How To Choose Storage Containers For An Open Shelf Kitchen

Kitchens and pantries are places in the home that are consistently difficult to keep organized. From overflowing storage containers to an abundance of food items that seem to double in quantity overnight, it's a challenge to keep things neat and tidy. When you use things in an area every day, sometimes multiple times a day, it's easy to lose the organization system you put in place for convenience. However, the open shelving trend could be the solution you'll want in your kitchen with some trendy storage containers to help you stay fashionably organized.

Open shelf kitchens can be daunting. People will see everything on your shelves, all your dishes, your glasses, and even your ingredients. While a visually appealing organization is a priority for this kind of storage system, it can be solved with the storage container fix. Everyone's familiar with the reusable plastic ones for sugar, flour, and cereal, but what about baskets, glass jars, and ceramic pots? By using basic design elements, you'll be able to choose the perfect storage containers to match your kitchen and keep your open shelves as organized as your favorite to-do list.

When it comes to aesthetics and design, it can feel overwhelming, like there are too many elements to think about. However, there are really only four basic ones that are important to keeping things visually appealing and interesting: color, height, contrast, and texture. The first step in using these to help you choose your storage containers is picking a color palette and whether or not you want clear or opaque storage options. Using old clear jars can be a smart way to declutter and organize your kitchen, but if you'd rather go with opaque-colored options, baskets or lidded ceramic jars would work well. Just make sure to stick with the same theme that's in your kitchen and pick jars or pots that are different heights and contrasting textures to keep it visually interesting. For example, you could use earth-toned clay pots to store utensils and a tan wicker basket for dishes or fruit.

If you do decide to use clear jars for storing ingredients, you'll want a pantry system that works hard and stays organized because it will be visible from all angles. Glass jars are great because you can see what's in each container without opening them up, but to increase the efficiency, try grouping them into sections like dried pastas, spices, and snacks. Dividing up the items helps not only with efficiency, but also with keeping the color scheme of your kitchen and shelves cohesive, instead of being spread out and jumbled.