are too far from reality; ie, my husband is an engineer not a carpenter. (That and I have a habit of changing my mind... like... all the time!) Here is a shot of the kitchen table and the sad empty wall behind it that is just begging for some attention:
Recently I've seen a ton of kitchens with open storage. I like the idea of using a series of matching wall shelves to create open storage in the kitchen because everything will be in plain sight. Not to mention the fact that installing a set of shelves is less expensive and way less permanent than a built-in. With so many items on display and at your finger tips, it's a sure fire way to remember to use the serving dishes, vases, and glasses you already own. Here's a look at the different ways people are using shelves to keep their dishes out in the open:

Pottery Barn's Modern Shelves:
And check out this awesome site, Remodelista.com, they dedicated an entire entry to open shelves in the kitchen. NOTE: You must visit this site and stay a while. Add it to your favorites as I'm sure it will become one. It is a mecca for anyone thinking about remodeling! I am a big fan of these floor to ceiling shelves sporting a colorful display of dishes, books, and glass canisters:
Where to buy said shelves? I found several options and thought I'd share my findings here:
1.) Pottery Barn's Modern Wall Shelves
2.) Pottery Barn's Holman Wall Shelves
3.) Ikea's Lack Shelves
4.) CB2's Wedge Wall Shelves
5.) West Elm's Chunky Wall Shelves
So what do you think? Is open storage a good idea?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the open storage idea, thisyounghouse does it behind their dining room table and I am so copying them when we get a townhouse. It's also soo much cheaper and when you have cool pieces you want to show off you can!!

Lysie*Lu said...

i do like the open storage idea- esp in your kitchen erica. personally i think it's gotta be all or nothing on that wall (as shown in the one pic from floor to ceiling. what would be really neat would be to have the storage shelves go up 2/3 of the way up the wall, and put in similar looking gallery shelves to display art at the top with some track lighting like in this Pottery Barn display. i'm such fan of this style. http://www.potterybarn.com/pbimgs/rk/images/p2/products/200831/0112/img21m.jpg