83% of Homeowners Say This Kitchen Feature Is a Hard Pass—But We Have Other Ideas

Seventy-five percent of Americans agree that the kitchen is the room in their house that gets the most use. The shocker: They are also on the same page when it comes to storing dishes and cookware—or should we say, how not to store them. According to premium appliance brand Bertazzoni’s recent trend report, a whopping 83 percent of homeowners are against having open shelving in their space. In a way, we get it: More exposed surfaces mean more to dust, and that’s not exactly appealing. On the other hand, we’ve long been in support of open kitchen shelving. It can make a tiny galley feel airy, it’s the perfect perch for artful glassware, and it can be seamlessly worked around pesky pipes and pillars. Perhaps the reason many are tired of the feature is that it typically shows up in the form of plain white oak–wood planks. But as we’ve seen, there’s a world of options out there beyond basic floating boards. Here are a few fresh ideas we’re still loving.

Riff On Your Backsplash

In this space by interior designer Jean Charles Tomas, dramatic black and white marble isn’t just for the countertop. It also serves as the backsplash, then doubles back as a ledge for pretty ceramics and easy-to-grab sauces. 

Keep a Cubby 

Instead of going all in on the idea of open shelving, designer Sapna Aggarwal carved out six square nooks in this California home that are reserved for cookbooks, plants, and joy-sparking knickknacks. “It’s nice to have the ability to show some personality without feeling overly pressured to have everything styled perfectly all the time,” says Aggarwal. 

Skip the Demo 

By unscrewing cupboard doors from their hinges you can instantly open up your storage. The best part? It’s a reversible reno, so even renters can get in on it. When it’s this easy, you won’t want to shut the door on this idea just yet.