Tricia raised the idea in her article of open shelving in the kitchen. To me that sounded like a nightmare. I could imagine everything getting grimy from cooking. When it comes to housework, I’m inclined to go for the easy option most of the time, and especially when it comes to kitchens.
I often see kitchens where they have copper pots hanging from the ceiling and various other items on display and think how nice it looks, but it is not for me. My kitchen is easy wipe down surfaces and easy to keep clean laminate cupboards that I just need to wipe over. I do have two glass fronted cupboards when I keep colored mugs and bowls. It’s more about knowing what sort of person you are.
In the adjoining family room I have a dresser that has open shelving but that is not in close proximity to the kitchen, so it is not going to be troubled by steam etc. The only things on display on an open shelf in my kitchen are large, clear jars of herbs and spices like chili flakes. They add a bit of color.
It’s no good going for the option of having things on display if you are not a person who likes housework. At one stage in the bathroom I had a collection of shells on display on the vanity. It sounded a lovely idea and it looked great, until it came time to clean. Then it became a chore. Now they reside in three bowls on the side of the bath where they are easily moved come cleaning time instead of having to pick them up shell by shell.
My owl collection is in open shelving in the lounge room and I know how much time it takes to move and dust each owl and the shelf that it came from. Between that and bookshelves, that’s about as far as I’m prepared to go with open shelving. But we’re all different. The main things is to find what you are happy with and what you are prepared to work at to keep clean and tidy.
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