Kitchen Shelves, Styled

When I first viewed the apartment we’re currently living in, one of the biggest selling points (for me) was the open shelving in the kitchen. For years I had dreamed of big open shelves where I could display my favorite dishes, pots, and glassware. I also loved the idea of having items at arm’s length, to make preparing dinner or entertaining that much easier. I messed around for the first few months we were here, trying dishes and pots in different places or at varying heights, but I’ve finally settled on a look I love so I thought I would share. I’ve also included a few pics of my actual kitchen since a few of you have asked me to do that. Here’s the breakdown!

• The shelves themselves are broken down into two sections- pots and dishware. I keep frying pans and a few additional pots in the cupboard, but I keep my best ones displayed on the top shelf. Similarly, I have more dishware in the cupboards but like to keep all the white pieces on the bottom shelf. The white pairs nicely with the black shelves and provides a clean look.
• I keep a handful of glassware at the far end.  Truthfully we don’t use those glasses often but they’re too pretty to keep tucked away in a cupboard so I like to have them out.
• At the near end we always have a few bottles of liquor or wine, and though it’s not full right now- the white bowl houses things like onions, garlic, and shallots.

Here is a side view of the shelves, which provides a more full view of the kitchen. Though we have a pretty large kitchen by NYC standards, I am very strict about keeping our countertops as clear as possible so I have room to work. I also really love our sea glass back splash, so I like it to be as visible as possible.

This little corner of the kitchen is where I usually stand. I’m near the sink, stove, and all my tools simultaneously. I keep the majority of my kitchen tools stored in a stainless steel holder that lives on my counter. While you see a bit of my breakfast here, the only items that are kept there constantly are the electric kettle, which we use for tea and cooking all the time, and the sugar. All other spices and condiments are kept in the cupboard.

These two remaining photos provide you with a more complete view of the entire space. I took these photos in the morning- I love all the natural light our kitchen gets. I’m also a big fan of the floors. I used to keep a mat in the kitchen space but one day decided to just get rid of it as the floors seemed to nice to keep covered up.

That’s about it for my little kitchen- I hope you enjoyed it!