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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

  2. Katie says

    Looks amazing! Totally agree with the decision not to add a third row of shelves. It would be way too crammy at the top. What is that yellow spikey thing on the top shelf?

    Reply

  3. Jennifer Jensen says

    How weird! Almost exactly a year ago, I inherited a gorgeous antique bowl when my grandmother died that looks like it exactly matches your cake stand from Goodwill. It has the same wonderful cutout detailing all along the edges and sits on our counter with fresh fruit year-round. If you’re ever looking to sell your cake stand, it would have a loving home with me!

    Reply

  6. Andrea says

    One thing that I’ve always been drawn to is neutral space with pops of color and you’ve done an outstanding job! I love the pops of yellow, green and blue…gotta get Sue the Napkin featured in that gorgeous kitchen! =)

    Reply

  7. Cara says

    Love!! Seriously jealous…when we bought our hous the kitchen was just remodeled. I like it, but I would have picked higher quality finishes. I’m waiting to “need” an update. I have a question about the paint – I’ve read some reviews that say it can yellow at bit – I know you didn’t use a bright white, but did you notice any yellowing, especially on the white in the office? Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Stephanie says

    Thanks for keeping us updated on your kitchen progress in “real time” – it’s very motivating (I am currently stuck in drywall-mud-sanding purgatory, so I need motivation…). Your kitchen looks so lovely, can’t wait to see the floors!

    Reply

  9. LaTonya says

    I really love the brackets on the shelves. It really gives the kitchen such a finished look and I too think it would have looked a little too modern without them. I can’t wait for the flooring, crown molding, the stainless steel dishwasher, and updates to the stools!! Everything is coming together so nicely!! You have a beautiful kitchen that is magazine quality even without the flowers, lacquered boxes, and candlesticks.
    I am also amazed how you are getting all of this done in the midst of your book photography sessions and still have time to share with us. I just want you to know that it is greatly appreciated by your readers.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks LaTonya! We so appreciate you guys too. Best readers ever! We can’t believe how much love you guys give us every day. You inspire us to keep rocking and rolling!

      xo,
      s

  10. Gillian says

    O to the M to the G!!! They are fab!! Amazing what a difference they make to the kitchen, and more amazed by the huge change from the dark kitchen back in the day.
    You have inspired me so much over the past few months of reading your blog, im slowly trying to makeover my house on a non-existent budget and rather enjoying the challenge. Bought a wallpaper steamer yesterday and am actually super excited about spending my wkd stripping paper!! lol

    Reply

  11. Alex says

    OOOO it looks so good in there with the pops of colour!!! I lurve it. Are the floors next? I AM EXCITED TO SEE THE FLOORS!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Have to do some other stuff (like crown molding- since we don’t want to ding up the floors with the ladder or drip on them with paint) and then they go down. Can’t wait!

      xo,
      s

  13. Emma says

    Looks great! I love the brackets. And your dishes & things are just so purty. Love the color scheme. I adore that Goodwill cake stand too. Great find.

    Reply

  16. Kristi says

    I LOVE time lapsed videos! They are always so funny and I always think – if the people in these videos talked, they would sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks!? ha ha!

    Love the blue, green, yellow and white combination! Very fun and lively. One question – are you planning on painting the crown molding to match the cabinets or the ceiling or another color?

    Reply

  17. Lilly says

    Uh I lurve. Delicious. My fav has got to be the yellowy pineapplely lookin thing at the top long shelf. U should bubble wrap it up and send them to me my shelves are in need of some style. I actually squinted and looked at the photoshopped pic. lol. u guys are hillarious.

    Reply

  18. Lauren says

    Ahhhh! MUCH better! I was really worried yesterday. The brackets were so overpowering without anything on the shelves. But alas they mostly disappear and just add a subtle element of decor now that the shelves are filled. Sherry, you have a great eye and did an awesome job staging it while keeping it functional. Sorry I doubted you guys. Now I can’t wait for the crown molding, other finishing touches and the floor! Things are finally starting to make sense for this YHL kitchen doubter!

    Reply

  19. Jenelle says

    Wowza.

    1. You open shelves look great.

    2. I could “hear” you talking as I read this post, and I think you talked as fast as you moved in the sped-up video! :) You were going a mile a minute (in my mind). And probably in real life, too. You guys are going to need a looong vacation when you’re done with the kitchen and book projects!

    Reply

  20. Emily M. says

    Amazing transformation. You both have worked so hard and the end result certainly pays off. The shelves look awesome! Love the addition of the artwork. I would have never thought to do that with open kitchen shelving but it looks stellar. Hope the shooting for the book is going well.

    Reply

  21. kate says

    Swoon! I’m going to have to ‘pin’ this.

    Feel free to come to Kansas and help us remodel our little 10×10 kitchen. No, seriously.

    Reply

  22. Megan I says

    I love it! I hope to do something similar this summer on each side of our sink. We’ll only get about 16″ per shelf, but just enough for cookbooks, vases and other random stuff. I’m sure my husband can’t wait. :) Thanks for the inspiration, and proof it can be done!

    Reply

  24. Kimberj says

    Hi Guys :) The kitchen is lovely! We think our house is sold so we’re starting the search tonight for another one. One question about the kitchen redo (which is spectacular by the way!), do the open shelves give you any concerns about dust, flies, anything that a closed cupboard protects them from as well as looking messy? My hubs is totally freaked about those things. He’s a pretty hard sell. You can’t imagine how long it took me to convince him that painting wood cupboards would not taint his soul!

    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

  26. Jessica says

    The shelves look great! Do you have any tips for how to style shelves? I am about to do a mini-makeover on my living room using mostly accessories, but I really struggle with how to find and put things together in a way that makes it look finished and coordinated. I have some ladder shelves in that room that are a particular problem for me. Any tips would be sooo appreciated!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think the three things are color, balance, and scale. Basically pick some sort of related palette to help things work together (ex: white, yellow, blue, and green) and then try to keep things balanced visually (not too top-heavy or side-heavy) and make sure the scale is right (not everything that’s too big or too small for the space). It’s just a lot of putting things up, stepping back, scooching them around, looking at it again, and tweaking stuff until you like it!

      xo,
      s

  28. Brittany says

    Aaahhhh!!! It looks SO good!! Love the happy blue, green, and yellow colors. Everything looks absolutely gorgeous. And I love that wavy bowl on the counter with the apples. Great work as always!! :)

    Reply

  29. Tae says

    is that a yellow radio in the picture with the tulips? would you mind sharing where it’s from?? it’s so adorable and in my favorite color!

    Reply

  30. Elizabeth says

    Am I the only one (didn’t read all the comments…oops!) who thinks you look like your playing one of those stacking cups games at times? You look like you’d be really good at it, too…if they let you video it and then speed it up! LOL

    The shelves look great and I am totally jealous of that lazy susan cabinet. :-/

    Reply

  31. S'Mo says

    I LOVE how your kitchen is turning out! It looks bright and fun and functional, and I can’t wait to see the floors once they’re installed!

    Also: after reading about Joss & Main in your living room ottoman/area rug post, I checked it out and am now totally hooked! I bought a small area rug from them for something like 90% off its retail price. And every time I see white ceramic animals on their site, I think of y’all. (P.S.–they have some awesome ones up there now!) Thanks for the tip!

    Reply

  32. Melissa says

    Be still, my beating heart!
    It’s beautiful. Can’t wait to see it with the crown molding, floor and stainless steel washer. The pops of color on the shelves add so much. It truly is an amazing transformation. You guys are ridiculously inspiring.

    Reply

  34. Kimberly says

    Love the work you guys are doing, so inspiring.

    I just had to say, to make your kitchen really rich and classic, why not try some beefed up crown molding. The stuff you have there is kinda ‘meh’, but some nice thick molding might really classy it up.

    Just a thought…love love love your blog and you guys!
    Kimberly

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re not sure how much we can change the molding since it’s already all over the other half of the kitchen and between all the beams (so replacing that much might break the budget) but I love the idea! Will have to look into it for sure!

      xo,
      s

  38. Amy @ All In A Day says

    I am in total awe at this transformation!!! It has come so far and I have absolutely loved watching it come to life every step of the way! I am so happy for you and that your kitchen is becoming a place that’s just right for your family! Love it!! xoxo

    Reply

  40. Melly says

    I for one love the brackets and your kitchen looks fantastic. I can’t believe how much you’ve done in such a short time!

    Reply

  43. Lanie says

    I can’t believe how much brighter your kitchen is now. It doesn’t even seem close to the same interior dark kitchen that you had when you moved in. Maybe you’ve already done this, but I’m curious to see a budget when you’re done with appliances and everything.

    Reply

  44. Tara says

    Love it all!! I love looking at the before and afters – just makes me smile:) is it weird if I admit to stroking the penny tile and shelves on my computer screen bc I love it so much?? JK… :)
    My husband and I are just finishing up our duplex and hung lights last week! We got an industrial mini pendent over the sink and a drum shade over the table! It’s going to be a rental unit in the future so I didn’t get to pick out my dream things- just the it’s-pretty-enough-but-not-for-my-dream-house types of lights and things.

    Reply

  46. Lindsay says

    This looks absolutely amazing. I really love the color scheme with the items on the shelves. Are you thinking of putting anything on the wall space about the stove?

    Reply

  48. Marcy says

    I am very jealous of your ability to reach the op shelves. We’re in a tiny apartment right now and I can’t even reach the second shelf (I’m 5’4″) so I have to get a step-stool out for EVERYTHING. But we’re house hunting now, and trying to learn to see the bones of the house insetad of its current decor. It’s hard! You two are amazing to be able to see the potential of these places.

    Also wanted to comment on your using the Parks & Rec song for your alarm. I looove using music to wake up to! Right now I have some Springsteen intro. So much gentler than any classic alarm noise. You’re right about it making getting up early more tolerable.

    Reply

  50. Meaghan @ lovelee honeybee says

    Oh my goodness, the shelves, penny tile, counters….all look amazing! Your video reminds me of how I look when I decide to re-style our books shelves. My fiancé just looks at me and shakes his head, but like you, it’s my idea of a good time. Your beautiful kitchen will now be joining all of your inspiration rooms for so many people. I love how bright and cheerful your room looks, the before and afters are unbelievable! So impressive! :)

    Reply

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