The Top 98 Kitchen Shelf Ideas

You’ve been slowly collecting kitchen tools and small appliances over the years.

You didn’t notice as it was happening, but you’ve now run out of counter space. It’s time to take your counters back. Adding shelves to your kitchen can give you more kitchen storage.

You could buy a utilitarian rack from your local home improvement store. But this won’t add to the decor and aesthetic of your kitchen.

Instead, why not add shelves that will be both visually pleasing and functional? These kitchen shelf ideas will help you create more storage space in your kitchen.

1. Cabinet

When was the last time you adjusted the shelves in your kitchen cabinets? One of the easiest kitchen storage ideas you can implement in your home is by moving the shelves.

Take everything out of your cabinets and open all of the cabinet doors. Start fresh by looking at your available storage space as a blank canvas.

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Move your kitchen items around based on where they’d be the most convenient and the cabinet that it would fit in the best. When you first moved in, you were simply trying to put everything away.

Once you’ve lived in the home for a while, you’ll realize that certain items work better in one cabinet over another.

See more kitchen cabinet ideas here.

2. DIY

If you decide you’d rather add shelves to your kitchen, you can get inspired by kitchen shelving ideas and build your own.

This lets you add any kind of shelf you want and have it work perfectly in your kitchen, such as a corner shelf or full-length wall shelf. You could even build an entire shelving unit with several shelves or a tiered shelf unit.

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When building your shelves, think about choosing a durable and strong material for the shelf.

Thicker wood is a good material because it’s strong enough to support a lot of weight. Metal and glass are nice because these materials are non-porous and easy to keep clean.

3. Floating

A floating shelf has a modern look with a sleek shelf and no visible hardware. You can make your floating kitchen shelves be as large or as small as you want.

You could have one large floating shelf that extends the entire length of your kitchen. Or you could have several smaller shelves mounted above each other.

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When mounting your floating shelves, be sure to mount them to the studs. This will ensure your shelf has the most strength to support whatever you decide to place on it.

4. Metal

If you have a modern kitchen, then add open kitchen shelving that matches this aesthetic. Metal or glass shelves are a smart choice for a contemporary kitchen design.

Floating shelf brackets are the best hardware for this style of shelf. However, you could choose a straight-line bracket with minimal hardware.

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When choosing the metal for your hardware, you’ll want to look for something that is corrosion-resistant and durable. You can’t go wrong with high-quality stainless steel.

Aluminum and iron are also good choices. Choose a metal that fits your budget and has the design aesthetic you’re hoping to create.

5. Narrow

If you have a tiny kitchen, then look for narrow shelves. They will take up less room by having a shallow depth. The reduced depth will help to keep your kitchen feeling open.

You can also do this by using glass shelves. Look at kitchen shelving ideas with glass shelves, and you’ll see how the kitchen still feels large.

This is because you can easily see through and beyond the shelf, tricking your eye into thinking the kitchen is larger than it is.

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You can also think of narrow as the length of the shelves. You only need a small amount of wall space to add kitchen shelving. Perhaps you have a narrow space where you can mount several shelves above each other. Then place a single item on each shelf.

6. Open

If you love open kitchen shelving ideas, you can try them out in your home. You could go big and commit to open shelving throughout your entire kitchen. Take out all of your cabinets and replace them with open shelves.

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Not everyone is ready to take out all of their cabinets. That doesn’t mean you have to give up on open shelving in your kitchen.

Instead, take out one or two cabinets and replace them with an open shelf. That way, you don’t lose all of your cabinets but can still try out the open shelving look in your home.

7. Pallet

If you’re a homeowner who enjoys doing DIY projects, then try your hand at building kitchen shelves out of pallet wood.

You could hang a pallet cut in half for a simple spice rack. Line the spice jars up in the compartment of the pallet.

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This type of kitchen shelf works great in a small kitchen space. The wood pallet pieces are a set size, making it easy to build uniform shelves.

You could take the pallet apart and use brackets to mount the planks on your wall. Or you can use them to build your own rack with multiple shelves.

8. Pantry

Treat your pantry like you would your master bedroom closet. Skip the basic industrial-looking wire shelving and replace it with a closet organizational system.

You’ll have so much more space when you start creating shelving that’s designed with your specific pantry in mind. You could have shelves of different heights to accommodate different items.

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This kitchen organization idea works no matter what size pantry you have. Small pantries could have a few simple shelves. Larger pantries or those that are walk-in could have a complete system with shelves, drawers, and gravity can racks.

9. White

White has always been a popular color for the kitchen. It’s bright and looks clean. Consider using it for the color of your open kitchen shelves.

The shelves could block the natural light in your kitchen, so making them white will reflect the light and keep the space feeling bright.

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The white color is a nice neutral, making it easy to change your kitchen’s design aesthetic. When you decide to sell your home, the broad appeal of white will come in handy. You won’t need to make any changes to make your home more attractive to potential buyers.

10. Wood

A natural wooden shelf can add warmth and a touch of nature to your kitchen. Use reclaimed wood for your wood shelf for a rustic or farmhouse look. Embrace the uneven and worn look of the wood.

For a cabin-inspired or farmhouse kitchen look, use a piece of wood with a raw edge. The edge is unfinished and may still have bark on it.

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Not all wood shelves need to be rustic, though. Choose a beautiful piece of maple or cherry and have it finished with varnish. The shiny, smooth surface will look elegant in your kitchen. The sealed wood will also be easier to keep clean.