Our Secret to Organized Open Shelving

A very big thank you to Mansion Global for letting us share with them why we often opt for open shelving! To read the full article, visit here.

Open shelving offers so many opportunities that are not only functional, but also personal. It’s a chance to show off the things that are really important to your family and give the people that come into your home a glimpse into who you are. Whether that means displaying family heirlooms, your grandmother’s china, or some of your favorite succulents, open shelving provides that space to express who you are and the things that are important to you.

I love convincing clients to opt for open shelving, especially in the kitchen. It really does open the space up and give a glimpse into what they’re passionate about.

Are the heirlooms on display, and what’s the story behind them? Do they have a beautiful wine glass collection, and love to entertain? Are the mugs all lined up perfectly, right where these coffee connoisseurs can easily grab them for their daily cup? No matter what they have displayed, there’s always a story behind the items, and I think that’s just a really special way to get a glimpse into the home and the family who lives there.

In honor of this, we’ve rounded up a few places we’ve opted for open-shelving, and a little inspiration for incorporating open cabinetry into your own home.

In our Watertree home renovation project, we converted the old dining room into a “pantry planning” room right off the kitchen with a little workspace and, of course, open shelving. While this specific use of open shelving is more functional, it’s still an opportunity for expression that is carried throughout the home.

In terms of materials, there are so many options – for our Meadowbrook project and Watertree project, we opted for wood, both reclaimed and engineered. Wood shelving is textural, organic – like bringing a piece of nature inside your home. We love to bridge that gap between exterior and interior, and wood shelving offers that bridge, while still bringing in depth, texture, and interest ... whether it's above the bar area, in place of traditional cabinetry in the kitchen, or in living spaces.

At the end of day, shelving should be somewhat functional, so I always recommend a good balance of decorative objects that reflect who you are, and items that you actually use on a day-to-day basis. Usually, these items are dishes, coffee mugs, wine glasses, and are paired with small plants, family heirlooms, or beautiful pottery that tells a story in itself. At the end of the day, everything on a shelf should tell a story together above the family who uses those items the most.