Add art to your home with open shelving
September 18, 2017
While the look may not be for everybody, open shelving around the home is a new style taking the interior design world by storm. The trend of open shelving may seem daunting to busy parents who prefer to ‘hide’ some of the clutter of day-to-day life behind closed doors, but open shelving is a unique way to add character to any room and even uplift a space that may need a little TLC.

Would you be brave enough to forgo cupboard doors in certain rooms around your home in order to embrace the trend? Here’s how open shelving can add a modern edge to your home…

In the kitchen

It doesn’t get more on-trend than open shelving in the kitchen. Switching your wall cabinets to open shelving space makes for a bright and airy injection of life into any kitchen and is hailed as offering a timeless look.

Open cabinet shelving expands your kitchen space and adds an interesting dimension to your kitchen similar to a feature wall. It could also be a way to frame your stove unit or sink area. If you want to create an ornamental wall but don’t have the space, removing your cabinets and displaying your crockery on open shelving is a great way to do it.

A variety of materials can be used for open shelving, the most popular of which include: floating shelves made of light wooden panels, mixtures of wood and chrome, glass and chrome, combinations of light and dark woods as well as painted wood and raw, knotted wood.

In your living room & dining room

Looking to uplift a dreary or over-loved lounge area or dining room? Open shelving is a cost-effective way to do so! Give your lounge or dining area a modern edge and simply repaint an old and tired TV unit or crockery cupboard, then remove its doors. This will also give you a chance to declutter and throw out all those unwanted magazines, books and nick knacks you don’t need!

You can create a unique, quirky wall display with picture frames, stacks of reading books (you want to keep!), small pot plants, vases and candles. The joy is in having the freedom to create a space that is truly yours, to share with others!

In the bathroom

If the thought of open shelving in your bathroom freaks you out, then the trick is to keep it simple! Open shelving is a great way to add additional storage to a small bathroom in an interesting and modern way.
Consider installing two or three floating shelves above your toilet and stack magazines, a candle or two and a fake pot plant on them – use a wicker basket to store toilet rolls and other bathroom essentials you’d like to keep out-of-sight.

In the bedroom

While this may not be ideal for a child’s bedroom, open shelving makes for a fantastic way to create a beautiful, personalised feature wall in a master bedroom. It could be as simple as installing some shelving behind your bed and decorating them with personal nick-knacks such as picture frames, pot plants, vases, your favourite scented candles, blankets, throws, books – the possibilities are endless!

Open shelving is an interior design trend that can be both cost-effective and simple to install in your home. It may take a little time to sort the mess which generally hides ‘behind closed doors’, but if you’re looking to create the ultimate feature wall or feature corner – open shelving is your answer!

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By Kyra Harper August 15, 2023
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