Custom range hoods are all the rage! Look how beautiful the wood shiplap paneling on this hood looks beside white cabinets with black hardware. Adjacent to this countertop and cabinet design is a set of brown and black floating shelves that tie in all of the colors of the kitchen. In a kitchen with closed cabinets, floating shelves like these can display a few dainty items that work with the theme of the entire space.
Cooking with Style: The Real Scoop on Floating Shelves by Range Hoods
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Published: September 30, 2023
Updated: November 13, 2023
Free-floating shelves are popping up all over social media and home renovation shows, enjoying a moment in the spotlight. In place of boxy, somewhat confining cabinets, homeowners are opting for a more minimalistic vibe associated with perfectly planned open shelving near their range hoods. For many enthusiast, open shelving helps create a sense of space that can make your kitchen feel larger. Floating shelves are also great for displaying aesthetically pleasing dishes and miscellaneous cooking items, but are they functional?
Unlike traditional cabinets with doors that can hide the clutter of busy lives, open shelving exposes our habits to the world. The best shelving is planned, intentional, and coordinated in placement and design, but may also require more upkeep and cleaning than you realized.
So is this a new design feature that is here to stay, or will these shelves be rotated out for a full set of double-doored cabinets? Make sure you keep reading to explore the ins and outs of open shelving in your kitchen and what our experts have to say before you take the plunge in your home.
02 of Dust and Grease Everywhere
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According to Patricia, a kitchen critic and interior designer for over 20 years, “Looks and practicality are not the same… no matter how good your venting, dust and grease fly around the kitchen.” If you’re anything like me, you spend hours and hours cleaning your kitchen as it is. When shelving is placed this close to the stove, grease can easily dirty glass dishes, not to mention the surface of the shelves and backsplash. Floating shelves can frequently become another item that will need attention in addition to all of the other cleaning duties.
03 of Strictly Decorative Corner Shelves
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Kitchens are a high-traffic area in our homes, so of course we want them to be appealing and blend with the rest of our home decor. Check out this kitchen that has chosen a granite backsplash above slate countertops and white cabinetry. The designer placed three medium brown floating shelves in the corner of the upper cabinetry to add more color and texture. Linda, a home decor enthusiast, agrees, “I would do an open shelf strictly for design [and] use it for accessories.”
04 of Small Kitchen Mini-renovation
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I think that floating shelves are chic and contemporary and are definitely a stylish addition to your home. They are also a simple way to modernize your space without a complete renovation. Floating shelves excel in scenarios such as small, cubicle kitchens, where they serve a functional purpose and add a trendy flair to an otherwise outdated space. However, critics like Suzy argue that they might be impractical in a more traditional kitchen layout.
05 of Purposeful Shelf Styling
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How in the world do you decide how to decorate your range shelves? Michelle was purposeful in her design method and “didn’t have anything on those shelves that I didn’t want to look at – so no plastic containers, etc. Just fruit, veggies, and all my everyday dishes and some attractive serving and mixing bowls.” No tackiness found here! Only a pure, perfect aesthetic for optimal dish storage.
06 of Pick a Pretty Tile Backsplash
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Zellige tiles as backsplash are stunning and elegant, and what better way to draw attention to their beauty than by a set of floating shelves? This set of two shelves is a sensible choice, displaying placemats, books, a tea kettle, and other miscellaneous items. This design choice seems strictly aesthetic and keeps clutter off of the kitchen countertops, except for a few thoughtfully chosen pieces that are featured for their design.
07 of Achieving Design Harmony
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Harmony is an essential element of interior design, and without it, spaces can look uncoordinated and chaotic. While traditionalists like Randy might find the floating shelves next to the range to appear disconnected, others could argue it adds a contemporary touch. However, the design might be more visually balanced if the top shelves were less empty or the lamp sconces were more proportionate to the space.
08 of Scandinavian Style Shelving
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Out with the old and in with the.. old? This vintage kitchen is thriving with a retro gas stove top and hood, flat cabinets sans hardware, and adorable open corner shelves home to candles, plants, and, you guessed it, wine glasses. There is no need to choose between cabinets or shelves with this design feature. I would use them to add a modern style to my space, especially in a kitchen featuring a vintage design.
09 of Blame It on the Booze
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The glamorous gourmet kitchen is home to a range and hood framed by glossy white custom cabinetry. A functional and stylish way to store frequently used cooking ingredients, this masterpiece takes up an entire wall in a room with large vaulted ceilings and two incredible islands. The floating shelves have been reserved for a unique bar station near the kitchen table.
10 of Range Adjacent Shelving
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- houseofshellbstyles
There’s a lot of talk about hanging floating shelves directly on either side of the stove and range, similar to what is done with traditional cabinets. However, placing floating shelves on the wall adjacent to the stove offers a balanced solution. This option serves a dual purpose: it allows you to showcase an ornate backsplash while filling empty corner space, and it keeps grease and grime farther from the shelves, minimizing cleaning efforts.
11 of The Best of Both Worlds
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Glass paned cabinets can be the perfect middle ground between open shelving and closed cabinet doors. Their transparent fronts still display the goodness of beautiful dishes while protecting them from the grime that accompanies life in a kitchen. As we’ve seen, there are so many subtleties to consider before doing any permanent remodel, but hopefully, this guide has given you useful tips and tricks to consider when choosing storage that is trendy, functional… or both!
