Top 10 Tips for Making Your Kitchen Shelving Both Pretty and Practical
Which you have most likely looked at your open-style shelves (or at least thought about installing some) and wondered, “How do people keep their open shelves looking Pinterest-pretty without those little shelves being in a showroom? Yeah, same.
A good kitchen shelving is sorta like a unicorn; it has to be practical and pretty. So much pretty, then all of a sudden you are sifting thru 14 beauty baskets to find your salt. Too much practical and… it will simply look like a storage room of the primitive 1999.
So in case you have ever battled with disorganized mismatched mugs or had issues with keeping your spice jars out of its doom tower stand(or at least attempted to keep the spice jars out of such situation)–you are not alone. I have experienced that. Let us straighten that up. 💪
So these are my initial 5 hints of the making of shelves which not only look good, but make your kitchen– life a lot easier.
1. Mix Open and Closed Storage—It’s Not All or Nothing
You want a shelf system that does not look like you just pulled a Costco run and dumped it back on a shelf? The secret here is to mix or match open and closed shelves or cabinets or baskets.
This mix gives you:
Display space for cute mugs, dishes, and cookbooks.
Hidden storage for things like Tupperware lids (aka the gremlins of the kitchen).
💡 Pro tip: Put the daily use things where they can be seen but keep the mayhem-generators in translucent containers or behind a cabinet. Then you have fashion and balance.
Have you ever noticed that magazine kitchens are attractive but homey at the same time? It is that proportionality of show and stash.
2. Use Matching Containers—but Don’t Lose Your Mind About It
In reckless I know I know. You have probably seen those TikToks where containers in the pantry remind you that The Container Store gods sent them. But, realistically, matching across the board on a never ending basis, just might not be a reality, unless you like decanting your cereal every three days (who are you?).
Here’s what actually works:
Use matching containers for your most-used dry goods—like flour, sugar, rice, oats.
Leave bulk items in their original packaging, but hide them inside wicker baskets or fabric bins for a tidy look.
Why it works: That in turn allows you that cohesive, styled appearance without devoting your life to pasta in jars. FYI: That is tiring.
3. Style in Groups of Three (Because Math Is Pretty Sometimes)
This is among those design rules, which appear to make no sense–until you do it. When styling a shelf clump things in sets of three (or odd numbers) and it will appear styled effortlessly, even though you have literally just crammed items on there at the last moment.
For example:
Object Type
Styling Idea
Bowls
Stack 3-4 in different sizes but similar tones
Cookbooks
Line 3 upright, add a small plant beside
Jars
Use three with different heights (like sugar, flour, oats)
IMO,the hack of the expensive looking shelves is the Rule of Three. Try it. You’ll see.
4. Display Only What You Actually Use (Sorry, Ugly Blender)
You remember that unorthodox juicer you had in 2021 and you were completely going to detox? Yeah, it should not take up space on a shelf.
Keep out only those that you useannually. Not monthly. Not, I may use it again should I do a paleo.The more you jam your shelves the more disorderly it can become (and even dusty). Make it simple.
Things worth displaying:
Pretty glassware (bonus points if it matches!)
Daily-use plates or mugs
Olive oil bottles in a cute tray
A couple of plants (because yes, fake or real, they work)
Being straightforward, your shelves are supposed to expend your life easier-not an exhibit to cooking contraptions of yesteryear.
5. Use Shelf Liners or Paint to Make Your Shelves Pop
Cmon, it happens: you can use a shelf glow-up sometimes. And no, you don not have to renovate your kitchen and come out with 1K.
Here’s what actually helps:
Peel-and-stick wallpaper or shelf liner adds a fun background to open shelves.
A coat of bold paint behind or on the shelves adds instant personality.
Ever got in a home and thought, man why does this random kitchen look so good? It tends to be something mundane as an accent of color behind the shelves.
🎨 My personal fave? Chef shelves which are navy blue with brass hooks on the bottom = chef kiss.
6. Add Lighting—Yes, Your Shelves Deserve a Spotlight Too
Lighting does not involve only lighting the chandeliers and putting some strips under the cabinets. Fill your shelves with colour and make them a little design moment by adding a lamp.
And no I do not mean you need to call someone to be an electrician and tear open your walls. Get some battery-powered puck lights or stick-on LED strips, and poof your shelf has become worthy of serving as a high-end Airbnb getaway.
Why it works:
Makes your pretty glassware sparkle ✨
Adds warmth and depth to your kitchen setup
You’ll feel like a legit chef when reaching for your paprika under ambient lighting
Have you ever been cooking at night and can not find the cumin? Shelf lights. Problem solved.
7. Use Hooks & Rails to Free Up Shelf Space
When your shelves are carrying the whole show, such as mugs, pots, spoons, and your desire to cook, then it is high time to get reinforcement.
Rails and hooks under or next to shelves are much under-estimated. They:
Clear up shelf clutter
Keep essentials handy
Add that cute bistro vibe (like, “I totally make baguettes from scratch”… even if you don’t)
You can hang:
Coffee mugs
Wooden spoons or utensils
Tiny hanging baskets for garlic or herbs
Even mini pots (if your rail game is strong)
Bonus:This makes your kitchen feel like everyone lives in it, and not in a cold showcase store.
8. Play With Height & Depth—Don’t Go Flat
Flat personality has flat shelves. You have got to have some depth of the scene, or it all becomes a misery of straightnesses.
Here’s how to fix that:
Stack items (plates, bowls, cookbooks)
Add vertical elements (tall vases, pitchers)
Layer items (like leaning a small cutting board behind your olive oil bottle)
Consider your shelf to be a mini stage. All the products do not have to be in the spotlight. Others must be behind and others on the side, and this gives it a rhythmical feeling.
Have you ever gone through Pinterest and thought: Why are their junk pieces better than what I picked out? and this is often due to this stratification trick. Go figure.
9. Dust-Proof Like a Pro (Yes, It’s a Thing)
Let us just call a spade a spade: open shelves are dusty. It does not matter how cute you are making them, when sneezing every time you want to take a mug it is a problem.
Here’s how I beat the dust:
Use glass jars with lids (not open containers, unless you love dust seasoning).
Rotate items regularly. If something hasn’t moved in a month, it probably doesn’t need to be there.
Give everything a once-over during your Sunday kitchen reset. (Okay fine, Monday if Sunday turns into Netflix + snacks.)
Also? Avoid stacking the unused plates that you never need to be on display shelves. They accumulate dust and passive condemnation of that party you are missing.
10. Add Something Personal—Make It Feel Like Your Kitchen
Next (and definitely not least): add some personality. Otherwise, you end up being a copy of an IKEA catalogue (and, frankly, they do not live there).
Add:
A tiny framed photo
A funny kitchen quote
Your kid’s painted ceramic dinosaur mug (even if it’s ugly—it’s adorable-ugly)
A weird thrifted find you somehow love
Why? This is because you need to feel that kitchens belong to you.Certainly it is pleasant to have jars and lighting to match but when your shelving does not say a little about you then you are not using the best bit.
It does not require you to have a perfect kitchen. It only needs to make you smile as you reach out to the cinnamon 🙂
Final Thoughts—Shelf-Care Is Real, Okay?
Look, shelves in your kitchen are not only storage. They are mood enhancers every day. They possess your caffeine, your comfort food and your mess. And they get a wee bit of attention, doncha think?
It does not have to be an expert stylist. Simply remember to be balanced, be usable and include what you like. Add some iota of personality (and perhaps a rubber plant), and you are good to go.
And take your shelves back, one hook, bin or fairy light at a high time. and do not fear breaking a few of the so-called rules.
Got a shelf you are proud of now? Take a photograph and post it up. I would like to watch some magic you created 😍
