I've been living in my apartment for 18 months now, long enough to know which of my original move-in decisions still work and which don't. These Ikea shelves in my kitchen are great but I let them get too cluttered. Looking at the above 'before' photo, I can really see how much of an antique booth vibe I had going on there. Something had to be done!
Look for 'after' photos and a few words on what got me there below the jump.
I thought I had made peace with my kitchen clutter a while ago and was content to let it pile up, all bric-a-brac-boho-style. But then I began to notice how I would feel a little antsy and restless every time I walked into the kitchen. Wandering around on the web one evening, I read a house tour post where the occupants explained how they organized their things by how often they use them. Ping!
The post basically said the following:
I realized that I wasn't using a lot of the things on my open shelves and at the same time my cupboards were packed with things I used every day plus things I use once a year. Everything was mixed up, piled up and falling over on to other things. Extreme clutter was starting to happen.
So I decided to give the new organizing method a try. The open shelves would contain things I used daily or weekly, except for food, of course, which stayed in the cupboards. Moving the glasses out on to the shelves gave the cupboards some much need room. Many things got packed away, or moved to the dining room cupboard where they'd be easily accessible for dinner parties.
While I was at it, I decided to paint my shelves the same white as my kitchen so that they would 'disappear' and even further reduce the visual noise. One coast of primer, two coats of Swiss Coffee and a few hours on a quiet afternoon was all it took.
At first I thought I would miss all my pretty things, but then a friend reminded me that it's a lot of fun to rotate collections, that unwrapping and rediscovering old treasures can almost be like Christmas. I'm still playing with the over all look, but the organizational rules really help to keep things in control. The shelves aren't perfect but I suspect they never will be. They're a work in progress, just like the rest of my life!
PS If anyone remembers the post which referenced the above organizing formula, please say something in the comments so we can give credit!
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love your shelves and the treasures on them :)
view Barbara S's profile
so much better! your cute, unique items stand out now. before it just looked like storage for everything you owned.
view kdkaboom's profile
Very nice and a big improvement.
view Gallivant's profile
much better after!
view abigailbelle's profile
I had that shelf in my old kitchen and loved it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/littleblackmaryjanes/362150323/in/set-72157594376864317/
view chez shoes's profile
It looks v. cute. After looking at pictures like these I oftentimes wish I had open shelving in my kitchen but knowing how anal I am about things being put away (I have very little on my countertops), it would probably drive me crazy after a while.
view rosebud's profile
Much better! I think painting the shelves the same colour as the walls helped tremendously also. Well done!
view SoSue's profile
It looks great now. The best part is the collection of pretty, mismatched things. Before they looked cluttered, now they look curated, and loved.
I'll have to think about moving my glasses out of the cabinets. Why did I leave the clunky plates out and hide the pretty glasses away?
view cedargr0's profile
I like the before better! I like a certain amount of china clutter, though.
view Charlotte's profile
The organizing formula came from Sunset magazine - the bungalow post on their main page (for now) about living in a stylish space with three boys.
Nice job!
view mich208's profile
I am new to New York City living and find that everything in my apartment gets coated with grime so quickly. Being slightly anal about cleaning, open shelves are not an option. Is the grime from living on an air shaft or is NYC air just grimey?
view artichoke queen's profile
artichoke queen:
Good point. I suspect the air in SF might be a little cleaner than NYC. After all, we have all those sweet ocean breezes sweeping our pollution away...err, into the Central Valley.
But also, I really do use most of the things on the shelf daily or weekly, so there isn't much time for dust and grime to build up. Or it's not so bad that a quick rinse doesn't remove it.
Thanks for the Sunset credit, mich208! The post is now located here.
view Dana V's profile
I like those shelves a lot. What is the specific Ikea name for them? Thanks ; )
view eekns's profile
Oh, never mind. I looked them up on the Ikea website, VÄRDE
Wall shelf with 5 hooks ; )
view eekns's profile
Good that someone remembered the source! It would have driven me insane trying to remember... haha. I saw that too and I'm working on re-organizing. Nice job!
view talkingcrow's profile
lovely! ...wish i had some space for open shelving in my kitchen.
view brookeb21's profile
I have that same apple jar, that my mom said belonged to my great grandmother. Unfortunately, I broke the jar lid when I was an infant. Do you know where yours came from, or where I could find a replacement lid?
view brownietoes's profile
I have those shelves in my kitchen right now. Are yours leaning forward? I'm starting to become worried that they're going to break...
view olsensarahm's profile
Dear brownietoes--my jar also came from my grandmother! My mom played with it, too, as a child. I see them on occasion in antique stores. You could also try ebay.
Dear olsensarahm--No, mine are pretty snug. I had a very handy friend come in an anchor them to the wall studs. The result was that they weren't placed exactly where I wanted them but that's better than having them fall off the wall!
view Dana V's profile
It still has an antique booth vibe.
view Daily Nuance's profile
Hmmmm---I agree with Charlotte. I prefer the Before! I know it's purely a matter of personal taste, but to me, when you've got a bunch of objects that really aren't related by color, function, material, or whatever, having them sparser just emphasizes their unrelatedness, whereas sheer mass somehow insists on intention----
view Aulaire's profile
open shelves are not an option here in S. FL - the grime get everywhere quickly.
view Haunted_Studio's profile
I find it funny how all furniture and shelving look great in the store, especially like in IKEA. When you take it home, it still looks great but once you start putting things on, your home returns to looking cluttered!
My business in cleaning houses means I've seen so many beautifully designed and laid out houses turn into a mish mash of odd collectibles, pots and pans!
Personally I'm not a fan of open style shelves or cupboards. Makes it that much more cluttered.
view kpscarpet's profile