Kitchen Cupboard to Open Shelving

Tania Pelletier
by Tania Pelletier
I wanted some open shelving in my new kitchen but when I discovered the cabinets are nailed to the walls instead of screwed I thought it may be easier to just transform one of the cabinets into open shelving instead!
Here is a before shot of the cabinet with the doors removed and holes patched. You can see it's a cheap plywood cabinet and the shelves are really ugly and rough along the front edges.
So I picked out some wooden rope trim and glued it onto the edges of both shelves.
Here is the rope trim taped on to dry.
Then I painted it with two coats of Olympic One in Arctic Cotton. This paint is a primer and paint in one and scrubbable making it the perfect choice for kitchen cabinets!
Here it is all finished!
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 2 comments
  • Nancy Nancy on Feb 16, 2017
    I like the concept. However, the counter looks cluttered with the open shelves. I would move the platters to the top since platters are not something that are probably used daily. Then I wold get the cups off the counter and into the cabinet, on the first shelf. Next, move the paper towels near the sink where you use them, otherwise water is dripping over to the paper towels. I would move the coffee pot where the cups are. The background in the cabinet clashes with the wood of the cabinets. Maybe a bright colored printed wall paper or just a bright color.
  • Anna Anima Mundi Anna Anima Mundi on Mar 26, 2017

    Your cabinets are similar to mine and I'm also going to open shelving. The rope molding is a great idea. The plate display is pretty. Have you thought about storing plates on their side by putting pegs there for a homemade plate rack? Also, did you paint the backs grey because it looks like it and makes a nice contrast. Or is that because the back is shadowed. Anyway, very inspirational.

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