OPEN SHELVES: LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

I do love the look of open shelves, but man, they keep you honest about clutter.

That’s exactly what I’m nervous about. We’re just finishing our kitchen and I keep going back and forth—open shelves look so good in photos, but I’m not sure I can keep them looking tidy in real life. For those who have them, do you regret it at all, or does the “honest about clutter” thing actually help you stay organized? And how do you handle stuff that’s not so pretty, like mismatched mugs or random gadgets?

OPEN SHELVES: LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

We put in open shelves last year, and honestly, they do force you to keep things in check. I use baskets for the ugly stuff—think random gadgets or mismatched mugs. It’s not perfect, but it works. Some days they look great, other days... not so much. But I don’t regret it. It actually made me get rid of a lot of junk I never used.

OPEN SHELVES: LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

I totally get the “some days they look great, other days not so much” thing. Open shelves are like that friend who’s super fun but also a little high-maintenance. I’ve always wondered—do you find yourself buying prettier dishes just to keep the shelves looking good? I keep thinking about switching to open shelving in my kitchen, but I’m worried I’ll end up obsessing over fingerprints and dust.

Also, how do you handle stuff like spices or oils? I love the idea of baskets for the random bits, but I’m not sure if that would work for everything. Part of me loves the curated look, but part of me knows my family would just toss things up there and call it a day...

Did you have to get rid of a lot of things to make it work, or did you just hide the chaos in baskets?

OPEN SHELVES: LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

Funny you mention the “curated look” vs. family reality—I tried open shelves in our last kitchen, and honestly, it forced us to pare down way more than I expected. I had to ask myself, do I really need six mismatched mugs or just the ones we actually use? Dust is a thing, but I found it manageable if I kept the shelves less crowded. For spices and oils, I went with glass jars and a couple of recycled wood boxes, but it’s true, not everything fits the aesthetic. I did end up hiding some stuff in baskets, but I wonder if that kind of defeats the purpose? Sometimes I think closed cabinets are just easier, especially with kids grabbing things all the time...

OPEN SHELVES: LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

I’m right in the middle of this debate with myself as we plan our kitchen. I love the idea of open shelves—makes everything look so airy and “Pinterest-y”—but then I remember my current mug collection (half chipped, all sentimental) and wonder if I’m just setting myself up for daily dusting. My partner’s already joking that our shelves would just become a shrine to random water bottles and sippy cups. Maybe baskets are the compromise? But yeah, feels a bit like cheating...