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Planning A Kitchen Wall Full Of Tile And Open Shelves

We’ve mentioned having a backsplash + open shelving + range hood idea a few times without much elaboration, so here’s the full monty explanation: we basically want to create a counter to ceiling accent wall of backsplash tile with open shelves and a range hood going on. This Sarah Richardson kitchen is especially appealing to us when it comes to the tile choice (we love white subway tile, but we’re thinking we might do something a little less white since our cabinets will be going white and we don’t want to completely whitewash the whole room).

Open Shelves Tile Ceiling3

Now I will read your mind in a move I like to call “David Blaine-ing” you. You are thinking the following things:

  1. What type of tile are you going to use?
  2. What type of range hood?
  3. What color will your shelves be?
  4. Will they be floating or have brackets?
  5. Won’t open shelves get dusty and full of grease?

Allow me to address those questions below:

  1. Not sure yet
  2. Not sure yet
  3. Not sure yet, but most likely white like the cabinets
  4. Not sure yet, but for the moment we’re leaning towards floating
  5. We’ve asked friends who have them and their short answer is no, but it’s just one of those to-each-his-own things. Allow me to elaborate:

We’re not going to have open shelving everywhere and zero cabinetry with doors. We’ll have plenty of base cabinets and some closed uppers to stash not-so-pretty stuff out of sight. As for the one eight foot wall that we’re excited to smack with a range hood, some open-shelving, and counter to ceiling tile, we did a little “research” before committing. We know two different couples who both have one wall of open shelves above their stove with a range hood… and they both love it. When we asked them if they got greasy or covered with steam they both looked at us weirdly and said “we have a range hood.” Apparently up-to-date range hoods have better suction than over-the-stove microwaves (which we should know since we had one in the last house but never actually stopped to think about it). So if you use them when you cook they should suck up the steam and grease and all that stuff without any issues of it somehow migrating up and to the left or right around the hood and mysteriously landing on the cabinets.

We also asked about dust. Again they had similarly no-biggie answers. One couple said they use their shelves to store items they use so frequently that they don’t have time to sit around getting dusty (ex: plates are used and washed and then stashed back up there and used again in rapid succession – so they don’t sit for weeks on end without getting touched thereby becoming furry). The other couple said they just like the look more than they hate dusting, so they don’t mind wiping things down with a duster every few weeks for the trade off of a light open look and easy-access to items that aren’t tucked away behind closed doors.

Then we headed over to Layla’s blog since she has open cabinets and read what she had to say about them. Here’s a big post all about it, but this quote at the end pretty much summed up her take: “Think you can’t have open cabinets because it’s too dusty where you live? It’s dusty in Alabama too! (cough, cough) We use the dishes in our open cabinets every day though, so they usually don’t have time to grow sweaters. If something does happen to collect a little dust, we just give it a quick rinse before we use it.”

Layla Open Shelving

And because we’re complete weirdos who don’t know when to stop, we also heard from readers who have open shelving in their kitchens and this is what they had to say:

  • “We installed open shelving last September and I don’t regret it one bit. I only get up there and dust about once a month and I just crank up the music and make the most of it. In fact, we’re working on building a third row of shelves because I have so much pretty stuff to put out!” – Betsie
  • “We have three cats and some open shelving. Hasn’t been a problem.” – Caroline
  • “I have open shelving by default, but I’ve come to like it. It shows off how your dishes match your kitchen, and keeps you accountable to only having what you NEED.” – Carrie
  • “I only have open shelving in the kitchen and love it. It doesn’t get as dusty/greasy as you might imagine. I love being able to display all the nice kitchen things I have. I have a separate space for the not so nice stuff. “- Debe
  • “I have open shelving with regularly used items and closed cabinets with rarely used items and the rarely used items in the cabinets are the ones that get the most dusty and need a rinse before use. So it’s not like cabinets keep things that sit around from getting dusty!”

All of a sudden this post is sounding like an infomercial, huh? Before you know it I’ll be trying to show you just how much water my Super Shammy can hold (picture my head on that dude’s body trying to sell you an amazing liquid holding cloth).

But really the point of sharing our “research” on the subject of open shelving isn’t to convert anyone (we just babble about the choices that we make along the way, DIY-diary-style). So if it’s not your thing, it’s not your thing. I’m sure there are folks out there who hate their open shelving, we just happened to hear from a ton of people who had nothing but great things to say. In the end, when it came down to figuring out what we wanted to do with our kitchen, we just had to… do what we wanted! Haha. So some open shelving and some closed upper cabinets fit the bill. But we hereby solemnly vow to keep it real with you guys. If after a month of use (or a day or a year) we start to hate the choice of open shelving (or anything else for that matter) of course we’ll tell you! And we’ll share whatever we decide to do to change things. Oh and when we make any final decisions about the backsplash tile and the range hood we’ll definitely spill those beans.

Pssssst- This morning I’m over on BabyCenter keeping you posted (as promised) when it comes to how our house is changing thanks to Clara. Let’s just say we’re adding storage galore for all those toys and blocks and books and balls…

Comments

  3. Melissa @ HOUSEography says

    I don’t know why people get so worked up about open shelving and dust. We all have dust – we even have dust inside our cabinets! I love open shelving and think it will be awesome. As for grease, get a high-powered stove hood and most of the grease will be gone. I’m sure you’re not frying up big vats of fried chicken every night anyway. We love our built-in stove hood insert. Let me know if you need the deets.

    Reply

  4. Lani @ Diapers and Divas says

    I absolutley LOVE the look…and i wouldn’t mind a few little rinses or dustings for it. My only reason why we can’t do it in this house is that we only plan on being here for a VERY short while and it’s a total downer for sales in the kitchen. I design kitchens and baths for a living and the majority of homeowners in this area would look down on it when buying a house…they can’t wrap their heads around no doors. Obviously you guys are going to be there for awhile…so it’s no biggie! GO FOR IT AND DO IT AND KEEP INSPIRING ME! :)

    Reply

  7. mimi says

    I bought backsplash tile from Susan Jablon Mosaics a couple years ago and I love it. They have lots of sizes, but I went with 1″x3″ subway tiles. The tiles come in a 12″ square stuck to a backing, and you can do a solid, or a pre-selected pattern, or you can design your own pattern. I designed my own and it is amazing (if I do say so myself). You should definitely check it out. http://www.susanjablonmosaics.com (the tile installation pictured here is actually from my kitchen: https://secure.susanjablonmosaics.com/catalogs/subway-glossy-tile-catalog.html)

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      We did the same exact thing a couple years ago, tile with open shelving. We wanted to tile all the way up the wall, but we chose a bold color and thought it might be a little nuts and the tile was kind of expensive. So we just did it below the bottom shelf. I love it so so so much! But to get to my point, we used Susan Jablon Mosaics to buy our tile and I cannot say enough good things about them! So many choices, and $13 a sq ft was so much cheaper than the local $25+ places. Also, I bought the sample bag first: http://www.susanjablonmosaics.com/tile-products/Bijou+1×3+Subway+Glossy+Sample+Bag and was so glad that I did. We ended up picking this perfect green that wasn’t on their website, but when I called, they looked it up and discovered that it was a custom order that they happened to have leftovers of – and more than enough to complete the area we wanted to do! They are such a great company, you wouldn’t be disappointed.

  8. Kate @ Bread & Chocolate says

    I love open shelving! Maybe it’s all the inspiration I’ve seen on Pinterest, or maybe the trend has just permeated enough magazines/design shows, but it’s a clean and contemporary way to update your home. Your kitchen is going to look great. I have a teeny, tiny kitchen and literally just added 1 shelf – but now I’d like to figure out how to open up some of my other cabinets. It just feels lighter and brighter (and I love seeing everything organized!)

    http://bread-n-chocolate.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-after-labor-day.html

    Reply

  9. Andrea says

    So many pretty kitchens, and only one can be yours! Numero uno even has beams like yours, if your beams decide to go au naturel… with all the white some natural wood could look nice.

    Reply

  10. jess says

    I love the super shammy picture of Sherry… OMG! So funny. I am personally not a fan of open shelving because I think it can look cluttered… but I prefer it more than cabinets without doors (looks unfinished IMO). I could def. see it working in your kitchen though- you have plenty of other cabinets to hide dishes, etc. LOVE white subway tile- I have it in my kitchen- but I adore the marble subways. Are yall going to tackle the backsplash?

    Reply

  11. Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

    I love the idea of open shelving for the uppers, especially with tile behind. I think it will look fantastic. We thought about open shelving in our new kitchen, but I think it looks best in a large expanse. Sadly, we’ll have less than two feet on each side of the window to use. However, we might add shelving above our range. We’ll have to see how it looks. I can’t wait to see what you guys do. Oh, my hubby and I are planning to use marble tile (http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/and-the-walls-come-tumblin-down/) for our backsplash and our HD carries subway sized tiles for about 60 cents each. I think that was the price…

    Reply

  13. kimberly says

    Ok, that Shamwow picture was juuuust creepy enough to make me want to ask you to refrain from putting Sherry’s head on another long-armed man hocking a infomercial product (but hilarious enough for me to hope that you do it again soon!) And, I agree with Melissa–I store some of my rarely used dishes in a buffet (with doors that look like they close tightly) and whenever I go to use one, I ALWAYS have to wipe it down…dust is everywhere. Go with the open shelving–it will look amazing :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- thanks Kimberly! It’s true, I have definitely found dust on rarely used items in cabinets and drawers and buffets too- dust really is everywhere.

      xo,
      s

  14. Rachel says

    So exciting! I think it will look great! And on a totally selfish note I’m looking forward to your post about installing the backsplash because I have plans to install my own tile backsplash here at some point before next summer (I don’t move as fast as you two do!) and I trust your DIY posts more than others. :)

    Reply

  15. Karen says

    Okay… the man hands and hairy arms are a little creepy… but the kitchen plans sound fabulous! LOL

    I love open shelving. I’ve got dishes in the tops of my cabinets that are rarely used and when I take them out, they somehow manage to be dusty and greasy even tho they are behind cabinet doors. The open shelving isn’t an issue for me. In fact… things might stay cleaner because it’s used more often and if it’s in plain sight, you’re going to stay on top of the cleaning.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ooh good point! I love that it’ll keep us from collecting/displaying anything extraneous. It’ll “keep us honest” as my mom likes to say. So yes, we hope it’ll inspire us to stay on top of the cleaning/organization thing more than we would with doors!

      xo,
      s

  16. Martha says

    I am pretty partial to cupboards, but we did install a couple of open shelves near our stove to store grains and other dry food in cute glass jars. It looked awesome the night we set it up. I still like it, but I find we have tendency to stick other things on those shelves and generally mess it up. (And by we I mean my husband.) This isn’t different than a cupboard, but there are no doors to hide the mess …

    Reply

  17. Christina says

    Love the tile idea.. I have white subway tile in my bathroom which I do like but if I had the chance to do it all over- I think I would go with a color.
    I also have to say that the last picture of Sherry as the Sham-WOW guy had me laughing hysterically this morning!

    Reply

  22. mayaliana says

    We had open shelving in our last place and I loved it until we had some drywall work done in another room and didn’t think to put up any drop cloths. I had to wash everything. Small price to pay though. Can’t wait to see the whole project !

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh man that stinks! Glad it was just a one-time thing! Whenever we have drywall work we try to use plastic drop cloths to make a “bubble” to contain the dust – definitely can help!

      xo,
      s

  24. MamaGigi @ twobedroomsandababy says

    Love the idea of to the ceiling tile! DO IT, so I can finally convince my husband we can do it too – plus, he’s super freaked out about tiling (I keep telling him its easy), so once you do it, I can show him your step by step :)

    We also talked about open shelving, but the San Francisco earthquakes are a bit too scary (not that our current cabinets would necessarily keep anything IN then if the house started to shake).

    Can’t wait to see!

    Reply

  27. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    Just like everyone else, that picture is hilarious! You guys need a gallery of your funny photoshopped pics!

    I love, love, love tile and open shelving! If only the Little House’s kitchen hadn’t remodeled right before we moved in… I’d be retiling like a crazy woman :)

    Reply

  28. Thais Bessa says

    Like you said, open shelving is not my thing. We bought our house 2 months ago and there is one open shelf that is empty and I am dying to remove it asap.

    But anyways, I know you guys are gonna make it a nice open shelving one, and even though it is not my cup of tea, I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

    x

    Reply

  32. my honest answer says

    It will look great!

    My top tip with open shelving – only store things on it that you use often eg. dinner plates and water glasses. Keep thing that get used less often (eg wine glasses, large platters) in cabinets, or they get a fine layer of grease on them, and then a layer of dust that sticks to that. Or, that’s what happens in my house at least :)

    The stuff that gets used often is just fine though because it is rotated out so regularly.

    Reply

    • gk says

      this is my thinking on the matter, too. i think open shelving looks great and granted, i’ve never had it…but when i leave a cute platter out by the stove for a little while, it eventually gets greasy and dusty – way more so than it would get in the cabinets. the top of my coffee maker, so covered in cat hair. i personally don’t think i have enough dishes/glasses/kitchenware that i use on a regular enough basis to fill up a whole wall of open shelving. but, that’s me and we’re just a two person household and don’t entertain every week or anything. to each their own! it really will look pretty, esp with all that tile. looking forward to seeing the finished product!

  33. Carrie says

    I looooooooooove! open shelving, that is going to be amahhhhhzing(heheh, do you watch that new show “happy endings” one of the character says that and it is hilare, she also says that (-: ). And that Sara Richardson kitchen is gorgeous and one of my all time favorites! Whoo hoo, I love tile and that soft aqua/blue tile makes me swoon. Good luck with your choices! Can’t wait to see what you pick!

    -Carrie and Finn

    Reply

  35. Tejal says

    I really like the look of open shelves, but how do you keep it from looking messy on a daily basis? Also, I’m in love with the modern countertop in the first picture. Do you happen to know what type of countertop that is?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry- I wish I knew what those counters were. Maybe white corian or silestone? Anyone else know? As for keeping them from looking messy, I think we’re just going to go for the casual approach (grouping like objects like plates and bowls and cups together). Perhaps if the items themselves are pretty (colorful glasses, classic white dishes, patterned bowls) it can look decorative and sweet instead of messy? We’re not sure yet though, don’t have them yet!

      xo,
      s

  38. Jenny says

    For 25 years I have wanted to dispense with upper cabinets altogether and only have open shelving. I absolutely despise upper cabinets and always have. Unfortunately hubby is not on board and I always kinda worried that it would affect resale value, as not everyone seems to share my hatred of staring at a door as you prepare food.
    But now open shelving seems to be a new trend, so perhaps there is a chance I will get my wish without worrying about resale :-)

    (and the heck with dust, I just don’t care!)

    Reply

  39. Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old House says

    I have always loved open shelves and am thinking about doing some in our kitchen over some base cabinets that have just a big ol’ open wall above them. This sounds crazy, but I am always thinking, “Well, that looks nice in so-and-so’s house, but can I pull it off? Are my dishes/glasses nice enough to be displayed?” Plus, where they are in the kitchen is not at all within my cooking triangle, so I am wondering if the shelves would wind up being used for nothing. Anyway, with all my hemming and hawing (sp.?) I, too, went to Layla’s page and decided on her version, and will just use existing cabinets that I have that already hold such items. But now, what to do with the big, giant open wall above the base cabinets??

    Oh my gosh, so sorry for this crazy out of control rambling comment. Any ideas for the open wall?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m a huge fan of looking at rooms you love until you hit on an idea you can adapt for your space. Maybe try trolling pinterest.com and houzz.com and even google images to see what you find that inspires you? Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  40. Tabitha says

    I absolutely LOVE Layla’s kitchen… I’ve been a fan of that room for a while – I’d love to incorporate some of their ideas into my kitchen.

    I never realized Sherry had such manly arms… you hide it very well!!!

    Reply

  41. Abbie says

    Oohh, your kitchen is going to look awesome!!

    But you know, now you should considering accessorizing with San Pellegrino bottles. They’re in 3 of your inspiration images. Maybe it was a coincidence, but the bottle colors ARE in Sue the Napkin…

    Reply

    • Marcy says

      I noticed that too. I was trying to guess if the water is just that popular or if they are there for the pictures.

  44. Ashley says

    Bahahahhhahaha! So glad I didn’t have a mouth full of coffee when I scrolled down to “ShamWOW $herdog”. You got those buff arms from all that stenciling, right?

    Reply

  45. LuLu says

    You know I LOVED the look of our open shelving but items on it did get greasy and dusty so we tore it down and put in closed cupboards with glass windows. I think if you put things on open shelves that you use all the time it could alleviate some of that build up. But you are right when you say each to their own.

    I can see us someday incorporating a bit of it back into a future kitchen reno. But just a tiny bit because I do love how it looks.

    Good luck with yours!

    LuLu

    Reply

  46. Keri Beth says

    We just bought a short sell and im wanting to do a backsplash i love white subway tile but i am also worried it will be to white on white.

    Let me know what tiles you find you like.

    Reply

  47. Loren says

    I have that second photo in my ‘kitchen inspiration’ folder too. For another infomercial we have a couple open shelves in our kitchen and it hasn’t been a problem. I also love being able to see what in dry storage, and I think the glass jars all look pretty cool sitting out all the time.

    Reply

  49. Corie says

    We have open shelving. It’s so pretty… and my kitchen is ugly. :) And when we renovate, we’re keeping the open shelving.

    When we first moved in, I had the idea of using it like Monica on Friends, you know, storing food and random pots, jars, cans, etc. And yeah…. no. I liked it at first and then it was just weird, probably b/c we don’t live in a TV show and exposed food is just awkward. Now, I store white plates, bowls, glassware, pitchers, a vase with flowers, a few jars (anything white or glass basically) and it looks soooo pretty. The stuff we use consistently is on the lowest shelves and they never gets dusty. The higher shelves house things like a coffee service, some stemware, a serving platter and that stuff gets dusty but, um, wouldn’t you wash that stuff if you stored it in a cabinet but didn’t use it frequently anyway? B/c that’s the stuff you’re using for guests and it would gross not to rinse something that’s been in any kind of storage for a while.

    I guess my point is that whether something is in open or closed storage, if you don’t use it all the time, it’s gonna need a rinse. It’s not like you’d see a nice layer of dust in a bowl, dump some pasta in it and eat it. :)

    I’m liking the kitchen plan so far!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Such a good point! We totally rinse off rarely used items before setting them out for guests (which got dusty even in the new cabinets at our old house).

      xo,
      s

  50. Megan says

    I have an itty-bitty kitchen so I brought a book shelf in to keep my dishes and cookbooks on and I’ve noticed that it makes me wash my dishes a lot faster. I hate having dishes sitting in the sink because my shelves look so naked and lonely without them!

    Reply

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