10 Places to Put a Floating Shelf in the Kitchen

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She now thinks a lot about design, kids, and designy kids' things. She lives with her two daughters and their father in St. Paul, MN.
updated Jun 5, 2019
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I’ve always been a fan of floating shelves. They’re the smooth operators of the shelf world, hanging on the wall as if by magic with no brackets, nails, or supports of any kind (that are visible, at least).

They also happen to be kitchen superstars, filling in design holes and solving storage problems with style and ease. Not sure where to put one in your kitchen? We’ve got 10 ideas.

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  1. In the middle of a backsplash, via Decorpad: Make your backsplash do double duty by hanging a shelf in between the countertop and upper cabinets. A narrow backsplash shelf is a perfect spot to store frequently used items, like oils and spices.
  2. On the top of a backsplash, via Veneer Designs: Have a tiled backsplash but no upper cabinets? Put a floating shelf right where the backsplash ends for a seamless transition up the wall.
  3. On the side of a cabinet, via 7th House on the Left: This semi-DIY project added three small floating shelves to the side of the kitchen cabinet. They look like they were there all along, don’t they?
  4. In the middle of a painted wall, via Desire to Inspire: Hang white floating shelves in the middle of a dark wall for a super chic, high-contrast look.
  5. Above the countertop, in a pair, via Houzz: Don’t waste your countertop space on the microwave. Hang two floating shelves on the wall directly above the countertop, and slide the microwave in between.
  6. Directly underneath the upper cabinets, via Domestic Imperfection: A floating shelf hung closer to the upper cabinets makes it look like it’s a part of the cabinet.
  7. Over a window and between two cabinets, via Sew Woodsy: Put a shelf above your kitchen window! Bonus if it happens to be between your two kitchen cabinet sections, because then it’ll join them.
  8. On top of the cabinets, via One Kings Lane: The empty above-cabinet space can be a scourge, but hang a floating shelf there and you’ve solved the problem!
  9. On the wall, above a low freestanding cabinet, via Jim Maritime: Place three floating shelves on the wall above a low freestanding cabinet, all the same width, and you create the illusion of one tall storage piece.

Do you have a floating shelf in your kitchen? Did it solve a problem for you?

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budget
decorating
Interior Design
Small Space Living