Saskatoon Remodelling Services: 5 Benefits of Open Shelving in the Kitchen

Open shelving has long been popular in kitchen aesthetics and storage options. It can be a practical alternative to traditional shelving in any kitchen with a few helpful tips and tricks from professional remodelling services in Saskatoon. Learn more about the benefits of incorporating an open shelving plan into your kitchen and who to call for installation.

Better Budget-Friendly Option

Kitchen remodels can be budget-friendly, but they still cost a chunk of change. Since open shelving concepts do not have cabinet fronts and typically lack the backboard and box cabinet approach most often used in most home kitchens, you will save money in the initial materials cost and labour for installation. Depending on what materials you choose for shelving, you can also shave off a few cents or dollars there.

Materials

Open shelving should be made of sturdier materials rather than engineered wood products since they are consistently exposed to air, light, humidity, steam, and any other elements in your kitchen. Common materials for open shelving include:

• Reclaimed wood
• Oak
• Butcher block
• Glass
• Cherry
• Birch
• Marble
• Live edge woodcuts

Cause for Keeping Things Neat

The solution for cluttered cabinets comes down to organizational fortitude. If you have items that you don’t need or don’t use, it is time to reorganize your kitchen. Follow the idea that if it doesn’t bring you joy or if you don’t use it with regularity, it’s time to let it go.

Use the pile approach for reorganization. Start by making the sell, donate, and trash piles. The items in the donate pile are typically new and gently used items that can be useful to someone else. If they are in mint condition and can be used by someone else, try to sell them. If you don’t want to sell, make only a donate and trash pile. Trash items comprise broken or complicated things that are useless without repair, another part, or a manual.

The remaining items can be neatly organized by type in open shelving. The appearance will no longer be cluttered and chaotic but relatively clean and efficient for regular use.

Collector’s Display Prized Possessions

Open shelving is a dream for collectors. A collector can only have so many curio cabinets or lighted glass cases. If you collect glassware, dishware, or other kitchen items, open shelving is a great way to display them. Items that are out and visible to guests make for great conversation pieces.

Ideal collector items for display might include:

• Antiques
• Handmade dishes
• Numbered collections
• Special releases
• Colour collections
• Mixers
• Glassware
• Heirlooms

Maximize Odd Areas and Small Spaces

Traditional cabinetry often leaves spaces unused, such as areas near the ceiling and quite a bit of space between shelves. Open shelving can be installed to accommodate your need for more ample storage. If you want a more streamlined look or your open shelves are in interim solution while you save for cabinets fronts, shelf stacks can be applied to maximize space.

Easy and Efficient Cleaning Access

Open shelving allows for easier cleaning in two different ways. Cleaning is more efficient because you are better able to see any dust or debris that has settled on your items displayed on open shelving. Another way cleaning is made more manageable with open shelves is to quickly reach all the areas you need to clean with less effort.

A long duster will make light work of dusting the entire installation of open shelving rather than taking out everything in a cabinet each season and clearing out behind what’s inside due to limited visibility. There’s minimal opportunity for cramming items behind one another in an open shelving plan.

For more information on installing open shelving in your kitchen to maximize the space you have and better display your kitchen wares, contact Handyman Connection in Saskatoon for more information.