Kitchen Remodel - Wall Cabinets Vs. Open Shelves


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Hello,

 

I'm planning on building a whole set of cabinets for my kitchen remodel.  

 

I've been getting a lot of inspiration from magazines like Traditional Homes, This Old House, etc. and I'm aiming for a simple shaker style with face frames.

 

I've noticed that the rustic farmhouse style is showcased a lot in these magazine nowadays, and I really like it.

 

One thing that caught my eye was open shelf storage.  I like the idea of incorporating a few open shelves, but I'm afraid of dust becoming an issue where it's a large space to collect.

 

A good kitchen can last a lifetime, and I want a style that's going to remain fresh long after I'm dead.  

 

Yay or nay on limited open shelves?  Experiences? 

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

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A) The only thing shelves have going for them is price.

 

2) Consider buying cabinets.  I know it's weird to hear that on a woodworking forum...but if you crunch the numbers and factor in your time and labor...it's really hard to justify building them yourself...especially if you're just doing white...if you were going after some custom look it might be a different story.  We're working on our basement and found some pretty decent cabinets for a very reasonable price.  Plywood boxes, hardwood dovetailed drawers, solid wood raised panels, soft-close hardware...8 base cabinets and 6 uppers for less than 4K.

 

4) Do you have a brother who lives in Virginia?

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There are actually a lot of parallels to your workshop.  Open shelves are nice for things you use all the time and want to keep within reach and site of eye.  They also work better if you are a naturally organized person who can keep things in neat stack.    

 

I wish I had a few open shelves in my kitchen.  I also hate the "bank of cabinets" look.  Shelves give you some variety and break up the monotony.  That being said, open shelves are probably most useful when they are under your island/prep area.  It effectively doubles your prep space because you can place ingredients, mixing bowls, cutting boards, etc, within reach and you don't need to fumble around with a door and stare into a dark cabinet to find them.  That is how most commercial kitchens are set up.  

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When I redid my kitchen a few years ago I went with a few open shelves & they look good. But I've grown to hate them. They're dust catchers & if the contents aren't carefully arranged & of showroom quality it tends to look trashy.

Exactly.

 

That's also why I wouldn't want glass doors in a kitchen cabinet.

 

Who wants to waste time making sure stuff behind close doors looks nicely arranged?

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