Looks like a simple, nicely organized home, right? Well, not quite...
Did the refrigerated reach-ins give it away? Yup, this spick and span kitchen is actually not in a home at all, but right through the front door of Portland's DOC restaurant. The butcher block counters and and stocked mason jars are just our style, and if a busy restaurant like this one can keep things tidy enough for open shelving, then maybe we can too.
(Images: Flickr user neighborhood notes PDX licensed through the Creative Commons)
Oh my.... I wouldn't be able to reach anything above the third shelf, but still... I want that kitchen.
view sparkle's profile
Third? I'd be in trouble after the second!
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
I have a good question for this thread--
I have been looking for a good floating shelf for the kitchen, exactly like Lack but deeper, as Lack is 10" deep and my plates are at least 12". Ideally, something around 14" deep would be ideal because that would match the depth of wall cabinets.
I see floating shelves all over the place in kitchen design/images, and I know they're not from Ikea so...any ideas?
Thanks!
view chrisciever's profile
Floating shelves are appropriate for applications requiring only light displays -- you'll notice LACK is used for decorative items.
For something like kitchen shelves, which may hold 40 or more pounds of plates and glasses, etc., you really need shelving supported by brackets.
Also, open shelves should not hold as much as a closed cabinet -- they really shouldn't be more than single depth, as then they get too cluttered and are not visually attractive, and are no longer useful as items are not "at hand".
Although this doesn't answer your question, but rather challenges the premise, hope this helps.
view mschatelaine's profile
the giveaway for me was the many, many little white prep dishes on the counter
view Charlotte's profile
I love the look of open shelves, but yeah, to pull this look off yourself in your own home, there are a few caveats.
(1) If you either live in an urban area or have small kitchen where you cook a lot, the dishes on open shelves are going to get grimy.
(2) As another commenter points out, you can't go deep, so you have to go high.
(3) Not everything looks great on an open shelf. You'll either have to edit your possessions, find creative ways to store them openly, or retain some closed shelving space.
view Matilde's profile
See, I want an entire wall of open shelves like this, but not for my kitchen...I want it for my books. Any tips?
view ChryssF's profile
For me the give away was all the boxes of Kosher salt - even I couldn't use that many. Nice kitchen, though earthquakes in California make me afraid of open shelves.
view lindyleech's profile
You can have a lack looking shelf in the kitchen, but it has to have support built into the wall, so they are tied properly into the beam. If the shelf is installed properly into the beams they you will be in absolutely fine shape with the shelves with plates and so on. But this can be done only if you are renovating and know where to install the metal support of the shelf.
view Anusha73's profile
For book open shelving on the cheap, I just put some Billy's together. Like everyone else in the world.
view mskk's profile
That plant on the top shelf would be dead in a week if this were my house. We really even if it was the bottom it would still be dead considering my very black thumb. Watering it must be a pain.
view girlonthem00n's profile
Love everything about it!
view Seaside's profile
I am guessing those shelves are really not there for practical purposes, but for visual effect. It's propping. That would explain why they look so tidy.
No one in a pro kitchen is going to perfectly realign their olive oil bottle (label out and centered!) every time they use it.
view RichardinLA's profile
I like open shelving....but not everyone can pull it off. It takes a lot of decor restraint to keep it clean and organized looking.
view baileyb's profile