Interior designer Suzanne Shaker has my dream kitchen: a simple, sun-lit, clutter-free space with one long wooden shelf running across the wall above the sink. It's the addition of the wood in the otherwise monochromatic kitchen that succeeds in adding an organic touch and warmth to the space.
Open shelving in kitchens seems to divide people into two camps: those who love the look (that would be us) and those who think open shelves attract dust and require too much editing. Ready to be persuaded? Here are 10 examples with wooden shelves that we find appealing.
Above: Interior designer Suzanne Shaker's kitchen in Shelter Island, NY, designed by Deborah Berke & Partners Architects; both firms are members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.
Above: A kitchen in a renovated fisherman's cottage in Norway designed by Norm Architects has a thick wooden shelf that runs the width of the sink wall. (A halogen lighting strip was attached at the front edge of the open shelving for under-counter lighting.) See more at Kitchen Lighting from Norm Architects.
Above: Wooden shelves in the former San Francisco kitchen of photographer Heidi Lender; see Steal This Look: Simple San Francisco Kitchen.
Above: A pair of wooden shelves add warmth to a compact stainless steel kitchen. Photograph via Wooninspiratie.
Above: The San Diego kitchen of Im and David Shafer is lined with shelves made of unstained, unfinished MDF plywood. Photograph via Dwell.
Above: A Dutch kitchen features two small wooden shelves in the same thickness as the wooden counter top. Photograph via Vt Wonen.
Above: Wood milled from a century-old Kentucky barn beam lines the walls of the Food 52 kitchen in midtown Manhattan; see Steal This Look: Food 52 Kitchen. Photograph by Nicole Franzen for Remodelista.
Above: Two long plywood shelves line a concrete wall above an industrial looking Ted countertop in a Tokyo apartment by Naruse Inokuma Architects.
Above: A rustic wood shelf runs the length of a triple bay of windows. Photograph by Janis Nicolay for BC Home & Garden via Pinecone Camp.
Above: Jewelry designer Ted Muehling's New York kitchen. Photograph via Automatism by Christophe Kicherer for Maison Francaise.
Okay, now how do you feel about open shelving in kitchens? Place you vote in the comments sections below. And for more storage ideas, see our collection of posts on Kitchen Shelving Solutions. Need maximum storage? See our recent Remodeling 101 post 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing Kitchen Cabinets.