Open Shelves in the Kitchen Overload

So as I mentioned, we are going to put a few open shelves on the left side of our shore kitchen in place of upper cabinets. To make things easier and cheaper we are going to go with some store bought options rather than the ones made by the cabinet manufacturer.  (Despite going with pretty low end cabinets, open shelves ends up costing more than cabinets if you use their materials!)  So I'm on the hunt for brackets.

Let's start by saying I absolutely puffy heart the brackets that Urban Grace used in her kitchen but not sure if they would look as amazing in ours since they would mostly be seen from the side rather than the front.

Let's go through the options, shall we?


I really like the style of this iron bracket but I think its a little too small at just 7 inches deep.  I'd like a min. of 10 inch shelves.  (And to state the obvious - I would of course paint it!)
This pretty swirly version from Anthropologie is appealing to my girly side but might be too delicate for a chunkier cabinet.













This double shelf from Home Decorators might work but since its premade, I'm stuck with a 40 inch width which might be too small. Although a ready made shelf is just easy peasy so its hard to pass up.

And finally the same brackets that were used in the Urban Grace kitchen photo above found here.








So essentially I'm tossing around a few options in my head but none are quite ringing the bell.  Have you come across any better alternatives?

23 comments:

  1. I was just reading The Project Girl and she had a great post on her DIY corbels. Maybe it's worth a looksy!
    http://www.theprojectgirl.com/2013/06/13/diy-corbels/

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  2. I like the first choice best!, and provided the shelves are solid wood, a 3 inch overhang will not matter at all (unless, of course you are aiming for the supports to come to the very front of the shelves. Whichever you choose, I'm sure it's all going to be fab!

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  3. Love the iron one and the wooden one as well. So pretty! :) I would have a hard time choosing between the two.

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  4. Anonymous11:30 AM

    I adore open shelving! It forces you to be organized and neat and looks so relaxed in a home. Can't wait to see your before/after pics when everything gets done.

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  5. What about Ballard. I have shelves from them that have done great. Going on 5 years now. Brackets are solid wood, the shelves not so much...

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  6. I had very simple thin iron brackets made from a local metalsmith...I think they cost about $15. each! Maybe worth a try to get exactly what you are after.

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  7. Heyyyyy! Can't wait to see the reno! Since you're in my neck of the woods - I would love for you to stop by! Give me a holler and we can have coffee one day.

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  8. Hmmm, I like the first one, but don't think it will give you the look you are going for. Have you checked Van Dykes (www.vandykes.com)? They have a lot of wooden corbels with various projections and at very affordable prices. Hope that helps! design-zeal.com

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  9. The Urban Grace would be my vote. I like that they're substantial in size and proportion to the length of the shelving and they've used 3 brackets per shelf. Equally important is the wood for the shelving. If your dinner dishes are 10" you may want to use 12" depth. 5/4 thick wood is also nice and chunky - less likely to sag than thinner wood.
    Will be nice to see your new kitchen!

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  10. I'm sure you are aware of these shelves but these might be a nice alternative. And you can make it any length you want!
    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79929647/

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  11. Have you looked in home depot? They decorative wood brackets.

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  12. The Urban Grace selection looks the most like your taste, IMHO. I really like that one.

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  13. Anonymous6:42 PM

    Be forewarned - the anthro brackets are nice but there is no way to connect the shelf to the bracket. Read the reviews before you consider ordering (I was considering them for my bathroom).

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  14. Brackets if similar in size to the shelf will be strong enough to hold. You could add the correct length shelf to the Home Decorators - make the shelf a bit deeper too and then you'll get a reveal which will look more custom.

    With your emphasis that you'll see it most from the side, other options will eliminate themselves.

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  15. I am really surprised that you found opened shelving more expensive than cabinetry. I found the total opposite to be the case. I created open shelving in my library room by getting thick solid wood boards in my preferred thickness at LOWES, and then buying decorative iron brackets in white, also from LOWES. I painted the wood boards white to match the brackets. The quality is superb for a fraction of the cost of cabinetry. At some point I am going to add opening shelving to my kitchen too.

    Open shelving has become quite popular over the years and maybe some professional companies realized that and jacked up the price for that option. Open shelving should never break the bank.

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    Replies
    1. Oh no, I don't mean open shelving is more expensive in general. Just when I compare the cost of these particular cabinets vs. buying the material from the cabinet company to make open shelves. The cabinets we are pretty basic and stock so pretty much as cheap as they come so its not really a fair comparison.

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  16. Most important check the weight ratio - you want to overdo the weight and not skimp on it. Several years down the line you do not want to walk into to a heap of much loved plates and glass shattered on the floor. www.hafele.com will give you an idea on the weight ratio. After collecting my perfect pie dishes etc I did not want to see them on the floor.

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    1. Thanks Lisa. Good point. I'm not planning on overloading the shelves at all - I want it to feel very uncluttered in here. But good suggestion to check just to be on the safe side.

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  17. Hang on! You need to check out www.lookintheattic.com for more shelf bracket choices! That's where I got mine, and I was very pleased with quality and service! Just a suggestion!

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion. I like their style but it doesn't quite work with the style of this kitchen but appreciate the suggestion.

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  18. I agree, the Urban Grace brackets look gorge from the front, but I was noticing that they kinda look like they're making a kissy face from the side. Not sure if that's the look you're going for... :)

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    1. Yes, they are definitely making a kissy face. But I kind of like that. Something soft to contrast the hard bulkyness of them.

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