How to choose and style your open kitchen shelving

To make a statement, remove your top cupboards and replace them with open shelving units. That way, all of your kitchen gadgets can sit proudly on display, and you can hide anything you don't want to show in your lower cabinets.

You could either have your open shelves span the entire width of the wall; or you could keep it minimal by limiting your shelving to just one side of the room.

If you'd prefer your open kitchen shelving to be not-so-prominent, then why not tuck them away into the corners of your room? That way, your shelves will be hidden from view from most areas in the kitchen; which means you can place appliances and accessories you don't particularly want on show here.

If you don't have a spare corner available, hidden open shelving would work just as well in a little nook.

Another area where you could place your open shelves is above the sink - you'll just need to remove the small cabinet above it, if you have one.

You'll need to think carefully about what you place on these shelves, as they will be exposed to the humidity of the sink, which is why houseplants particularly thrive in this area. You could also add in decorative pieces such as vases - or you could place your dishcloths and soap here.

If you'd like to embrace open shelving in your kitchen, but you're on a budget, then rather than removing your top cabinet entirely, you could instead, just remove the cupboard doors.

Refresh your kitchen by painting the inside of your cabinets with a pop of colour, and your room will look as good as new!

Opt for reclaimed wood, or live-edge shelves where the bark is still visible on the edge, for a rustic look found in country and farmhouse-style kitchens.

Live-edged open shelving tends to be slightly pricier compared to reclaimed wood shelves, but it's worth it for achieving that kind of style!

Nail two trends in one and install marble shelving in your kitchen. They look perfect against all shades and hues - white walls with black marble shelves offer a dramatic look; or you could pair your pale marble shelves with pastel hues like soft pinks or blues.

Floating shelves keep the look minimalistic, or you could opt for marble shelves with metallic edge - they're versatile and sophisticated, and they look great with decorations like plants, vases and books.

Glass shelves can help to create the illusion of light, and are ideal if your kitchen is dark and doesn't have a lot of natural light. Pair them with high-gloss units to help evoke the feeling of space.

Just be sure not to place anything too heavy on them. Glass cabinets are best styled sparsely: think a candle here, and a vase there, as opposed to your heavy pots and pans cluttered together.

One of your options is to create an open pantry through your shelving - ideally, this should be placed in the corner of your room. Place your dry goods like spices, flour, sugar and cereal here - it should also be a lot easier for you to see when you're running out of things!

If you want to keep your pans out on display, but don't have the space on your open shelving, then you could add in some hooks above. It'll keep your pots and pans neatly sorted, whilst drawing the eye up, to create the illusion of space.

Open kitchen shelves aren't for everyone (let's be honest, they're going to require a lot of extra dusting!) and can easily become cluttered if you start adding lots of stuff on your shelves, but get it right and it can work amazingly well in your kitchen.

Discover more kitchen storage solutions, or alternatively, if you want a full kitchen make over, try our free online kitchen planner, or book an appointment to visit your nearest Wren showroom.