Kitchen shelves: types, materials, ideas, design.

One of the fashionable and, along with it, never outdated trends in the interior is kitchen shelves. They can be an addition to existing closed cabinets, or they can be used independently. The variety of options, freshness and unbeatable design attract more and more people to try this type of design in their kitchen.

How to choose a shelf for your kitchen?

There are a few things to think about:

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• location;
• material;
• product style;
• the nature and weight of the contents of the shelves;
• fastening method;
• backlighting if desired.

Kitchen shelves should be beautiful, comfortable and reliable. It must be remembered that when choosing open options, special attention will have to be paid to cleanliness. It is important to carry out regular cleaning of dust, grease, carefully place objects that are in plain sight. But on the other hand, you will have an incomparable feeling of freedom, space and fresh air in the interior. Heavy and oppressive furniture will never look.

What kind of kitchen shelves are there? Examples with photos in the interior

The shelves are mounted to the wall (wall), to the ceiling (suspended), or both. On the floor there are stationary and mobile racks with legs or wheels. The table shelf for the kitchen is installed on the work surface instead of the upper tier of cabinets. It is possible to arrange shelves below the level of the table top, filling the space to the floor.

Often, shelves are made at the bottom of the hanging cabinets for the most necessary things, at the top - for those that are rarely used. There are convertible wardrobes. They can be left closed and open, as the cabinet doors are equipped with shelves from the inside.

Shelves can be placed on the kitchen island or inside the shelves where the kitchen space transitions to the living room. Sometimes they make a separate cabinet with shelves or drawers. They put more heavy things in them, compared to hinged shelves. Below are vegetables, fruits, large dishes. In this case, you need to pay attention to the neat design.

Each type of shelf has its own pros and cons. An option is selected based on the layout of the kitchen, the furniture already available there, the presence of empty spaces - corners, niches.

Open kitchen shelves

You can fill an open shelf for the kitchen with elegant dishes, spices in the same container, wine glasses, mugs, a collection of wines. So that the dishes do not accidentally fall, you can provide small sides, partitions. Unattractive objects of different sizes are put into beautiful containers, baskets, boxes so that they do not create disorder.

It is worth remembering that small particles floating in the air are primarily deposited on open shelves. They should not be placed too close to the stove, especially the gas one.

Closed hinged shelves for the kitchen (ideas with photos)

A glass door will help protect the contents of the shelves from dust, dirt and at the same time maintain an overview. In addition to swing models, sliding glass panels look spectacular. Some hosts use textiles for this purpose. The curtains will complement well the interior in the Provencal style.

In a classic style, glass shelves consisting of two modules will be appropriate. Above is transparent glass, and under it is a wider closed curbstone, as a continuation of the design. It can be moved in different directions, changing the appearance of the room at will.

Corner kitchen shelves

Corner shelves will help to draw attention to the empty space, and even draw attention to it. They are made at the same level or in the form of a ladder. On the upper floors, you can put items that the hostess occasionally needs. Place what is in constant use below.

In typical apartments, very often open shelves close the edge of the headset adjacent to the door. Thus, there is more space in the aisle and there is no need to use more expensive radius doors. In addition, an additional decorative element appears in the interior, because the most beautiful and attractive trinkets are placed on open shelves.

Decorative kitchen shelves of original shape and design

Kitchen shelves are a limitless field for imagination. You can use straight and rounded lines, choose natural material - branches, ropes or artificial - metal, plastic. Shelf panel can be combined with hooks and other holders. Glass bottles and fittings are used as racks for the shelf. Jars, fastened with clamps to a common panel, can become a container for small items.

Shelves can be built from ready-made boxes, pallets. This allows you to combine and rearrange them in any order. You can create interesting effects by adding glowing resins to your materials. Carry out lighting along the bottom of the shelves or above them.

If you plan to place 1 - 2 light items, a shelf in the form of any shapes can be made from ice cream sticks. Then animals, flowers, houses, honeycombs will appear on your wall - whatever you come up with.

Racks on wheels made of wood and metal are in demand. They can be moved around as needed. It is important that the kitchen shelf matches the style. What is suitable for the industrial, high-tech, will not fit into the classics, and vice versa.

Shelves are almost an integral part of a Provencal, Scandinavian style kitchen. You can fill them with painted dishes, jars with spices, pots with live plants.

Hanging console shelves will decorate a loft kitchen, hi-tech, minimalism, in a Scandinavian style. Shelves on a metal frame made of pipes are especially appropriate in the loft style.

What materials are hinged kitchen shelves made of?

The most popular are wooden shelves in the kitchen, with imitation of texture. They harmonize equally well with classics, and with glossy furniture, and with minimalism. The presence of different styles is allowed in the modern design. It depends on the abilities of the designer how well they can be combined. The tree must be protected from moisture.

As an alternative, MDF and chipboard boards are used. In appearance, they are often not inferior to natural wood, but they are more resistant to water, last longer, easier to maintain and cheaper.

In modern kitchens, shelves made of glass, metal, PVC pipes are suitable. Metal organically combines with the loft, industrial style. Glass products transmit light, they are also called invisible shelves. For heavy objects, it is better to use tempered glass as it is more durable. Both materials are easy to clean and serve for a long time.

Reliable shelves are obtained from drywall. They are built into niches or spaces between existing cabinets.

Stages and nuances of making a homemade kitchen shelf

If you wish, it is pretty quick and easy to make a kitchen shelf with your own hands. Will come in handy:

• Drawings of the product, made by yourself or taken and printed from the Internet.
• Tools - chisel, circular saw or jigsaw, drill, horizontal level, ruler.
• Materials for the base and finishing. Chipboard should be chosen no thinner than 13 mm.
• Fasteners - self-tapping screws, screws, nuts, joints for joints, brackets, dowels, corners.

Manufacturing steps:

• According to the drawing, a template is prepared on cardboard, which is then outlined on wood, MDF, plywood. Saw out every detail.
• They note where the fasteners will be located, prepare grooves for them.
• The ends of the base are covered with edging veneer or self-adhesive tape, PVC edging.
• They fasten the parts together with self-tapping screws, and glue them for strength. Wire holders from 4 mm in diameter or screw ties can be used. If the shelf is small, decorative, not designed to withstand the weight, you can only do with glue.
• On top of the shelves are treated with varnish in several layers or stain.
• The hinges are screwed on, the shelves are installed on the wall.

A metal rail can be attached to the bottom shelf. It can be used for towels, ladles and other items. To fix it, you need to make holes in the bottom shelf with a drill, mount a handle in them.

Installation of wall shelves for the kitchen

The method of attachment is chosen not only on the basis of aesthetics. The shelf must first of all reliably hold the items placed on it. It is one thing to put several plates, it is quite another if you plan to place appliances on them - a TV, a microwave oven, pots and pans. In the latter case, glass is not suitable as a base, and wood and MDF must be taken of greater thickness. For large items, such as a coffee maker, you should build a covered shelf under the wall cabinets. Of all types of fasteners, anchor bolts are able to withstand the heaviest loads.

The shelves in which the mount is hidden from view in the wall look the most modern. They are called soaring, they fit into neoclassicism, hi-tech, minimalism. For hanging models, belts, ropes, ropes are useful. The shelves are attached to the wall using brackets, hinges, pins, and dowels.

You do not need to drill a hole in the wall for each plumb line (and if you change the location, add new ones), but use the mounting tape and adjustable suspensions directly on it.

Standard installation scheme: mark the mounting points on the wall with a pencil using a level. Then drill holes for future dowels. The last step is to drive the dowels into the wall, fasten the screws and fix the shelf with corners.

In order not to use the corners at all, you can drill holes for the dowels and drive the screws into them with the thorns outward. This type of attachment can easily withstand a load of several kilograms. Attach a shelf to them and line up the holes on the shelf with the spikes sticking out in the wall. Use a drill to mill the grooves on the shelf and secure your product to the wall.

Pros and cons of open shelves

Pluses of shelves:

• Kitchens with open shelves create a feeling of more space, light.
• Economic benefit when ordering, manufacturing.
• Rapid renewal of the interior by changing the filling of the shelves.
• Easy to DIY. Just as quickly they can be disassembled and moved to another place, remade. For example, install in another room and change the purpose.
• You can choose a comfortable height suitable for the height of the owners.
• In narrow kitchens, there is no need for additional space for a swing door. The shelves have shallower depth than the cupboards.

Disadvantages can be avoided if the shelves are filled correctly:

• Take into account the weight, the presence of a side that protects objects from falling, choose reliable fasteners.
• Do not put variegated, different-sized items, many parts at once on one shelf.
• Locate away from sources of pollution - stoves, use high-quality hoods.
• Place items that are most often used on the lower shelves. They wash more often, they are easy to get out.

When arranging shelves in your kitchen, it is important to prepare alternative storage locations for unattractive items. Items for shelves, so that they are pleasing to the eye, and not annoying, it is useful to select according to the color scheme. Sort out the contents more often and wipe off dust, remove unnecessary things. For storage of bulk items, sets of jars in the same style are preferred.

Experiment and find a convenient option for yourself. Enjoy the result yourself and surprise your guests with a new kind of cuisine.