Open shelves are seemingly everywhere in today’s most beautiful kitchens, and it’s not hard to see why. These photogenic storage solutions add visual interest to functional spaces, allowing favorite plates and glasses to double as eye-catching décor. (Why hide your best china in a closed cabinet?) Plus, they’re practical—gone are the days of digging through cluttered drawers to find a commonly-used item. Utah designers are using open shelves to dress up all kinds of kitchens, from timeless and traditional to funky and modern. Here are some of our favorites:
Stephanie Hunt of Flairhunter brings surprising juxtapositions and playful décor to her own Park City home. In the guesthouse kitchen, open shelves and custom cabinets are both painted in Sherwin Williams’ Grizzle Grey, while a backgammon-inspired tile backsplash by Popham Design turns heads.
Anne-Marie Barton’s Sugar House home brims with savvy space solutions and charming details. Here, brass-framed shelves are both beautiful and convenient, stylishly storing favorite dishes directly above a classic Bertazzoni range.
Open shelves are a perfect fit for a Provo home dominated by reclaimed materials and organic elements. Exposed pipe and wood planks create a rustic finish, bringing casual ambiance to the kitchen.
A modern ranch house kitchen boasts storage built with striking materials, including knotted walnut cabinets and shelves floating on hand-troweled gesso walls.
Choosing open shelves over upper cabinets can lighten a space by reducing unnecessary bulk and visual clutter. Glass and brass shelves complement a custom hood by Bradshaw Design that serves as the kitchen’s focal point in a Salt Lake Valley home.
Rachel Parcell’s kitchen displays favorite dishware next to an elegant marble hood and backsplash that frame a Lacanche range from Mountain Land Design.
Against a painted brick wall, handsome open shelves make clever pantry storage, ensuring favorite ingredients and commonly-used dishes are easy to spot. Potted plants on a greenhouse window add to the cozy charm of this Midway family retreat.
The Fox Group’s European-inspired kitchen is a showstopper down to the last detail. The room is completed by brass bistro shelves paired with a rack of vintage copper pots.
Forgoing traditional upper cabinets, designer Kara DiOrio makes a bold statement in the kitchen of her Avenues home. A black and white granite wall houses shelves with everyday kitchen tools, classic cookbooks and collected décor.
Striking shelf displays don’t have to stay in the kitchen. This modern dining room in Lehi has open shelves and cabinets dressed in white-washed, quarter-sawn white oak. The light, soothing tones are contrasted with a bold matte jet-black finish, building a contemporary black-and-white palette.
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