A Little Upgrade

For the longest, open-shelving has been on the top of my kitchen wish list.  Every time I see a blog post that features open kitchen shelving, I tag it.  Examples:

Source:  Andrew Tye via Bright Bizarre, Apartment Therapy, House Beautiful via Apartment Therapy, Lillian’s Diary via Decor 8

But alas, our condo is extremely short on space, which means our existing cabinets are filled to the brim.  Replacing these cabinets with shelving that forces minimalism and tidiness would just be unrealistic.  However, I have not let this stark reality hold me back from incorporating a least a little of that for which I pine.  I'll even admit to registering for at least a few items that, while adorable, were less than fully needed in hopes that I would one day have a venue to display them (Shhh...Don't tell Michael.  He's very utilitarian when it comes to housewares.).

Despite Michael's practicality, we registered for and received a wine refrigerator for our wedding.  Once we found a place for that in the living room (...less than aesthetically pleasing, but I'm getting used to it), we no longer needed the wine holders adorning one of our kitchen walls.  This freed up just the space I needed to add in a few shelves.

I picked up some cheap shelves and brackets from Ikea. I slapped on some of the leftover paint from my cabinet painting adventure, put them on the wall, carefully arranged some dishes and cookbooks on them, and now I am the proud owner of open kitchen shelving!  And you're right, I shouldn't be as excited as I am about it, but hey, even Michael is finding them useful.

[Disclaimer: The combination of the kitchen wall color and the over-sized fluorescent lighting makes for absolutely horrid pictures.  In fact, whenever I see pics of my kitchen, it makes me think of anything but eating.  I've tried messing with my white balance, but even that doesn't seem to help.]

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