Why Everyone’s Putting Shelves in the Kitchen Again

Kitchen cupboards had a good run, but some of our favourite things are coming back out into the open.

Cookbooks with sauce-stained pages. The mugs everyone reaches for first. Nice ceramics that seem far too good to spend their lives behind a cabinet door. Even the olive oil can stay out if the bottle looks good enough.

It’s easy to see why open kitchen shelving is finding its way back into homes.

The Kitchen Is Looking a Little More Lived-In

For a while, kitchens became very sleek. Everything hidden, surfaces completely clear, not a teaspoon out of place.

Beautiful? Absolutely.

Realistic on a Tuesday morning? Maybe not.

Kitchen shelves bring some personality back while keeping everyday things exactly where they’re needed. A timber shelf above the coffee station can hold mugs, beans and the French press. Open kitchen shelves near the cooktop can keep regularly used spices and oils within reach.

Then there’s the fun stuff.

• Favourite ceramics and serving bowls
• Cookbooks that actually get used
• Glassware too pretty to hide
• Small plants and herbs
• That slightly ridiculous mug collection

DIY Kitchen Shelves Make It Personal

The nice thing about DIY kitchen shelving is that there’s no standard size to work around.

A narrow stretch of wall can take one small shelf. A large blank wall might suit two or three. Choose the timber, pick the length, then pair it with shelf brackets that suit the kitchen.

Black metal shelf brackets can bring a little industrial character, while understated brackets let the timber and whatever’s sitting on it do the talking.

Just remember that kitchen shelves need to handle real weight. Stacks of plates and cookbooks add up quickly, so choosing sturdy shelf brackets and the correct wall fixings matters.

Here at Urban Hardware, we think the return of open kitchen shelving makes perfect sense.

A kitchen should look good, sure. But it should also look like someone actually cooks there.

Keep the good mugs out. Put the cookbooks where they can get messy. Let the ceramics be seen.

That’s what kitchen shelves are for.