12 Perfect Pantry-Style Kitchens
Discover how open shelves are competing with conventional wall units to create practical, easily accessible kitchens
By ditching wall units in favour of open shelves, your storage isn’t confined to cupboards, allowing for greater flexibility while cupboard-free walls add a feeling of light and space. So bring your everyday necessities out on display in easy-to-find locations, and show them off to their full potential. But be warned – this look isn’t for the faint-hearted. If you’re a neat freak who hates anything out on show, then these pantry-style kitchens aren’t for you.
Fundamentally, this look is all about working the beautility trend and creating a practical, hard-working kitchen that is packed with character and charm, combining touches of industrial chic with rustic farmhouse pantries. So read on and take some helpful hints for creating your perfect items-at-the-ready kitchen space.
Fundamentally, this look is all about working the beautility trend and creating a practical, hard-working kitchen that is packed with character and charm, combining touches of industrial chic with rustic farmhouse pantries. So read on and take some helpful hints for creating your perfect items-at-the-ready kitchen space.
Hang pans and utensils
As well as keeping jars and crockery out on display, try hanging pans and cooking utensils next to the hob to emphasise the working nature of your space.
As well as keeping jars and crockery out on display, try hanging pans and cooking utensils next to the hob to emphasise the working nature of your space.
Add colour and interest
Clip-top or screw-top glass jars are ideal for preserving food, and they have a distinctive vintage appeal that is homey and inviting. Display pulses, grains, pasta and cereal in these jars to create a delightful colour explosion along your open shelves, but stick to just one or two jar designs to keep the look simple and pared-back.
Clip-top or screw-top glass jars are ideal for preserving food, and they have a distinctive vintage appeal that is homey and inviting. Display pulses, grains, pasta and cereal in these jars to create a delightful colour explosion along your open shelves, but stick to just one or two jar designs to keep the look simple and pared-back.
Chalkboard stickers are a great way of labelling jars that hold changing items, and they’ll give your shelves some added charm.
Your guide to an organised kitchen pantry
Your guide to an organised kitchen pantry
Mix in homey accessories
Open shelves in the kitchen can act as a great decorating device that will create a friendly and welcoming feel. By mixing up your everyday essentials with homey touches like potted plants and cookbooks, your kitchen is given as much love as the rest of the home, making it a comfortable space where guests will like to linger.
Open shelves in the kitchen can act as a great decorating device that will create a friendly and welcoming feel. By mixing up your everyday essentials with homey touches like potted plants and cookbooks, your kitchen is given as much love as the rest of the home, making it a comfortable space where guests will like to linger.
Modern utilitarian storage
Give the practical elements of your kitchen a contemporary spin by designing bespoke shelving that fits the entire length of your benchtop to create a hard-working, utilitarian feel. By grouping similar items or lining up bottles in neat rows, you’ll create a smart and considered display of your everyday items that will pack a bold design punch along modern shelves.
Give the practical elements of your kitchen a contemporary spin by designing bespoke shelving that fits the entire length of your benchtop to create a hard-working, utilitarian feel. By grouping similar items or lining up bottles in neat rows, you’ll create a smart and considered display of your everyday items that will pack a bold design punch along modern shelves.
For busy family kitchen dining areas that double as a living space and a cooking zone, bespoke open shelving can be designed to fulfil everyone’s storage needs, providing dedicated shelving for modern technology as well as kitchen items. By designing pared-back shelves and painting them the same colour as the walls, the kitchen area is given calming simplicity that is perfect in a busy space.
16 common kitchen dilemmas solved
16 common kitchen dilemmas solved
Easy-on-the-eye grouping
In open-plan spaces where other design details are the star, such as a kitchen island or dining table, group items of the same tone on open shelves so they make a pleasing display that fades into the background.
Practical things to remember when planning a kitchen
In open-plan spaces where other design details are the star, such as a kitchen island or dining table, group items of the same tone on open shelves so they make a pleasing display that fades into the background.
Practical things to remember when planning a kitchen
Walk-in-pantry style
Provide super-quick access to all your essentials with wrap-around open shelving that mirrors a pantry. With storage on this scale, you won’t need to clutter up the benchtops.
Provide super-quick access to all your essentials with wrap-around open shelving that mirrors a pantry. With storage on this scale, you won’t need to clutter up the benchtops.
Wall-to-wall shelving
Build versatile storage in your kitchen that is suited to modern life. Keep shelves adjustable wherever possible to maximise your storage capacity, or ensure you have shelving of different heights for flexibility.
Build versatile storage in your kitchen that is suited to modern life. Keep shelves adjustable wherever possible to maximise your storage capacity, or ensure you have shelving of different heights for flexibility.
A simple wooden shelf
If the chaos of open shelving isn’t for you, but you still want to add a practical aspect to your space, then a simple shelf will convey your beautility message without being too fussy. Make the look modern by keeping the shelf neat and ordered. You could also use a shelf as somewhere to showcase favoured hand-crafted ceramics.
TELL US
Could you live with open-shelf storage in your kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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If the chaos of open shelving isn’t for you, but you still want to add a practical aspect to your space, then a simple shelf will convey your beautility message without being too fussy. Make the look modern by keeping the shelf neat and ordered. You could also use a shelf as somewhere to showcase favoured hand-crafted ceramics.
TELL US
Could you live with open-shelf storage in your kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
MORE
On Display: 10 Stylish (and Tidy) Ways To Arrange Open Kitchen Shelves
7 Smashing Shelving Suggestions
8 Tricks To Make Your Small Kitchen Work Harder
Country-style crockery and cookware in similar shades will create a beautiful display along open shelves. Chuck out ugly plastic tubs that won’t be attractive and complete the vintage look with wooden chopping boards, wire baskets, and old zinc or galvanised steel tins. A pestle and mortar out on display will also bring home the industrial working-kitchen look.