How To Style Dishes On Open Shelves
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One of the things I love most about my new cabinets is the open shelving in the dining room.
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Originally, we were going to put glass doors in front of these shelves but I decided I like the feel of having them completely open.
It gives off kind of a hutch vibe this way.
It all looks pretty casual and a little haphazard, but there are some tricks to getting it just right, especially if you’re going totally monochromatic.
So, with that in mind, here are some of my best tips and tricks on how to style dishes on open shelves:
USE PIECES THAT HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST
Gather together all the dishes you can find that have a lot of visual texture.
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Look for interesting shapes, outside embellishments , scalloped edges, fluting, etc. This will give your monochromatic display some depth and interest.
START WITH CLEAN EMPTY SHELVES
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Always start with a clean slate. Take everything off the shelves and give them a good cleaning.
ADD VERTICAL PIECES FIRST
Lean platters, plates and trays vertically against the back wall in a balanced pattern.
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QUICK TIP: if you live in an earthquake-prone area like I do here in Southern California, use earthquake putty to anchor your pieces to the wall and/or shelves.
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Put just a couple of small dots of putty on the bottom or back of your dishes to hold them in place when things start shaking. (I learned my lesson a few months ago when we had quite a jolt and some rocking and one of my small pitchers came flying off the shelf and smashed on the floor!)
ADD YOUR LARGEST PIECES NEXT
Place large mixing bowls, pitchers and other large pieces on the shelves, making sure they are balanced with other large pieces.
Learn more about balance in design in this post
(In the next steps, I’ll be adding a stack of plates to the empty space on the lower left to balance out the mixing bowls on the right.)
GROUP SOME SIMILAR ITEMS TOGETHER FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT
I have a small collection of white pitchers that I like to display next to each other because they have more presence when they’re grouped together.
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(Although, now I’m missing the one that succumbed to the quake..)
NOW PLACE STACKS OF PLATES ON THE SHELVES
Arrange stacks of plates on the shelves in a balanced display.
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ADD STACKED BOWLS AND OTHER INTERESTING PIECES
Now add some stacked bowls on top of the plates, small casseroles with lids, and other smaller pieces to finish the look.
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Make sure you have balance from one shelf to the next but vary the heights and styles to create an interesting display.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LAYERING
To add depth and get the most interesting look, you’ll want to layer and stack your dishes in front of and on top of each other throughout your display.
Add a smaller plate in front of an oval platter.
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Stack different shaped plates on top of each other to get an interesting view from the front.
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STAND BACK AND LOOK
You’ll want to stand back and look at your display throughout this process. When you get back a few feet, you can see what’s working and what might need to be tweaked.
ADD SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
This little jar of silver spoons makes me smile! I love the way the silver plays off of all the white dishes.
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Look around your house and try different items to find just the right unexpected thing to add to your display. You could add a small silver creamer, or a crystal vase or a small plant — anything that makes you smile!
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And that’s how easy and fun it is to style dishes on open shelves!
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GET THE LOOK
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The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Lam. 3:22