A neat look in kitchen design is replacing upper cabinets with shelving.

Open shelving gives a kitchen a more open & airy feeling. It’s a great way to make a kitchen feel larger and not so heavy.

Many homeowners are opting for this look because they can see everything at a glance,everything is within reach and friends can grab what they need easily or put things back without having to open every cabinet in search of the right spot.

If you are considering open shelving in your kitchen, you could experiment by removing the doors on your upper cabinets to see how you like the look and feel for a while. If you like it, you could make it more permanent by filling the hinge holes and painting or staining your shelving boxes. Experiment with your comfort level where glasses and dishware are out on constant display.

Our client tried this experiment before we remodeled her kitchen. The before and after pictures how that she had taken her cabinet doors off for awhile before making her more permanent decision.

One thing that is brought up is dust. People are concerned about things getting dusty and dirty. I recommend that you store enough dishes and glasses for a week’s usage. If you use almost everything on your shelving daily or weekly it should be clean because it’s constantly getting use.

You should store items that you don’t use very often on the upper shelf or in a cabinet. Items that are only used a couple of times a year will just need to be rinsed off before using them. It is usually people who’ve never actually had open shelving that tend to worry more about the dust.

The second concern that comes up regularly is that the kitchen will look cluttered. If this is a concern it could be remedied if you limit the amount of styles and colors of your dishes, glassware and cookware. Add in a couple of decorative items to add charm and warmth. However, I think that a more casual mix of dishware can add charm and comfort to a kitchen.

When it comes to open shelving, most people either seem to love it or hate it. If you are considering open shelving, try our experiment and let me know what you think.