Open Shelving vs Closed Cabinets: Which Suits Your Kitchen?
Open shelving has become one of the most talked-about choices in modern kitchen design. Swapping some or all of the wall units for shelves makes a room feel lighter and more personal, but it also changes how much you can store and how often you clean. Closed cabinets do the opposite: they hide everything away and keep the kitchen calm, at the cost of a heavier look on the wall.
In short:
- Choose open shelving for a small or narrow kitchen, a feature wall you want to show off, or everyday items you reach for constantly.
- Choose closed cabinets if you need maximum storage, cook a lot, or want a clean, clutter-free look that is easy to keep tidy.
- Mix the two for the best of both: closed wall units for most storage, with one run of open shelves where you want a display.
What Is Open Shelving in a Kitchen?
An open shelving kitchen uses shelves without doors in place of some or all of the wall cabinets. The shelves can be floating, fixed to hidden brackets so they appear to come straight out of the wall, or supported on visible brackets for a more traditional look. Some kitchens also use open-fronted cabinets, where the box is the same as a wall unit but the door is left off.
Shelves can be timber, painted board or melamine faced board to match the rest of the kitchen. The important point is that whatever sits on them is always on show, so the choice is as much about how you live as about how the room looks.
The Pros of Open Shelving
The biggest advantage is space. Without bulky wall units, the room looks wider and taller, which is why kitchen open shelving works so well in compact kitchens, galley layouts and rooms with low ceilings. Light spreads further, and a window or splashback is not hidden behind cabinet sides.
Shelves are also quick to reach. Mugs, plates and jars can be grabbed without opening a door, which suits a busy breakfast routine. They are a chance to show favourite crockery, cookbooks and plants, giving the kitchen a lived-in feel that a wall of identical doors cannot.
The Cons: Dust, Grease and Clutter
Anything on an open shelf collects dust, and shelves near the hob also collect a thin layer of grease from cooking. Items you use every day stay clean because they are washed often, but anything that sits untouched for weeks will need wiping before use.
Open shelves also need discipline. Mismatched packaging, half-used bags and stacks of bowls quickly make a kitchen look messy. If you prefer to put things away and close the door on them, open shelving can become a source of daily frustration rather than a design feature.
Why Closed Wall Cabinets Still Win for Storage
Closed cabinets simply hold more. A wall unit has shelves top to bottom behind its doors, so you can stack tins, dry goods and less attractive items without anyone seeing them. Doors also protect the contents from dust and grease, so glasses and plates stay clean between uses.
They give a calmer look, too. A run of matching doors makes the kitchen feel finished and ordered, which is why most families and keen cooks keep at least some kitchen wall cabinets with doors. Our kitchen wall units come in 720mm and 900mm heights in White, Light Grey, Dust Grey and Oak, ready for the doors of your choice.
Cost Compared: Shelves vs Wall Units
On paper, shelves cost less than cabinets. A single shelf and a pair of brackets is cheaper than a wall unit, its doors and hinges. As a guide, our 1000mm double wall unit carcass in 720mm height starts at £130, before doors are added.
The gap narrows once you allow for what you lose. Shelves store less, so you may need more base units, a larder or a pull-out to make up the space. Good quality shelves, strong concealed brackets and fixing into solid walls also add cost. If storage is already tight, removing wall cabinets can end up being the more expensive option over the life of the kitchen.
Designing a Kitchen Without Wall Cabinets
A kitchen without wall cabinets can look striking, but the storage has to go somewhere. The usual answer is to make the base units and tall units work harder. Deep pan drawers, a pull-out larder and a bank of tall units on one wall can easily replace the storage lost overhead. Our guide to tall units vs base units explains what goes where.
Inside the cupboards, inserts make a real difference. Pull-out baskets, corner pull-outs and a well-planned larder bring everything within reach, so you do not miss the wall units. See our ideas on kitchen cabinet storage inserts worth adding and how to design pantry storage.
Mixing Open Shelving and Closed Cabinets
For most homes, a mix is the most practical choice. Keep closed wall units on the main run for everyday storage, then add open shelves in one place where they make the most impact: beside a window, at the end of a run or on a short wall that would otherwise hold a single narrow cabinet.
Glass-fronted doors are a good middle ground. They show off glassware and crockery like a shelf but keep out dust like a cabinet. Several of our ranges include clear glazed doors, such as the Slim Frame Woodgrain shaker doors. Lighting under shelves or inside glazed units also lifts the whole display; our kitchen cabinet lighting ideas cover the options.
Shelf Depth, Thickness and Height Above the Worktop
Getting the measurements right is what separates a shelf that works from one that just looks good in photos:
- Depth: 250mm to 300mm suits plates, bowls and jars. Deeper shelves tempt you to store things at the back where they are forgotten.
- Thickness: 18mm board works for short spans with good support. Thicker shelves of 25mm to 40mm look more substantial on floating kitchen shelves and resist sagging.
- Height above the worktop: the lowest shelf usually sits around 450mm to 500mm above the worktop, in line with where wall units would hang, so it clears small appliances.
- Spacing: 300mm to 400mm between shelves leaves room for tall jars and stacked plates.
Heavy items such as stacked plates need firm fixings into the wall structure, and long shelves need support at regular intervals. If you are building shelves to match your cabinets, our cut and edge boards are supplied to size in Egger and Kronospan finishes, and our guide on MFC vs MDF for shelving helps you choose the right board.
What to Put on Open Kitchen Shelves
The best things for open shelves are items you use daily and are happy to see: everyday plates, bowls, mugs and glasses, oils and spices in matching jars, and a few cookbooks. Because they are washed and used often, they never have time to gather dust.
Keep the display simple. Group items by colour or type, leave some empty space on each shelf and limit decorative pieces to one or two per shelf. Anything you use rarely, or that comes in bright packaging, belongs behind a door. A slim kitchen wine rack is another way to add open display storage without giving up a full run of cabinets.
How to Keep Open Shelves Clean
Placement matters most. Avoid putting open shelves directly beside or above the hob, where grease and steam settle fastest, and use your extractor every time you cook. Shelves on the far side of the kitchen stay cleaner for much longer.
A quick weekly wipe with a damp microfibre cloth keeps dust under control, with a deeper clean every month or two using warm water and a little washing-up liquid. Choosing a wipeable finish, such as melamine or a sealed timber, makes this far easier than raw wood.
Which Option Is Right for You?
If you have plenty of storage elsewhere, love displaying your kitchenware and do not mind a weekly wipe, open shelving can transform the feel of the room. If you cook a lot, have a smaller kitchen with few other cupboards, or simply prefer a clean, uncluttered look, closed cabinets are the safer choice. For most kitchens, closed wall units with one well-placed run of open shelves give the best balance of storage and style.
For more ways to plan your space, read kitchen storage solutions that actually work, or browse our kitchen storage solutions. If you would like advice on your layout, contact Aspin Collins or call 0161 465 4007.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is open shelving in a kitchen a good idea?
It can be, if you have enough storage elsewhere and use the shelves for everyday items. Open shelving makes a kitchen feel lighter and more spacious, but it holds less than wall cabinets and needs regular dusting.
2. How do you keep open kitchen shelves dust free?
Store items you use daily, so they are washed often, and keep shelves away from the hob. A weekly wipe with a damp microfibre cloth and a wipeable shelf finish keep dust and grease under control.
3. How deep should open kitchen shelves be?
Most open kitchen shelves are 250mm to 300mm deep. That suits plates, bowls and jars without items getting lost at the back, and keeps the shelf from projecting too far over the worktop.
4. How high should shelves be above a kitchen worktop?
The lowest shelf usually sits around 450mm to 500mm above the worktop, the same height wall units would hang. This leaves room for small appliances and keeps the shelf within easy reach.
5. Can you add doors to open shelves later?
Not to floating shelves, but open-fronted cabinets can take doors later if they were built as standard wall units. Planning standard unit sizes from the start keeps this option open if your needs change.
6. Are open shelves still in style?
Yes, but the trend has moved towards balance. Rather than replacing every wall cabinet, most modern kitchens combine closed units with one run of open shelves or glass-fronted doors for display.
