Open or Closed Storage for Kitchen Design?
Are you considering open storage for your kitchen remodel? Replacing upper cabinets with shelving is a hot trend in the world of kitchen design, but you must be ready to commit to cleaning and maintaining this exposed storage space. Kitchen cabinet are still central to any kitchen design for both style and essential storage, and open plan kitchens in particular accommodate walls of cabinetry without overwhelming the space. There are positives and negatives to each type of kitchen storage. How you live and what you store in your kitchen can dictate most of your design requirements. Let’s look at open and closed kitchen storage solutions to help you decide.
Open storage for kitchen design
Pros-
1. Open shelving is very fashionable and can instantly update a kitchen design.
2. Keep regularly used items on a nearby shelf. Dinnerware, glasses, and mugs won’t have time to get dusty and they can complement the style of your kitchen when displayed on an open shelf.
3. As well as being practical, open storage displays anything you like, from everyday necessities to investment art. This niche shelving in a Harrison Township kitchen design incorporates the glass sculptures into the kitchen, adding both color and personality to the space.
4. Shelving is less bulky than cabinetry so increases light and depth in any space.
5. It’s cheaper and quicker to put up a shelf or two than a row of cabinets, so this can be a budget friendly option to update your kitchen design or add extra storage where you currently do not have cabinets.
Cons-
1. Shelves cannot store as much as cabinetry due to their weight-bearing capacity.
2. Too many items can make your open storage look cluttered and ruin your kitchen design.
3. Open storage is more susceptible to grease splatters and dust since it is open to the elements.
4. Likewise, it must be kept clear of dust and grime and therefore requires very frequent cleaning.
5. Items on display need to be carefully curated to give a polished look, even if you’re going for a casual feel.
Closed storage for a kitchen remodel
Pros-
1. Kitchen cabinets, are an essential building block of your kitchen design layout, storage, and style, and therefore set the tone for your room.
2. There is a huge range of looks available and doors or hardware can be changed up to modify your look.
3. Closed storage prevents the need to dust and clean its contents.
4. You don’t have to worry about how things look behind closed doors, so there is less stress about how you organize the contents.
5. You could reap the benefits of closed storage but still open up your kitchen design by adding glass panels, like this design in Saint Clair Shores.
Cons-
1. While glass front cabinets are a solution for displaying items, they need to be maintained to be kept smear-free and contents should be kept very organized.
2. Closed storage can eat up space and light in a small kitchen design.
3. Introducing lighting into display cabinets or underneath cabinetry to brighten up a countertop increases the budget for your remodel.
4. Cabinets and hardware are generally more expensive than painting a wall and hanging shelving.
If you love the idea of opening up your kitchen layout with open storage, why not create a balance of open and closed storage in your kitchen renovation? Closed storage can bring calmness to a busy display area and provides essential, organized storage for a busy kitchen, while shelving can add interest to a wall of cabinets. Check out our kitchen design gallery for more ideas and talk to us about stylish custom storage solutions for your remodel.