How I Style My Open Kitchen Shelves

As the seasons change, my wardrobe isn’t the only thing that gets a refresh. I love tweaking different areas of my home, mainly because I’m a home decor junkie who’s always on the lookout for eccentric pieces, but also because a few simple updates can add so much pizzazz. One of my favorite spots to switch up? My open kitchen shelves.

I style my shelves intuitively. Every now and then I reassemble the objects on each shelf, depending on the season I’m in. This season, I’m gravitating towards shades of pink and burgundy. It's a versatile color that can complement almost any space. To me it represents sweetness, femininity, and love.

Especially because the kitchen is a place where love is cultivated. It’s a place where we nourish our bodies, spending time with family and friends. A lot of love goes on in the kitchen.

My eyes have been set on these gorgeous burgundy old-fashioned glasses from CB2 for a while now. They’re such a unique, eccentric touch to my grey kitchen. The weight and construction are perfect & great to have on hand when I’m feeling a little extra as a host!

CREATING VISUAL VIGNETTES.

I typically approach my open kitchen shelves in the same way I would my bookshelf. I fill them with meaningful objects that are functional, tied to a memory, collected on my travels, or simply catches my eye.

I’m currently obsessing over this grey terracotta vase from by Jerome Ackerman. It was thrown by hand on a potter's wheel and dried in the sun before being added to a wood-fired kiln. I’ve displayed it as an art piece for now, but I plan to fill it with dried florals soon. Honestly, it’s the focal point of the top shelf.

Then there’s my plant baby, September, a birthday gift from a dear friend. On the top shelf, she soaks in all the sunlight and has space to stretch her leaves if she needs to. In feng shui, having plants in the kitchen symbolizes abundance, so she’s perfect here.

My tiny African elephants, a gift from Nigeria, live up on the second shelf. Elephants hold a special place in my heart, especially after I had the chance to bond with them in Thailand. It was truly an experience I’ll never forget.

And lastly, my favorite cookbooks. Not only are they purposeful in the kitchen, but they bring in warmth, texture, and a pop of personality to the shelf. Whenever I’m in the mood to whip something up, I know exactly where to reach.

My open kitchen shelves not only hold all my functional pieces, like my guacamole smasher, glassware, or cookbooks, but it’s also a canvas for my self-expression. It really is a space where I showcase my love for decorative objects and sculptures. And it’s a great conversational piece!

SHOP INDIA’S OPEN KITCHEN SHELVES