Shelves for the kitchen: types, materials, color, design. How to arrange? What to put?

Types of kitchen shelves

There are several varieties.

Open

Contribute to the visual expansion of the room and make it much freer. However, the contents of open structures, constantly requires an ideal order and frequent cleaning. In this case, to make the care less labor-intensive, it is recommended to install a more powerful hood.

Closed

Such models are distinguished by the presence of the rear and side walls, complemented by sliding, lifting or hinged doors.

In the photo there are closed rectangular shelves with a colored facade in the interior of the kitchen.

Mounted

They become a wonderful addition to any free space in the kitchen or fit easily even into a wall. Mounted shelves can have a wide variety of purposes, which affects the depth, height and location of the structure. Products equipped with a hidden mount have a particularly beautiful and trendy look.

Floor

It is a fairly robust model that can withstand any load. Floor shelves with legs, great for placing a microwave, slow cooker and other household appliances. Such designs are mainly made of metal or wood and are sometimes equipped with wheels, which makes them more mobile.

Tabletop

Such products can be stationary or folding and have several tiers. They are located near the wall on the countertop and provide a convenient place for mugs, cans with spices or cereals, bread bins, sugar bowls or even vases with flowers.

Embedded

Such shelves, built into a niche, an extreme module of a kitchen set or an island, provide competent use of the available space and bring diversity and creativity to the atmosphere.

Shelving

These organizers with a certain number of shelves, which are combined in one box, easily complement any kitchen design. Shelving provides efficient ordering of things, for example, various dishes, recipes, baskets for fruits and vegetables, as well as small household appliances.

Hidden

They differ in a facade merging with the surrounding finish, a set or, for example, a kitchen apron. Hidden models are especially suitable for those who prefer a concise and restrained interior.

Material

In the manufacture of shelves, the use of almost any material is permissible:

• Wooden. They have a truly luxurious appearance, are environmentally friendly and, if necessary, lend themselves perfectly to restoration.
• Plastic They are considered a fairly economical solution that allows you to achieve an interesting decoration of the kitchen. Plastic structures are often placed above the table or above the sink for drying dishes.
• Metal. Despite their graceful configuration, such products are able to withstand a fairly large load. Shelves made of stainless steel or sophisticated metal grilles do not burden or overload the interior, making it truly stylish.
• Particleboard / MDF. When choosing such models, it turns out to significantly save money and at the same time create a very beautiful, simple and practical design.
• Drywall. Drywall products have a variety of shapes that can be constructed with your own hands. Such shelves are more suitable for storing small accessories and are sometimes equipped with spotlights.

In the photo, the interior of the kitchen with hanging open shelves made of wood.

Also quite often in the interior of the kitchen there are shelves of tempered glass that look very fragile, but at the same time withstand almost any load. These transparent structures may have hidden fasteners, which creates a feeling of floating objects in the air.

Sizes and shapes of shelves

In a small kitchen, corner shelves complemented by various accessories look especially appropriate. Such products occupy a minimum of usable area and organically merge into the environment. Quite original design, have high structures to the ceiling, which consist of several tiers. They not only look very stylish, but also suggest a convenient location of many necessary items.

In the photo there is a straight narrow shelf made of wood in the interior of the kitchen in bright colors.

Especially interesting design of the kitchen space can be achieved using horizontal multi-level models, which can be quite long and occupy the entire wall or only part of it. There are also not only wide, but also narrow shelves, perfectly suited for a variety of decor and contributing to significant space savings.

The photo shows the interior of the dining room, decorated with open shelves to the ceiling.

What to put on the shelves?

Popular filling options.

For dishes and pans

On the shelves for dishes, convenient storage of plates is possible, which can be placed on a slide or interestingly arranged in a row. Such models can sometimes be equipped with special cross beams that prevent falling. For glasses and bottles with alcoholic drinks, use various vertical holders, swivel, hanging or side shelves, which often act as an additional accessory to the bar.

Decorative

Designs involving different decor, for example, original candles, photo frames, lamps, flower pots and other cute trinkets, significantly soften the atmosphere of the kitchen and give it a special taste.

For tv

With this design you can achieve a very beautiful design. When choosing a shelf for TV, it is desirable that it harmoniously blends with all the other furniture in the room, so it turns out to create the most comfortable and neat interior.

Food

Very often for seasonings and spices, use shelf holders or use a whole niche under the storage location. Depending on the size of the structure, it can be filled not only with numerous jars, but also with boxes of tea, containers with cereals, bottles with vegetable oil or sauce. For fruits and vegetables, products in the form of a rack or bookcase with metal baskets, which takes up little space and can sometimes be equipped with wheels, are especially appropriate.

The photo shows a wooden shelf in the form of a ladder for storing tea and coffee.

For household supplies

Shelves with hooks are a very practical accessory that combines two functions at once. Such products are also suitable for placing sponges and, for example, hanging towels.

For kitchen appliances

For various equipment in the form of a small toaster or microwave, apply retractable structures, shelves with swing doors, floor or hinged models.

How to arrange in the kitchen?

Ways to place shelves in the kitchen space.

Over the table

A free wall above the table is often decorated with shelves for decorative objects or various small jars with seasonings.In this zone, models with invisible fasteners that merge with the wall surface and become one with it will look very advantageous.

In the photo, the interior of the kitchen with decorative shelves located above the dining table.

In the corner

Corner designs fit perfectly into the interior of both a small and more spacious kitchen. Such products are triangular or l-shaped, provide significant savings in space and, thanks to various design ideas, give the atmosphere a stylish and unusual look.

Over the sink

For such placement choose shelves or dryers made of materials that are not afraid of moisture, temperature changes, mechanical damage and high loads. Sometimes, to prevent the appearance of traces and stains, special decorative spraying is used.

In a niche

With this option, it turns out to get away from the template interior design, as well as the most efficient use of space. The sizes of the shelves are selected depending on the dimensions of the niche, and the material in accordance with the style of the room.

On an apron

This placement near the work surface with a sink and stove is not only original, but also reasonable. Thus, you can place at hand foods and items needed in the cooking process.

In the photo there are square shelves in the design of the working area with an apron in the interior of the kitchen.

Under the ceiling

Thanks to the additional storage space under the ceiling, it turns out to organize a practical and stylish design. The main advantage of such a solution is the preservation of usable space below. Rarely used dishes, household appliances are placed on such frame shelves, towels, potholders, etc. are hung.

Above the door

It is a fairly relevant option for the kitchen. The mezzanine above the door suggests a convenient place to store boxes or baskets with the necessary things.

On the free wall

When placing shelves on an empty wall, the main thing is to observe a sense of proportion so as not to burden the appearance of the room. For example, quite often, a structure is hung in an empty space between two cabinets to create a single furniture composition, or simply placed in a linear, checkerboard or chaotic manner.

Above the sofa

Such a solution is able to endow the kitchen interior with a special twist and a sense of order. It is better to install less bulky and not too long or rounded models with attractive decor above the sofa.

Color spectrum

The kitchen, decorated with shelves in white or gray shades, which are especially appropriate in creating an interior in the style of minimalism, looks really stylish and modern. Black designs or wenge colors are also very spectacular, most often complementing both modern design and the decor in a classic or English style.

In the photo, a two-level desktop shelf made in a chrome shade.

For an interior with a light finish, interesting contrasts are often used in the form of products in rich colors. No less expressive interior solutions are considered chrome color models that emphasize the overall design of the room and highlight its accents.

Design ideas

Due to the backlit models, it turns out to significantly expand the functionality of the kitchen space. These luminous products are complemented by a system of LED modules, spotlights or sconces, they are also sometimes decorated with a mirror wall, which allows you to give the room a special soft and diffused radiance.

Quite an extravagant solution are unusual designs that have a non-standard, shape or multi-colored design, which contribute to the creation of a not always practical, but creative enough design.

In the photo, the interior of the kitchen with hanging green shelves of an unusual shape.

In order to emphasize the originality of the interior, carvings are used.Warm and comfortable material with all kinds of patterns, especially harmoniously combined with a variety of jars, clay pots, wicker, wooden decor and other kitchen utensils. Forged shelves look no less favorable, giving the atmosphere a certain rarity, solidity and chic.

Photo of open shelves in the interior of the kitchen

Open shelves make the kitchen interior more expressive and at the same time very cozy and homely. Due to the beautifully arranged dishes, the atmosphere is endowed with a special personality.

A stylish and modern design option is the asymmetric arrangement of open shelves. Such a solution is not always convenient, but it certainly attracts attention. With a sufficient amount of lighting in the room, open structures can be placed even in the area of ​​the window opening.

Options in various styles.

Examples of design in popular styles.

Scandinavian style kitchen

Nordic styling primarily involves models of predominantly natural materials. Here, semi-closed combined shelving with drawers or open shelves with decorative objects that emphasize this direction look very impressive, for example, such as paintings with animals, black and white photographs or green plants.

In the photo there are wooden open shelves located above the sink in the Scandinavian style kitchen.

Provence shelves

In this interior, they prefer vintage wooden structures with an aged appearance or choose the simplest products in white, beige and other natural colors. Especially relevant decor for closed Provence-style shelves will be curtains with a floral pattern.

Loft style

Kitchen space in the loft style, complemented by more massive shelves made of wooden boards or metal, with an unfinished appearance. Concrete or brick constructions are quite a bold design decision. In the design of these products, rusty pipes, various taps, bolts, screws and metal rods are used.

Country style kitchen

For rustic design, it is appropriate to use antique designs that differ in simple design and decor in the form of forged and openwork elements. Most often on the shelves there is a large number of accessories and kitchen utensils.

High tech

High-tech hi-tech is characterized by models from more modern materials, such as glossy plastic, glass or metal, combined with chrome elements or lighting equipment. Filling should be minimal and include only items with a direct functional purpose.

Classical

For classics or neoclassics, glass cases or shelves and shelves made of natural wood, which have a decoration in the form of carvings or forged metal plates stylized in gold, bronze or brass, are especially often chosen.

Photo gallery

Shelves in the kitchen can be an alternative solution and a replacement for many furniture items. Such designs occupy a minimum of usable space and contribute to the creation of an ergonomic design.