Modular Kitchen Design- Open Shelves Vs. Cabinets
It can be difficult to choose between having modular kitchen cabinets and open shelves in your kitchen. The latest trend favours open shelves, but upper cabinets are timeless. Both approaches have their respective pros and cons.
If you’re re-modelling your kitchen or designing a new one, then you need to pay close attention to the cabinet vs open shelves debate. Also, bear in mind that there are various wall cabinets or lift up cabinets which come with different opening and closing technology. Hence, you have a lot of options to choose from.
Here is a breakdown of the differences between open shelves and cabinets to help you decide what suits your modular kitchen best.
Cabinets Provide More Room For Storage
Modular kitchen cabinets easily provide much more storage area when compared to open shelves. Usually, open shelf systems consist of two or three shelves, whereas a modular kitchen cabinet can be built till the ceiling.
If you need to maximise storage in your kitchen, then kitchen storage cabinets are the better choice. Upper cabinets can store small appliances, cookware, and utensils. You can place your smaller items in storage drawers. It may become cumbersome to store such items on open shelves that are better suited for jars and bottles.
Hence, you should consider the overall storage available in your kitchen before making a choice.
Dishes Are Easier to Access With Open Shelves
It almost goes without saying that open shelves provide easier accessibility when compared to modular kitchen cabinets. Since open shelves do not have doors, you can simply reach out and grab the things you need from your shelves. Even though opening a door is not a very cumbersome task, open shelves can still save one step each time you use your kitchen.
Furthermore, with cabinets, everything is hidden behind the door. So, you have to open the door to check whether the item you’re looking for is in the cabinet. With an open shelf, this ceases to be a problem.
Cabinets Hide Any Mess
A kitchen is always the most cluttered area in any house. There are simply too many moving parts in a kitchen. If you’re unsure of your ability to keep everything tidy all the time, then opting for modular kitchen cabinets is a no-brainer.
With modular kitchen cabinets, you or your guests cannot see the clutter inside. However, any clutter on open shelves is on display. We’re human, and we are prone to make a mess, especially when cooking. Hence, you should consider your cleaning and clearing abilities before deciding.
Open Shelves Provide Room For Display
Open shelves are currently trending because they provide a lot of space for decorating your kitchen. You can put trendy items on display on the open shelves above your kitchen. They can lend a very classy and elegant look to your kitchen.
On the other hand, modular kitchen cabinets lend a more functional feel to your kitchen. It does not really bolster the look of your kitchen. If you’re someone who wants to bring style to cooking, then open shelves may be a better option.
Cabinets Can Be Cleaned More Easily
Modular kitchen cabinets are significantly easier to clean when compared to open shelves. This is because cabinets have doors that keep most of the dust-out. With open shelves, your dishes are at the mercy of the elements. You will need to clean your open shelves a lot more frequently than you would need to clean closed cabinets.
Further, since the items on open shelves are on display, there is an extra reason why you will need to keep things tidy all the time.
Wrap Up
In today’s modular kitchens, people prefer to opt for open shelves over closed kitchen cabinets. However, the timeless benefits of kitchen cabinets cannot be denied. Overall, it depends on your priorities and what you want from your kitchen.