Styling Open Shelves

My Kitchen Shelves

Over the summer I've been changing things up in the kitchen.

Last you saw it, my open shelves looked like this.

I love these dishes. My Mom gave them to me but I finally had to just face the fact 

that color does not work in this kitchen with it's black countertops and white backsplash.

I would have never chosen the black countertops but that is what was here

and I needed to embrace it rather than fight it.

I love these seafoamy green dishes but the color just didn't work.

Besides...I never used them when they were all stacked up here.

Come on...does anyone ever really use the dishes stacked on open shelves?

Mine get dusty so they have to be washed every time I go to use them.

So, I put them away inside a closed cupboard and guess what?

I actually use them now. Which is really much better.

So now I have the open shelving for display only.

It really makes the kitchen more interesting.

Here's where I am after a summer of collecting.

Way better....isn't it?

Lots of this I already had and other things were bought on sale.

The inside of the shelves I took stainless steel contact paper and covered

foam core boards cut to fit in back.

It looks so much better than the rough wall that used to be there.

Let's see what I have here. Some of it from Pier 1.

The top left bowls were on clearance at Pier 1, so was that cheese dome with carrerra marble plate.

I want carrerra marble on my kitchen island but this will have to give me my marble fix for now.

The mercury glass pear I got at Marshall's several years ago for $5.

The small fern and white pot have been around the house for quite awhile.

I wanted a nice white teapot. Found this one at Ross for $7.

The cupcake dome behind it also came from Ross and was a birthday gift from a friend.

I was with her when she bought it for me...$10.

You can see in the first photo the new glasses I got at Pier 1 last week for $1.98 each.

I bought twelve of them but displaying all of them...was a bit much.

One of my white china plates creates a backdrop on this shelf.

Someday soon, hopefully I'll have a white platter there.

The basket had Xmas goodies in it last year from a friend.

The backside of that linen liner has a santa embroidered on it.

Shhhhhh...don't tell.

The mercury glass candle holder came from Pier 1. 

We still have them.

I stacked my salad plates and covered with a cake dome I've had truly forever.

I love the domes the most.

Right now we have this great dome at Pier 1.

http://www.pier1.com/Bon-Appetit-Dome/2627730,default,pd.html

I want it pretty badly. I already have a cloche this size...so I keep telling myself no.

But it's pretty grand.

I planned to show you the kitchen island today too.

I finally have a spot for my white enamel kitchen colander that's been put away forever.

It now sits on the island filled with apples from of course....Pier 1.

Anyway, I planned to show more of the kitchen but Violet is not feeling well and 

I have to run her to the vet.

She's had an ongoing bacterial infection in her nose that just will not go away.

I'm very very worried about her.

More on the kitchen later in the week.

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