How to Decorate Kitchen Shelves Beautifully

FAQ about decorating kitchen shelves

Before we get into the process I use to decorate shelves I want to address a few common questions concerning kitchen open shelves.

Are open shelves still in style?

They made a comeback in the early 2000’s and so it makes sense to ask if it’s a trend that is on it’s way out, or if it’s sticking around for a while.

Open shelves have made a few transitions since they were first reintroduced.

You used to mainly see farmhouse kitchen open shelves in pairs.

Often with that farmhouse flare many of us grew to love so much.

But recently, a single open shelf with a beautiful peg rack like the one we added have become very popular.

Another option that is increasing in popularity is a single open shelf below upper cabinets, like this one.

Open shelves aren’t for everyone.

At the root of the issue, you have to decide is open shelving is for you regardless of what is trendy or not.

If you like them and wish you had them I’d recommend them all day long.

I love ours!

They are cheaper than upper cabinets and in my opinion they add so much character and charm.

What do you put on kitchen shelves?

So, if you decided that open shelves are for you, then the next question is “What am I going to put on them?”

I encourage you to fill the open shelves with items you use regularly.

I’m not into putting things on the shelves just for decoration in most cases.

I love when my everyday items are the decorations.

Plates.

Bowls.

Glasses.

Now, the one exception I have for the decorations on the shelves is if you have collections or heirloom/vintage pieces that speak to you.

I add my great-grandmother depression glasses and a portion of my vintage copper collection on our open shelves.

Otherwise, I’m all about making the decorations on the shelves functional.

How do you make a shelf look good?

It takes time and trial and error.

You put some of your items up on the shelves and then you step back and look.

(I also walk past the kitchen and look, as if I were walking into my living room to help me see it from all the angles.)

Our open shelves meet in a corner and I often feel like it might look good from one angle but not from the other.

So I step back and walk around haha!

Another tip I recommend when decorating kitchen shelves is to start with less.

Then as more and more time passes you can begin seeing it different and make a few tweaks here and there.

Especially from a function stand point.

For example: It’s harder to reach the items in the corner, so I don’t usually put items I need everyday in the corner.

Purge the unnecessary to decorate kitchen shelves

When you convert from upper cabinets to open shelves you will most likely find that you have A LOT stored in those cabinets.

If you’re like me, you’re going to find that you have things hidden in the back of the cabinet that you haven’t seen in years and honestly forgot that you even had.

Usually those are the first items to go.

After you have everything else out, you can decide what is important to keep and what you don’t need.

We donated an entire set of glass cups, because we had more cups than we needed for our family.

Between you and me, we had more than 25 cups for a family of 4…

Choose a color palette to decorate kitchen shelves

When you’re starting to decorate the open shelves you will want to select a main color palette that you’ll work with to create a cohesive look.

Stick with 3-4 and no more for the foundation of the color palette.

For our shelves we went with white, clear glass, black, and wood.

It is a very neutral color palette, but by sticking with a neutral foundation I’m able to add pops of color with the changing seasons (or my mood haha)!

Right now I have white flowers, however flowers are one of my favorite ways to add color.

Flowers and linens!

Last Fall I did plum, burgundy and copper and the Spring before that I did bright pinks, yellows and blues.

It also makes it easier to decorate as the seasons change, because you never have to do a complete overhaul on the shelves.

Just a few tweaks.

Mix metals

As far as a color palette is concerned, you should absolutely use metals.

They add a texture and feeling that adds so much to the shelves.

Personally, I love copper.

Like I mentioned before I have a mini copper collection.

(You can see more of it here in the dining room.)

Copper isn’t for everyone.

Brass and black are also very trendy right now and they go together so well!

My kitchen is more of a copper and galvanized kitchen, with a small amount of brass.

Did you know one way to tell if your copper is authentic vintage is if it has brass on it somewhere?

I learned this when I started collecting vintage copper and now I find it so much fun to hunt for that small brass ring, or handle.

Add functional items to decorate kitchen shelves

I touched on this point already, but the first thing you should do once you know the color palette is, put your everyday items in easy to reach locations.

I don’t add any decorative or pretty items until I know I have space for the items I need easy access to.

Display collections to decorate kitchen shelves

Now that you have your everyday items on the shelves you can start adding your favorite collections that you want to display.

Display vintage pieces to decorate kitchen shelves

Often the things that we collect end up being either vintage items or heirloom pieces that have been handed down.

So if you have those and haven’t added them to the shelves you can go ahead and add those.

A good rule of thumb is to put vintage decor in a room that it would usually be found it when it was originally used.

An example of this is my copper tea kettle.

I display this in the kitchen because it’s very likely that it was actually used in the kitchen.

But I don’t display my vintage laundry scrub board in the kitchen.

This is not a hard and fast rule, just something I like to do in my house.

Artwork

Vintage artwork is so popular right now.

For good reason too!

Art can be very provoking and inspiring, so why not display the art that speaks to you?

By putting a piece of artwork on the walls in the kitchen you can also add come visual height without taking up space on the actual shelf.

I recommend hanging them from the wall and not just setting them on the shelf however.

Only because when the cups that were pushed up against it are pulled down one-by-one the picture will eventually come crashing down.

This is not a specific thing that happened to my poor husband, this is just a completely hypothetical life experience that I wouldn’t want to happen to you haha!

Add edible or green items to decorate kitchen shelves

The last thing you want to make sure you decorate kitchen shelves with is “green” or edible items.

Leaving a bowl of fresh fruit out on the counter right below the shelves, or adding a basket/vase of flowers will bring the space to life.

Play with balance to decorate kitchen shelves

Shape, Scale, & Height

This is the part of the process that you’re going to need to step back to analyze what the whole picture looks like.

You’ll want to check the balance of the colors and the shapes.

This is also why I like to stick with 3-4 colors.

It makes it easier to find the balance at the end.

I like to work in a zig-zag fashion.

My warm colors (wood and copper) are often zig-zaged up and down or side to side when I decorate a shelf.

I do this with the white and clear too, but it’s less obvious when those are not perfectly balanced because they are softer and quieter colors.

Don’t forget under-shelf hooks or pegs

This is not necessary for decorating kitchen shelves, but it adds so much more charm and character.

On this peg rack I love to put my tea towels, and the my great-grandmothers old measuring cups.

We use them to scoop our oatmeal in the morning, which is stored in one of those white canisters.

Pretty functional huh?

I also hang my measuring cups for baking and feeding my sourdough starter.

(If you’re starting a sourdough journey, you have to try these cookies for Easter!)

The other thing I plan to put on these pegs is herbs from our container herb garden.

We have a plan to add one on the patio and I am so excited about it!

But for now, this is just a faux rosemary stem.

Know when to stop

The big and most important thing you need to keep in mind, is when to step away.

I’m not just talking about stepping back and taking a look.

I mean, step away from it completely.

Go to sleep and check it out in the morning when you’re coming at it fresh.

Also, I want to be honest with you and tell you we have had these open shelves for just over 1 year now, and I am FINALLY loving the way I’m styling them.

I have found a rhythm that works with the shape of our open shelves and I can fairly easily swap things out.

But when I first started, I spent way more time on them.

This is why I think you should start will less and then begin adding more as time passes.

No one wants to loose hours to kitchen decor, unless it’s Christmas kitchen decor haha!!

So start small, make sure it’s functional and then beginning adding in the extra over time.

I’m so glad you stopped by!

Do you have open shelves?

Have I neglected any of your favorite tips for styling open shelves in the kitchen?

Let me know all about your tips in the comments below!

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Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,

Aliya

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