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Decorating Kitchen Shelves

Remember yesterday when our shelves looked like this?

Shelves 26 After Full

Well, then I had fun doing this (if you’re at work, you can watch this without sound and totally get the gist):

If you check out the video you can see that I can actually reach everything up on those top shelves except for the stuff in the corner by the window, but it’s easy enough to sit on the counter to grab it.

StyleShelves Lights Off 1

Who knew I’d be able to reach all that stuff? I totally expected to have to scream “Joooooohn” whenever I needed something up there (he’s the chef of the family so that probably wouldn’t have happened very often anyway). Or use a step stool if he’s missing/outside/hiding and I’m really desperate. Haha.

StyleShelves Far

So now our shelves are chock full o’ stuff, and are most definitely still a work in progress, but mighty cheerful and functional all the same…

StyleShelves Deet Vertical

It’s not necessarily where things will stay – just a first pass for sure. I actually have since re-stacked some of the bowls – and plates & dishes have gotten used so things are constantly changing. It really is a completely rotating display. The funny thing is that it’s kind of crazy to “perfectly style” kitchen shelves anyway since it’s all supposed to be used and is always being picked up or washed or put back so I have already declared that I WILL NOT BE CRAZY. And John is holding me to it. Hah. So since nothing is glued down or expected to remain exactly where I placed it OR ELSE, consider this to be just one “take” of many when it comes to our open shelves. I’m sure ceramic animals will worm their way in there somewhere. And I’m sure as we add crown molding and patch the ceiling (at which point everything has to come back down from the shelves) things might get switched up. But that’s half the fun when you’re me.

As you can see from the video, I didn’t give anything too much thought. Sometimes over-thinking can be the bane of your existence when you’re loading up shelves or a bookcase. So it was all sort of first-thought. So for anyone wondering about my method… I actually consciously tried not to think too much and just moved stuff around and stepped back and tried to focus on what I wanted to be easiest to grab and grouping things that made sense (like all the items for setting the dinner table and dessert stuff). I’m sure it’ll evolve and change – and most likely get better and more functional – over time. Here’s hoping, anyway! And you know I’ll take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.

StyleShelves Vertical Side

Oh and you can see from the shot above how shallow the brackets are and how deep our 12″ shelves are, so there’s plenty of room for stuff and the brackets don’t interfere with storage or anything. Whew.

But back to filling up those shelves. I tried hard not to think too hard (say that three times fast) but I did think about one thing the whole time I was at it: function. For example, I put our dessert bowls and dessert plates on the bottom right shelf and all of our large dinner dishes and cups and cereal bowls on the bottom left shelf. So those are closest at hand (and just a step or two away from the dishwasher with no cabinet doors to open, so that should be pretty convenient). Then the top shelves got things that we may use less often, but that still might sit out on counters in a kitchen anyway (ex: a cute cake stand, some bigger serving bowls, a vase, a bottle of my mom’s favorite bubbly drink, etc). We figure that even when those items sit in cabinets for a while they can get dusty, so it should be the same difference (a quick rinse and they’re ready to go). We’ll keep you posted on how it all works for sure.

Here’s how the room now looks from the office doorway. Such a difference. Although the not-stainless dishwasher still kills us, but soon enough we should have the new one installed. Oh and I meant to take a shot of the window straight on to show the balance of the shelves that are spaced 14″ from the right of it and the cabinet that’s spaced 14″ to the left of it… but I had a brain fart. Epic picture-taking fail. So that shot’s to come.

StyleShelves From Office

Memory lane time? Sure. The room used to look like this from the office doorway. Kinda crazy, right? I’m totally standing in the exact same spot – not any closer (see the counter cutting off at the bottom of each picture at nearly the same spot?). Isn’t it crazy how much closer the window feels in the picture below?

John Standing On Counter

But let’s get back to the present. Do you hear a harp softly playing in the background or is it just me? Picture me twirling around with my arms out while orchestral music swells and birds come and fly around me holding ribbons in their beaks. Only less graceful and more awkward. And maybe the birds are just Burger and Clara holding toilet paper and spinning around beside me while I grin up at the can lights.

StyleShelves Deet Short Sid

Oh and someone pointed out that we have lots of subtle curves going on with our brackets and our round penny tile and our round pendants. I love happy accidents like that! With more angular things like the range hood and the peninsula, it’s nice to have some softer shapes to complement them. High five for happy accidents.

Now that we have our pretty glass cups out in front of the boring clear ones we actually use them more. And I get to stare at them. Wait, that sounds creepy. I get to gaze at them. Better?

StyleShelves Deet Glasses

We think the random pops of blue, green, and yellow along with those two frames I stuck up there are fun. It’s definitely not a “magazine after” or anything – more like a gathering of all the stuff we actually use with some pretty decorative things tossed in there for fun. If a magazine blew in I think they’d probably add “more pretty” (flowers, lacquered boxes, candlesticks, etc) in exchange for “less function” (translation: I would love it and John would roll his eyes and say “um, where are all our plates and bowls and cups?”).

Oh and a bunch of folks asked if we considered a third row of shelves up top, but we figured once we loaded up those second shelves the stuff on them would balance with the top of the doorway, so anything above that might have been too heavy/cluttered for us. Plus that stuff would be really hard to reach/use.

StyleShelves Far

And as for where we put the brackets, we wanted them all to be equally spaced on both sides (we looked at three on the left side but they didn’t feel as balanced with the ones on the right as four of them did). And that preferred layout thankfully worked with our studs (nearly all of our screws aligned perfectly and they feel really strong!), so after looking at a few different hanging options/bracket placements (and taping things off to help picture them) we just pulled the trigger and went with our favorite – which we thankfully love just as much in real life!

In short: we are so very happy with our wall o’ tile complete with glorious bracketed shelves full of sunshine and rainbows. Literally, the art actually says “Love Life” (it was the cover of a book that John got me, which I framed) and “Squeeze The Day” (a favorite flier from an old Boden catalog that came in the mail). We know open shelves (or these brackets/wall color/tile/pendants/stools/accessories) might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we dig it. And the whole photography crew for the book is being very cute about stroking and gazing right along with us (full disclosure: this is one of those things that looks better in person, and even the video completely fails to capture it) so you’ll all just have to come over when we’re done with all of the crazy book chaos. Haha. You can even pour yourself a drink since you know where we keep the cups…

StyleShelves Deet Vertical

In other news: oh happy day – the tulips are still alive! I keep meaning to drop a penny in the water while Clara’s around so we can watch them perk up. Thanks for all the flower tips guys!

StyleShelves Flowers Side

Here’s another shot sans crown molding and a patched ceiling. Oh and there will soon be a pendant hanging down over the sink too. We’re trying to tackle that, just so we don’t have to stare at torn up ceilings for much longer. So yes, it’s definitely a work in progress, but we’re jazz-hands-crazy about how our little “refurbished” kitchen is shaping up. And we’re definitely even more impatient than you guys about the cork floors! Can’t wait to get there and call this turkey done. Hah.

StyleShelves Lights Off 2

And just because I’m nuts, here’s what I did while playing around in photoshop.

Cork Photoshopped

Flat brown paint dumped on the “floor” via photoshop hardly captures all the amazing texture that our marbled cork floors will bring, and the white paint dumped to replicate crown molding hardly looks real (nor does my crazy little made-up pendant over the sink, which will probably be a lot lighter looking and made of clear glass) but it was fun. And if you squint and hum the Dexter theme song, you can almoooooost see it (sidenote: John changed his ringtone from Dexter to the Parks & Recreation song, which saddened me for a nanosecond and then I realized how hilarious the Parks & Rec song is – we even set it to be our alarm tone too, just because it makes waking up extra early for book stuff almost pleasurable tolerable).

So spill it. Who is completely surprised that 5’2″ me can reach nearly everything on those upper shelves? That was a total unexpected bonus. Oh and for those wondering why there isn’t a crew of lovely book photoshoot people wandering in and out of the time lapse video, they have to set up lights for certain shots that take a while so they were shooting in the back bedrooms (and I gave them one of those “I’ll be back in thirty minutes, so hold tight and scream if you need me” things). Thankfully only John wandered in for a sec, so there were no photoshoot emergencies in the middle of my shelf-y fun (I even ducked out to answer some comment questions and take a call about our upcoming Portland gig). So as Martha would say, that’s a good thing. In summary: yay shelves. What have you guys been hanging/filling up with plates and bowls/filming in time lapse lately?

Psst- And now for a post about donuts.

UPDATE: We couldn’t love our open cabinets more. Check out a bracket tweak that we made here and an update post about how they function here here.

Comments

  1. Leigh Anne says

    You need to open the video up to the public, it says private when I try to watch! Thanks! And you guys are A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!

    Reply

  6. Katherine says

    Wow you guys got your post up early today! But for some reason the video refuses to show itself, and I’m seeing an error message saying “This video is private.” I mean, I get that filling up the shelves could be a personal experience and all but…

    Reply

  7. Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says

    As someone who is also 5’2″ – I am totally surprised you can reach the top shelves. Usually when I try to get a mug down from the top shelf of our cabinet, I have to use a spatula or giant spoon (or ask the hubs if he’s there). So jealous.

    Love how you arranged everything and the pops of bright colors!

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Ha! My mom is 5′ and I am the tallest of my sisters at 6′ (the others are 5’8 and 5’10). My mom was thrilled when we surpassed her in height and she never had to climb on another counter. Instead she would just holler “Girls” and one of us would come running to reach. :)

      The shelves look great and I love the video!

  8. Stacy says

    I love your dishes – they look great on those open shelves. I’ve been playing with the idea of buying new dishes but have put off the idea for a bit right now – may revisit in the spring.

    Reply

  9. annabelvita says

    I love it! The photoshopped-in moulding really finishes it so much more than I thought it would! Can’t wait for the finishing touches hoorah!
    I’d like to see something tall and punchy in that top left corner in take two. But I love take one!

    Reply

  10. Meg says

    Love the video. You inspire me to purge my kitchen of all excess stuff so it will be easier to convince hubby that taking down cabinets and adding shelves is a brilliant idea!
    Added bonus I can use the old cupboards to start working on the build ins for around the fireplace (not until I add a few very thin coats of white paint though ;))

    Reply

  11. Amiz says

    Hoooooly crap!! I am loving the open shelving!! The colors are beautiful!! And I’m digging the subtle curves bonus points!! But I gotta be honest I’m waiting on the cork flooring!! We’re debating back on forth on flooring for our kitchen and I’m such a worry wort I’d like to see it out first!! Argh!! But I digress what you guys have done with your kitchen is truly phenomenal!!

    Reply

  13. Erin says

    What a transformation of your kitchen!
    Love the tiles and all the colour too.
    I am curious, what are the plans for the hole near the overhead fan? And are you putting trim up? Very curious, as we are stumped at what to do at the top of our tiled wall.
    You have inspired me to use wooden brackets and a open shelf for our microwave (which we can’t hide). I will have to have it made (by dear old day I hope). We looked for months before, finding the perfect brackets at IKEA only to find out that they were actually the store’s industrial display and not made by IKEA :(

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we’ll be patching the ceiling hole like we patched the light holes earlier last week and then we’ll do crown molding all around the hood and across the ceiling!

      xo,
      s

  14. Nicole says

    It looks amazing! Where did your beautiful maroon rooster go? I miss him. Also, I love Parks! Have you read the Pawnee book? Hilarious!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      He’s in our bedroom (everything is moved around like crazy for book stuff!) but Jarvis can’t wait to come back in and preside over the kitchen. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  15. emily says

    Wow…it’s really coming together now..such happy colors, too! It’s going to be even more amazing when those floors go in! Love it! Amazing job!

    Reply

  16. Kari says

    The shelves look great, but the really important thing that I want to comment on is that I also have the Parks and Rec theme as my ringtone. Best show on TV. :)

    Reply

  20. Alana says

    I didn’t comment yesterday because my mom taught me “if you can’t say anything nice.” I really wasn’t feeling the shelves, or so I thought! Now that they are loaded up I finally see it! It really is a whole wall of art/decor. Love it!

    Reply

    • Annie Swift says

      I didn’t comment yesterday for the same reason, and sadly I still hate it :( I think there is just too many hunka-chunkin-brackets around it looks really divided and broken up.

      It looks better in Sherry’s painted up on photoshop version so here’s hoping… Not that it matters. Only Sherry & John’s opinion counts in their home :)

      Can’t win ’em all…

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Definitely another way to go for sure! We love the soft curve from the side that relates to the round pendant lights and the penny tile, but it’s definitely one of those to-each-his-own things!

      xo,
      s

    • Preethi_oodles_of_love_from_england says

      Oh and me!!! I wasn’t feeling thr shelves either. I felt they were bit in your face with all the bracket action. But, NOW, oh-em-gee! ’tis awesome. I’m so inspired and in awe! Also lil freaked out that you have sonmany dishes to fit your colour scheme! :)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- I’m a fool for yellow, green, and blue! So glad it’s coming together (she says as she strokes her chin and rubs her hands together maniacally).

      xo,
      s

  21. Amanda says

    Where did you get your white plates? I’m on the hunt for plates that fit all of my criteria and I’d love to throw yours in the mix. Thanks.

    Reply

  22. Bethany says

    Looks amazing! You’ve made an open shelves believer out of me. I love the little pops of color and how everything is fully functional. I love the idea of decorating with mostly things that actually serve a purpose and are used (like the plates, bowls, cups, etc), and not just items that are purely for looks. I was also surprised at how far apart the shelves actually are. It was hard to tell in yesterday’s post. I think a lot of the people who had problems with the brackets yesterday and thought they would be in the way are going to change their tune today! ;)

    Reply

  24. Danae says

    This is my favorite post by you guys yet! I L-O-V-E the video, who knew that filling up shelves would be so much fun to watch?! I hope I’m like you guys when I grow up (aka, when I have a real house and not a crappy apartment) – thanks for all the inspiration and fun!

    Reply

  27. Sarah E. says

    I LOVE it!!!!!! It’s beautiful! And I want some now! Seriously, LOVE it. The colors really add a LOT! We won’t be in this house long enough to make big changes like that (and well, our kitchen stinks and there’s not space to do much)… but this really makes me look forward to moving in the future and making bigger and better changes!

    Reply

  28. Kate @ zMOMbie says

    Love the colors! I would love to try the open shelves concept but my stuff just isn’t as pretty and displayable as yours. Can’t wait to see the floor. It should look awesome!

    Reply

  29. Ainhoa@ALittleBite says

    I love it! When I saw the pictures yesterday it seemed a bit bare and I thought adding a third shelf was the way to go, but with the shelves filled up it looks great! The items in the top shelf line up with the doorway very nicely, yay!

    Reply

  31. Ana says

    I love how everything is turning out! So fun and colorful.

    Looking at these pictures just really makes me wish you’d used true floating shelves… all those brackets make things look kind of awkward and cluttered to me. But what am I saying. Your kitchen is turning out to be real cute, must put a huge smile on your faces whenever you’re in there!

    Reply

    • stephanie says

      Ditto. I LOVE your kitchen, but the brackets are throwing me off. I feel like they clutter up the stuff on the shelves a bit.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      To bracket or not to bracket is definitely a lifelong debate I think! One of those personal preference things for sure! We photoshopped the room with floating shelves back when we wanted them (we initially didn’t want brackets) and it looked so cold and modern so we’re so happy with them since we love a mix of old and new an curves and straight lines, but they’re definitely not for everyone!

      xo,
      s

    • Tracy says

      I think the brackets look better in the shots that are close up. In the shots from a distance, it looks like the shelves run into (or come out of) the wooden cover for the exhaust fan. Maybe it’s the size of the brackets? If it were my kitchen, I would have put the top shelf higher, creating more room between the shelves. There is just something that doesn’t jive for me. I’m sure it will grow on me though. You guys put so much thought into every detail to personalize your home. I’m excited for you that the shelves turned out the way you wanted. I guess I just imagined it differently than it turned out. Looking forward to the next step of your kitchen reno! :)

  32. heather s. says

    Love the pops of color but sadly the shelves didn’t win me over with the styling since the brackets still look too busy (though you did a great job with the styling!). You mentioned that you are “happy with our wall o’ tile complete with glorious floating shelves…” but you don’t have floating shelves. ;)

    Reply

  33. Diana @ Boy + Girl says

    Wowzers! Your shelves look great! I like that you didn’t cram another shelf up top. The tile is so lovely it’s nice to see a few good chunks of it. Also, you could probably fit a few larger art piece on the top shelf to the left of the stove if you wanted to at some point. It’s nice to have the freedom to display some larger and taller items. I can’t believe the difference from when you moved in to now! Cahrayzay!
    – Diana

    Reply

  36. Kara says

    Crate and Barrel has a lot of fun kitchen stuff in this color palette for spring. I’ve been drooling over it but we really don’t have the need right now.

    I don’t work for or get money from C&B (I wish). I’m just obsessed with the yellow/green/blue thing for a kitchen right now.

    Reply

  38. Amy Hill says

    It looks great! Do you worry about dust collecting on your dishes. I love the open shelving but that is something I would worry about. It looks great!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Check out this post (we’re crazy so we did our research). Apparently the consensus is that if you have a great range hood (check!) and put dishes you use often up there (check!) it’s all good. Rarely used items stored inside of cabinets get dusty too, so the key seems to be to have a good hood and to rotate things and use them a lot when they’re out in the open. We’ll definitely tell you how it goes for us.

      xo,
      s

    • Pam the Goatherd says

      I know from experience that you have to remember to TURN THE RANGE HOOD ON when you are cooking, especially fried/sauteed foods, with open shelving. A splatter screen is a lifesaver, too. Don’t be a greaser like me! =)

  41. Amanda Nowak says

    It looks great! :D Pretty sure that the crown molding is as much a game changer as the cork floors. Just saying. It seriously helps to finish things. You guys are my favorite people I’ve never met ;)

    Reply

  43. Amy Knisely says

    I’m glad I’m not the only one that photoshops my rooms. It’s very helpful when trying to decide on tile designs for backsplash if you’re going with something that incorporates more than one type of tile, or to pull a color out of something for paint.

    Reply

  45. Amy says

    Love it! Green, blue and white are awesome together.

    The kids ran over when they heard the music and the 3 yr old said “Mom, she’s sitting on the counter, WE don’t do that.” I said that’s right honey, but she’s pretty short and couldn’t reach that high. To which he replied “Well so am I but you don’t let me up there.” I’ve got a comedian on my hands :)

    Oh and I am so going in search of the Parks and Rec ringtone!

    Reply

  46. Cheryl says

    It’s amazing what a little “stuff” and color can do on those shelves to tie in the wall color. It looks so much more finished to me! So impressed that you are still plugging along so quickly while all the book stuff is going on. You all are amazing – wishing you the best of luck for the rest of February! (and beyond :))

    Reply

  47. Blair says

    Filling up the shelves looks soooo great. And I can totally see slow motion happy spinning with birds flying. Very nice job.

    I was on the fence about how well I liked the avocado walls with the grey tile (I liked each separately but wasn’t sure of them together.) Shame on me for doubting your vision–with the decorative details it really ties together. Looks awesome!

    Will you have to tear out the tile to lay the cork or will you install on top of the tile?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Blair! We have to leave the existing floor and float the cork over it since we have asbestos underlayment so it’s not advised to rip it up! Should be quite the adventure but you know we’ll keep you posted!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Poor Jarvis is in the bedroom (our house is turned upside down from the book chaos) but he can’t wait to work his way back in there and “supervise” the shelves. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  50. Shellie says

    Ohh how fun! I love that this post is up an hour early so I can watch it before going to work :).
    Totally loved the music too. I immediately tried to add it to my Pandora station, but that artist isin’t found. Sad face.
    Congrats on making all this amazing progress!

    Reply

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