One of the places in any home where a lot of time is spent is the kitchen. Arranging the space of this room requires the right approach. I want everything to be at hand and have its place. Having replaced bulky hanging cabinets and unloaded them, compact wall shelves have come to replace them.
Wall shelves can be used instead of kitchen cabinets or be an effective addition to closed storage systems
Shelves in the kitchen above the dining table
The functional location of the shelves above the table level divides the kitchen into separate zones. By hanging ladles, oven mitts, and towels on this structure, you can take them out at any time. Look at the shelves in the kitchen above the dining table in the photo.
Rules for performing work
Like any other work related to the installation of furniture, repairs, or the use of unsafe tools, the installation of shelves and wall cabinets requires following certain rules and sequence of actions. This is necessary to ensure that the installation process does not bring troubles and inconveniences, and also to ensure that the product serves its intended purpose for a long time.
Before installing elements in the kitchen, study the rules and recommendations from experts.
Examples with photos of decorative shelves on the wall
Creating a cozy atmosphere and comfort is possible with the help of decorative shelves. You can also put practical things on them. This is a full-fledged complex, following the same theme, for storing serving sets, figurines, and flower arrangements.
In the interior of a modern kitchen, open shelves can act as a stylish decorative element.
By attaching it to the apron area instead of the crossbar, you will place useful things during the cooking process. The finish must be durable.
High-quality shelves that can withstand considerable loads are made of thick boards
It’s easy to create a unique author’s project for storing wine drinks with the help of spacious mezzanines. Pay attention to the photo of the kitchen shelves.
These shelves are used for storing wine and glasses.
Lighting Features
Open storage systems are good when you can easily see what is stored on the shelf at any time of the day. Central lighting does not cope with this task, and directing tracks to the right areas is not always as simple and convenient as they say. That's why a great solution would be to organize spot lighting.
As a rule, such shelves work well with LED lighting. You can use either RGB or single-color tape: in any case, the shelf decorated with it will look very stylish and impressive, and the objects placed on it will always remain in sight. An additional plus is that at the same time a cozy homely atmosphere is created in the kitchen as a whole.
You may be interested in: Ideal lighting in the kitchen: 7 rules and 109 design options
Another option is spotlights. They are integrated into plasterboard, wood and metal structures and not only illuminate the “jars-bottles” you need, but also produce a wonderful decorative effect.
Advantages and disadvantages of open shelves
Classic shelves are popular due to the speed of fastening. Such structures provide unobstructed access to household utensils. Due to the smaller need for using material, you can save on purchases.
Open shelves help to visually increase space, in contrast to closed cabinets, which significantly reduce the visual volume of the room
Main advantages:
- the ability to place furniture elements in a small area;
- panoramic view makes it possible to use it without wasting time searching for the necessary utensils;
- visually enlarge the room, making it spacious;
- if desired, you can make a redevelopment thanks to movable structures; shelves for the kitchen on the wall allow dismantling without problems;
- An interesting attribute that adds modernity to a simple kitchen.
When deciding to equip wall surfaces with open shelves, they take into account the imperfections that cause inconvenience in use.
The shelves will definitely not appeal to those housewives who prefer not to display kitchen utensils
Minuses:
- equipment exposed to view will quickly become covered with particles of soot and dust;
- regular maintenance of items in exemplary order and cleanliness, due to their placement on public display;
- difficulty in fitting some furniture items.
Taking into account all the advantages and disadvantages of the products, the optimal solution would be to combine different modifications.
The use of open shelves allows you to reduce the cost of a kitchen set without a noticeable loss of functionality
Preparing for work
Before you start attaching kitchen shelves, you need to prepare all the necessary conditions for this. Firstly, it is desirable that the walls are smooth and even.
Before starting work, you should prepare the wall surface.
If you plan to install it in a corner kitchen, then the angle should be straight - exactly 90 degrees. It is necessary to start fastening only after all electrical installation work has been completed.
In addition, the wall must be ready for installing shelves - if you plan to wallpaper or paint, then you need to finish it in advance.
First you need to make repairs on the kitchen, then hang the shelves.
What style to make, buy shelves for the wall
Country
You will need to use functional shelves made of natural timber. The shelves are beautiful for the kitchen, made of solid, aged wood, complemented by wicker baskets and chests. It is better to choose a color palette: light beige, gray, pastel colors.
In order to favorably emphasize the rustic orientation of the style, it is advisable to use wooden shelves with a natural texture
To emphasize the style, you can decorate individual shelves with curtains with a colorful floral pattern. This solution will prevent items from external contamination. This will also allow you to experiment: you can keep the curtains curtained or open. An important point will be to maintain a sense of proportion. A pair of shelves decorated with curtains look good.
Provence
The shelf in the kitchen is made of natural material in light colors, covered with varnish and paint. If the wood has an aged structure, this will serve as harmony in the Provence style. Here it would be appropriate to use special supports for solid wood shelves and forged corners. The peeling surface of the paint gives the overall mood.
Wooden shelves of the simplest designs that can be varnished or painted in light colors are suitable for Provence.
Refined shelves will help sparkle the kitchen space with new colors. On such comfortable pieces of furniture you can place original dishes, small vases with wildflowers, as if delivered from the south of France.
Scandinavia
The embodiment of this style implies uncluttered shelves. Place only the essentials necessary for cooking on them. It is allowed to place some accessories: original stones, small candles, porcelain souvenirs, animal drawings. Such elements will tell about the Nordic character of the kitchen.
On open shelves in a Scandinavian interior you can place a variety of decorative items that highlight the stylistic direction of the room
High-tech direction
The predominance of glass materials and metal. Minimalism, nothing superfluous is a feature of the style. Black and white colors are required in the design.
High-tech and minimalism usually use combinations of open shelving and cabinets with smooth fronts
Make a balanced decision about installing open shelves in this interior. The reason is the rule of maintaining order and observing the canons of style.
Materials
Kitchen accessories can be attached to drywall, plaster, wood, metal sheets, stone and tiles (ceramics, porcelain or glass). To get started, you'll need a level, masking tape, a marker, plastic anchors, safety glasses, and a drill with the appropriate replacement bits. A standard drill bit works well for drywall. But wood, metal, and tile all require their own specialized drill bits.
For tiles, drill bits with a diamond or tungsten coating are best; they have a cone-shaped tip that can drill through tiles without cracking or chipping. Options with carbide additives can be used at low speeds. All diamond tipped drill bits should be cooled with water to prevent the tool from heating up and subsequently damaging the tile. Such replacement devices are more expensive, but will also last longer.
There are different methods for drilling into already installed tiles. Here is one of the most common.
- 1. Use duct tape to mark the location where you need to make a hole. Use a marker to record the exact location of the hole. The tape will prevent the destruction of the enamel on the tile surface.
- 2. Place the drill bit in a small container of tool oil (available at hardware stores) and wipe off the excess with a rag.
- 3. Place the tool perpendicular to the drilling site. Turn the drill on at a very slow speed (about 2 revolutions per second) and gradually increase the power. Drilling too quickly will cause the bit to heat up and crack the tile.
- 4. Stop the drill every 15-30 seconds to wet the drill bit with oil.
- 5. Insert a plastic plug with mounting hardware into the resulting hole according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
How to effectively arrange shelves in the kitchen: choosing the “right” place
The first step is to determine a suitable location. You need to adhere to some nuances: to avoid unpleasant moments, avoid placing open shelves near a hot stove. The best option would be to symmetrically install a stove a little further away from the food preparation area.
The integrity of the perception of the room depends on the rational installation of shelves. Using open shelves, a smooth transition is created between the work area and the dining area.
Shelves suspended above a table or island will divide the kitchen into two parts
A popular option would be to install it on both sides of the window, near which there is a sink.
The shallow dimensions of the shelf elements make it possible to arrange them in rows near doorways. Glass containers with spices and cooking aids will be placed here.
Glass aprons
The vast majority of glass sheets for finishing applications are tempered before installation. These manipulations are carried out for safety reasons: tempered glass breaks into many small fragments upon impact, and not into large pieces that are dangerous to people. Unfortunately, material subjected to this procedure cannot be drilled.
You can know that your glass is tempered by the markings that the manufacturer usually puts in the corner of the sheet. Thus, the only option for drilling holes in a glass apron is to carry out all the work before tempering the glass. To do this, you will need to have the exact dimensions and location of all drilling locations.
How to make open shelves look stylish and practical
The walls planned for placing shelves have a monochromatic structure. Finishing materials: ceramics, facing tiles, plastic, gypsum panel, single-color wallpaper.
With open shelves, all the necessary items will always be at your fingertips
It is not recommended to place chipped dishes or bags of bulk products on open shelves. Choose containers with ornaments and unusual shapes. Colorful elements of utensils will transform a simple design.
A combination of open and closed shelves in the kitchen work area
Place cups and plates that you use regularly. This way, inventory doesn’t collect dust and shelves are wiped down more often. There should not be a service for special occasions here.
Advantages
Open kitchen wall shelves have obvious advantages:
- arrangement is possible even in a small kitchen;
- no need to waste time opening and closing doors;
- no need to search for items, as they are presented in the full overview;
- quick access to things on the shelves;
- demonstration of original dishes.
What color to make, order shelves
When choosing open shelves, focus on the predominance of colors in the kitchen interior. Choose shelf models that match the countertops and walls. The light colors present in the room will complement the dark shelves, they will stand out against the general background, play with contrasts.
Even the simplest shelves can be made more interesting by finishing them in different colors.
The color for choosing shelves for the kitchen can be very diverse; bright shades are suitable for bold solutions; for classics – black, white, with elements of gray color.
Kitchen shelves on the wall are an excellent design solution. With their help, you can organize and visually expand the space, making it a stylish, functional room. They can even be used in the center of the room.
Wooden shelves made of chipboard are suitable for any stylistic direction. For country and Provence, an abundance of decor is welcome; high-tech does not accept displaying a large number of kitchen utensils.
Fastening cabinets using mounting rails
Convenient wall cabinets for the kitchen.
Another method of fixing kitchen cabinets involves using a mounting rail. To use it, you need to purchase the attachment itself - a mounting rail.
Fastening cabinets in the kitchen using a mounting rail.
This method has many advantages:
- You can adjust the location of the cabinets, since the wall mounts are movable;
- The resulting fastening in the kitchen is resistant to various serious loads, so it allows you to store various objects in the cabinets without fear that the fastenings will not withstand significant weight;
- The rail is equipped with special numerous holes, with which you can secure the bar with any number of fasteners.
Installation and fastening of cabinets in the kitchen.
The technology for attaching kitchen cabinets using this method is divided into stages:
- Markings are applied for correct mounting, and you need to use a building level so that there are no distortions;
- The mounting rail is attached along the marked line, for which it is necessary to make holes in the wall in advance;
- Afterwards, you can begin fixing the cabinets to the rail, and you will need to remove the shelves and fronts on the cabinets in advance using a screwdriver;
- After attaching all the cabinets to the wall, you need to take care to align the modules so that their height is the same.
Preparing cabinets for mounting on walls.
This method of attaching cabinets to the wall can be considered the most optimal, easy and acceptable. In any case, you need to use the help of another person, since lifting cabinets in the kitchen will require significant effort.
Location of cabinets and appliances in the kitchen.
After installation, it is recommended to connect all cabinets on the wall with special furniture screws. You will have to purchase high-quality fasteners, since the durability of the hitch depends on them. At the end of the work, a decorative cornice is screwed on for the cabinets, and the facades are installed.
