The rise of kitchen floating shelves is due to its easy on the eye (and stylish) look, teamed with the practicality of open storage.
Although we all love putting our tableware and kitchen paraphernalia away most of the time it's lovely to be able to display some favorite pieces too. You can still have wall cabinets or opt for a minimalist approach and just have floating shelves – the choice is yours.
Below we showcase a selection of shelf ideas to give you ideas for your own space.
1. Mix it with traditional shelving
This beautifully crafted kitchen teams modern floating shelving above the sink with a more traditional style of open shelving on the right. Linked by accessories in wood and their artisan aesthetic, both designs work well together.
"Breaking up your cabinets with shelving creates character, and dimension and adds design interest, softening the look and feel of your kitchen," says Keri Lainas, owner and principal designer, Keri Michelle Interiors.
For a similar floating shelf check out Amazon's Sorbus 2 Maple Wood Floating Shelves, and if you love the green cabinetry have a look at Benjamin Moore's Herb Garden 434, a warming green with yellow undertones.
Located in North Country, San Diego, Keri Michelle Interiors is a client-focused boutique design firm. Keri is known for her simplistic, inspired designs and creates beautiful timeless spaces by seamlessly blending earthy elements with a casual coastal take on residential interiors.
2. Mid century modern style
If you love a particular design era then don't worry, you can still have floating shelves, as you can see from this stunning mid-century modern-inspired kitchen.
For a cohesive look try to make them an extension of your cabinetry for a seamless and stylish finish. Then accessorise with pieces that you love that are also relevant to the period you've picked.
Wayfair's Carsin Irregular Reclaimed Elm Floating Shelf would work well in a space like this.
3. Opt for crisp white
Kitchen floating shelves can be so useful, not only are they practical but can be used for decorative purposes too.
"People who like their things on display or out rather than in cupboards are generally keen cooks or collectors," says Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL Kitchens. "I love a shelf above a sink or a cooker, or a corner bookshelf high up above a seating area full of cooking books."
We love the plants in this black-and-white kitchen, they add life and interest to this bold scheme and soften the edges. To copy this biophilic design have a look at our ideas below.
Helen Parker is deVOL's creative director. Joining in 2004 as a kitchen designer, by 2011 she had become responsible for deVOL's style, creating one-of-a-kind showrooms across the UK and US, sourcing antiques and gifts and designing new pieces of furniture and accessories.
Price: $29.99
Size (in): H1.2 x W15.7 x D5.5
Made from engineered wood with a white matte finish, this trio of floating shelves has invisible brackets for a seamless look. You can use them for plants, tableware, or personal pieces that you love. Install in a row or each underneath the other in a trio. Each shelf can hold up to 22Ibs.
Price: $64.99
The reason this yellow and green leafed plant has its name is because at night each leaf folds up to look like praying hands symbolizing a daily reflection of prayer or gratitude. Ideal for inside the home, this plant is low maintenance and will add color and interest to your kitchen shelving. Grows best in indirect sunlight and likes moist soil.
Price: $35.99 for 6
Size (in): H0.98 x W2.36
Add lights to the underneath of your shelving with these handy 6 pack of LED lights. With a wireless remote that's easy to use you can control your lighting needs, including 4 dimmable modes and timing functions. You install them with 3M adhesive tapes that are included. Each light is powered by 3 x AAA batteries (not included). A useful function is that they turn themselves off after 30 minutes to prevent battery drain.
4. Add a rail to your shelf
Give your floating shelf an extra touch with a brass rail to stop anything you might have placed there from slipping off – especially if they're propped up.
We love it when hardware ties a scheme together so choose a rail that matches your look. In this farmhouse-style kitchen brass is the chosen metallic and it looks fabulous with the mid-toned wood cabinetry.
Amazon's WOPITUES Floating Shelves come with a gold metal guardrail just for this reason and offer peace of mind that items won't slip off.
5. Jet black for a sleek look
For a small kitchen that needs invaluable storage consider floating shelving that's narrow in depth. It will ensure you can still store the essentials like tea, coffee, and most used cooking items, but without compromising on space.
This black ENHET shelving from IKEA is a slight twist on the conventional floating shelves but has the same result. You can even add hooks so you and hang a tea towel or oven gloves from it if required.
6. Choose marble for a luxe feel
There's nothing quite as luxurious as a marble in a kitchen, and if you're using it on countertops and as a backsplash then consider extending that to your floating shelves.
Brittany Farinas, founder and creative director, House of One explains, "Using marble shelves in a kitchen can be a stylish and practical choice. In this case, the Calcutta vintage marble used for the open shelving beautifully complements the base cabinetry, creating a cohesive and visually appealing design."
Open shelving is not for everyone, especially if you love a more maximalist approach, Brittany adds, "While some people may be hesitant about open shelving due to concerns about storage, it can actually encourage you to be more intentional about what you display and keep in your kitchen, leading to a cleaner, more curated look."
Copy House of One's beautiful light and airy kitchen with our buys below.
House of One is a multifaceted Miami-based interior design firm, specializing in curated luxury residential and commercial projects. By prioritizing creativity and an exceptional client experience, CEO and creative director Brittany Farinas is known for guaranteeing that every client experiences The Art of Living With Style.
Price: $4.98
Size (in): W11.8 x L120
With a 4.2/5 rating on Amazon, Yancorp's white-gray marble effect peel-and-stick countertop and backsplash film are easy to apply with great results. It comes with a pre-applied adhesive backing that ensures it sticks securely to your surface, just make sure it's clean and dry before use. Comes in green gray, white black, and cream colorways too.
Price: $25
Size (in): H4 x Dia9
Add this charming artisanal-style wooden serving bowl to your tableware collection. Ideal for serving pasta, salads, popcorn, and fruit, you'll wonder how you lived without it! With a natural wood grain finish, this bowl will add warmth to your scheme. Keep it on top of your shelf for easy access.
Price: $22.99
Size (in): H10 x W4.5 x D4.5
This handy set of glass jars comes with eight chalkboard labels and one marker so you can fill them with anything from tea and coffee to spices or flour. The top is airtight so your produce is kept fresh for as long as possible. Keep the most used on your floating shelves so you don't need to go through cabinets every time you need them.
7. Put your accent color on your shelf
If you've chosen an accent color for your kitchen scheme then adding it to your floating shelves is a great idea.
"Floating shelves in any kitchen are always a must for me if the space allows. They may be trendy but they also create dimension. Cabinets are beautiful but can be very heavy in a space. Floating shelves are functional for storing bowls and glassware and they're the perfect place to add decor like a vase, plant, or candle," says Keri Lainas, owner and principal designer at Keri Michelle Interiors.
We love these black Cloud Terre Set of 4 Arlo Bowls from Nordstrom, super stylish and perfect if your accent color is black.
8. Utilize your space
Wall space is not always easy to find especially in an older property that may have low ceilings. In these instances, custom-made floating shelving can be the answer.
It will enable you to make the most of those spaces that a wall cabinet will never fit, but will still give you some fabulous open-plan shelving for your favorite finds. Another bonus about custom-built shelving is you can have them crafted extra deep.
9. Add a rail underneath
Give yourself some extra kitchen storage by placing a hanging rail underneath your floating shelving.
"Cooks need to grab a pan or ladle quickly and efficiently so open shelves and hanging rails mean everything is easy to put away and easy to find and use quickly," says Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL Kitchens.
For a similar look attach this look at our three top buys below.
Price: $22.99
Size (in): L23.7
Do you have a black floating shelf in your kitchen? Then choose this wall-mounted pot rack to match it. Constructed from heavy-duty iron and finished with eco-friendly paint, the maximum load is up to 30Ibs. Use it for mugs, utensils, and saucepans – it comes with 12 useful hooks. Can also be used in a bathroom or garage.
Price: $11.99
Size (in): L17.4
Crafted from stainless steel with gold plating, this high-quality hanging rack has a strong bearing capacity. Rust-resistant, it's ideal for kitchen use. Hang everything from tea towels, keys, small saucepans, spatulas, and knives from the 14 hooks provided.
Price: $8.86
Size (in): L16.90
For Scandi lovers choose a white rail, and this simple but very effective design can be hung right underneath your floating shelf for a neat and tidy look. Crafted from aluminum, it's lightweight and ideal for items like mugs, and small utensils and for kitchens tight on space.
10. Go long and high
In this eclectic kitchen, the floating shelving has been placed high up with pretty patterned plates and yellow teacups and saucers to draw the eye up and across to the yellow wall unit.
It acts as a decorative aspect in this scheme that's full of texture and layers of design features (we particularly love the plants and foliage in the vase). The wood shelving matches the cabinetry so there's cohesion even though there's plenty going on in this lovely space.
For a similar yellow check out Lick's Yellow 01 – a creamy yellow that's not too bright, and for longer-length shelving have a scoot around vintage stores for reclaimed wood.
Our kitchen floating shelves ideas will give you inspiration to try this practical storage solution out in your space. They're ideal for tricky widths as you can have them custom made, and if you wanted you could paint them to suit your scheme. Make them stand out against your chosen wall color or wallpaper, or, choose designs that blend in with your kitchen – white on white for example.