Adding Open Shelving Alongside Fitted Cabinets

Why open shelving earns its place beside fitted cabinets

Fitted cabinets are brilliant at doing the heavy lifting in a kitchen. They hide the clutter, keep dust off the plates and give you a calm run of doors and drawers. But when every wall is closed off, a kitchen can start to feel more like a showroom than a room you actually cook in. Open shelving changes that. It lets you keep the everyday things — the mugs you reach for first, the salt and pepper, the cookbooks, the bowl of fruit — right where you need them, while less attractive essentials stay neatly behind a cabinet door. In Chorley and across Lancashire, where kitchens range from compact terraces to roomy new-builds, this mix of open and closed storage is one of the most practical upgrades you can make.

Open shelving works best when it has a clear job: displaying the items you use daily and adding character. Fitted cabinets do the rest.

Choosing the right wall for open shelving

Where you put your shelves matters as much as what you put on them. A wall too close to the hob will collect grease; a spot directly above the sink can suffer from steam and splashes.

• Beside the cooker: ideal for oils, spices and wooden spoons, but keep the shelf at least 50cm from the hob and avoid anything papery near the heat.
• Above the sink: handy for washing-up liquid and a draining rack, but choose wipeable materials and avoid open shelves if the wall gets soaked daily.
• On a chimney breast: many Lancashire homes have one, and it can become a natural focal point. Shelves either side of an extractor or range cooker look balanced.
• In a dark corner: open shelves can make a gloomy corner useful, especially with a small strip light underneath the bottom shelf.

If your kitchen is narrow, shallow shelves — around 20cm to 25cm deep — are usually enough for mugs, jars and small bowls.

What to display and what to tuck away

The golden rule is simple: open shelves are for the things that make you smile or that you use every day. Fitted cabinets are for the things that are ugly, bulky or rarely needed. In a busy family kitchen, that balance keeps the room working without turning it into a display cabinet.

• Display: matching mugs, glass jars of pasta and rice, a few cookbooks, a favourite teapot, small potted herbs, pretty bowls and salt and pepper grinders.
• Tuck away: plastic containers without lids, half-used packets, cleaning products, bulky appliances, mismatched Tupperware, bin bags and pet food.

It also helps to decant. A bag of flour clipped shut looks messy on a shelf; the same flour in a clear jar looks intentional. The same goes for tea bags, coffee and cereal. Decanting makes open shelving look far more considered, and it makes cooking quicker because you can see what you have.

Materials and fixings for Lancashire homes

Lancashire kitchens are a mixed bunch. You might have solid stone walls in a cottage, plasterboard in a modern extension, or lath-and-plaster in a Victorian terrace. Each needs a different approach.

For stone or brick, you will need a masonry drill bit and proper wall plugs. For plasterboard, use heavy-duty toggle fixings, especially if you plan to store jars or cast-iron cookware. If you are not confident, a joiner can fit the shelves securely in an afternoon. Timber shelves in oak, ash or painted pine suit both traditional and contemporary kitchens. A painted finish in soft off-white or deep green works well in Chorley homes, while natural wood adds warmth to a grey or navy scheme. Avoid MDF in very steamy spots unless it is moisture-resistant and well sealed.

Practical cooking and cleaning routines

Open shelving only stays attractive if it is easy to clean.

• Keep the shelf nearest the hob almost empty, or use it only for items you wipe down weekly.
• Wipe shelves with a damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid every few days, rather than waiting for a deep clean.
• Rotate your display with the seasons: summer herbs and salad bowls, autumn squashes and mugs.
• Put a small tray or shallow basket on the shelf to group small items and make dusting quicker.
• Check jars and packets for sticky rings — a quick rinse before they go back keeps shelves looking fresh.

If you cook a lot of fried food or curries, be honest about grease. Open shelves near the hob will need more attention than closed cabinets. Keep the open shelves for display further away and let the fitted cabinets handle the messy work.

Making the combination work in your kitchen

Start by measuring your wall space and deciding how many shelves you need. Two or three well-spaced shelves usually look better than five cramped ones. Line them up with your fitted cabinets for a neat finish, and leave enough gap for your tallest jar or mug.

Think about lighting, too. A simple LED strip under a wall cabinet can wash light over open shelves and make them feel part of the fitted kitchen rather than an afterthought. In Chorley and across Lancashire, that soft light makes the room feel warmer in the evening.

Above all, be realistic. Open shelving should make cooking easier, not add another job. If a shelf becomes a catch-all for clutter, take everything off, put back only what you use weekly, and move the rest into a fitted cabinet. Done well, the mix of open and closed storage gives you the best of both worlds: a kitchen that looks welcoming and works hard every day.