I Think Open Shelves in Kitchens Are Overrated For Most Homes

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I know open shelves look nice in pictures, but I’m starting to feel like they don’t really work for most people in real life.

A friend of mine installed them recently, and at first, it looked really good. Everything was arranged nicely plates, cups, small jars almost like a display, but after a few weeks, reality kicked in.

Dust started settling. Not heavily, but enough to notice. And in a kitchen, that’s not something you want on items you use daily.

Also, maintaining that arranged look takes effort. You can’t just place things randomly like you would inside a cabinet. Everything has to look intentional, or it starts to look messy quickly.

Another thing is cooking oil and smoke. Over time, it slightly affects items on open shelves, especially if the kitchen isn’t very ventilated.

I’m not saying open shelves are bad completely. They might work for people who are very organized or don’t cook heavily. But for everyday use, especially in busy homes, I feel closed cabinets are more practical.

Maybe a mix of both would be better a few open shelves for frequently used items and cabinets for everything else.

I’m curious, though if you’ve used open shelves long-term, how has it been for you?

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I personally think they’re overrated for most homes. They look nice in photos, but in real life they collect dust fast and need constant styling just to not look messy.

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Open Shelves in kitchen? NO

I PREFER THEM CLOSED

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I do prefer clothes shelves then open shelves

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I used open shelves for a while. They look great but need constant cleaning. Eventually I mixed both shelves and cabinets, which feels way more practical for everyday kitchen use.

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Open shelves look beautiful initially, but daily cooking, dust, and constant organizing definitely make closed cabinets feel far more practical long term.