Last night we were all sitting around the kitchen table talking about kitchen remodels {my in-laws recently renovated their kitchen and we are still trying to decide what to do with ours} and as were were talking about different color combinations and our favorite types of countertops, the HH and I kept coming back to the same thing…
Blue cabinets. {Similar to the ones above, but maybe a little lighter, and more of a robin’s egg blue color.}
Only he likes the idea of a white countertop {probably quartz} and I am still in love with the black soapstone counters we had a few houses ago.
And open shelving. I’m kind of in love with that too, but he’s not so sure about it.
I think colored cabinets could work in the right setting and if the rest of the kitchen/dining room had a light/bright/airy feel to it {which ours will}.
But in the back of my mind, I’m always worried about the resale value of a house, and nervous about doing something too out there or unique. We have zero plans on moving. But still, kitchens are sort of a big deal in a home, and I want to get it right.
I like clean lines and keeping things on the minimalistic side {maybe you’ve noticed HA!}. But what do you think? Do you think colored cabinets will be out of style in 2 years? Would the color or type of cabinets even prevent you from buying a particular home? And how do you feel about open shelving?
I would love to hear what you think.
~Mavis
*Kitchen photo from Block Brothers Cabinets in Maine
Mel says
Our cabinets are thermofoil doors attached to what is basically a particle board frame. We have to go around and tighten the screws on them constantly to keep the doors working properly because the particle board does not hold the screws very well, and it also chips and scratches. They cannot be painted or even really repaired, so we will eventually have to rip all of them out and replace them. In short, if a house had functional cabinets in a color I didn’t like, I’d be thrilled because they could just be re-painted. But I also think there’s such a thing as classic colors that never go out of style.
In terms of open shelving, I like the look best when it’s just a few of them paired with mostly closed cabinetry. Closed cabinets also tend to be a bit more efficient in how they use space and more versatile, and there’s less dust, oil, etc. that needs to be cleaned off dishes and other items. We have a few open shelves in our kitchen, and I use them to display holiday or seasonal stuff since they’re not quite right for dishware or anything like that (and well out of range of where cooking splatters could happen), and I like how the mix of closed and open surfaces looks.
Patty P says
I agree…I too have the thermofoil doors (in white) and I do not like them at all. They came with the house and cabinets are so expensive that I don’t want to replace them, but the plastic is coming off of the drawers and the cabinets, especially near the stove. I would love something I could just paint!
Lesley says
Open shelving all the way! We are minimalists too, and we planned out the under-counter drawers to hold most of what we wanted to be hidden. The pretty plates and bowls and glasses that are on the shelves get used often enough that we don’t have to worry about dusting them.
If you do move in 30 years, whatever kitchen design you choose now will be out of date, and the new owners will do whatever they want with it. Easy enough to put up cabinets where you had open shelving. With a property like yours and views like that, I don’t think you will lose a sale over open shelving in the kitchen. So fun to be along for the ride! Thanks Mavis
Brianna says
I am laughing, not at you ideas but because of my situation. We have to move across the county within the next few months and I have the 90’s white melamine and oak kitchen. It is not in our budget to do a thing to it because we are already sinking in our house, but we have all new appliances we have had buy since they all conveniently died within the past two years. Our kitchen will not sell our house and we know it, but cannot do anything other than clean it up really well and hope people can see it is a smaller galley kitchen and the replacement cost isn’t too bad. We are looking at other houses where we are moving to, although we plan on being renters until we can financially recover. The kitchen is a huge thing I look at, ironically. Mainly because I am a huge baker and always cooking and spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I enjoy it and the counter space is my big deal. I need space to do my thing. At our current house I am constantly shuffling mixing bowls and what not around on the counter because there is not the space. I have nothing but a mixer on my counter, but it just isn’t a good layout. I have lived in a place with open shelving and I felt like I was constantly having to remove everything and clean the shelves. I am not a fan of the task, but it isn’t a dealbreaker for me and I like the look. I would not mind a painted cabinet either as long as it is not a yellow or red tone, since those are difficult colors to paint over. I am a blue/grey person, so a robin egg blue cabinet would actually make me happy. I have seen a few houses with colored cabinets and I really haven’t seen any yet where I have had a OMG what were they thinking moment. Layout is important and quality. My melamine and oak ones are anything but quality and every time I open a cabinet I question if I should just take the doors off because I am always fixing them.
Maria Zannini says
While I like colored cabinets, I don’t know if I’d like them 5-10 years down the road.
What I will not have is open shelving. Dust accumulates even in the cleanest homes, not to mention pet fur and the ever-so-subtle grease build up from cooking.
That said, design the home you like. While some of these things might hurt resale, I’m sure it will appeal to another like-minded soul.
Stacie says
I share you same opinion with the open shelving. It gets too dusty and greasy in a kitchen for open shelves in my opinion. However, I’m not a minimalist and I like lots and lots of things, so I have all of my kitchen ware behind cabinets since I have a lot of it.
As far as painted cabinets, I say go for it! You can always paint and change the colors later and if you decide to sell most buyers will see that too.
Angela D. says
Another vote ~against~ open shelving. I can wipe my smooth-top oven at 11pm before bed, and there’s a fine layer of dust on it when I get up at 8am!
As for the colored cabinets– I say “Go For It!” Certainly, paint can be re-painted by new owners (but it’s so time consuming to do by hand, all those brush strokes, etc.) Our kitchen remodel included STAINED red cabinets, for a farmhouse vibe, and I love them more each day, 8 years and counting!!!!
Lace Faerie says
I grew up with open shelves at the end of cabinets over the sink which somehow always seemed to get splashed, and open shelves next to the stove top which always seemed to get greasy (which is odd seeing as my dear late Mama grew up in the no fat generation). Both set of shelves had to be washed every Saturday morning. Yes, it was my chore.
I love white cabinets and have always wanted black soap stone countertops after seeing them on The Old House about 35 yrs ago! I love the color of the cabinets above. Would have to decide between a medium grey or that. Some day I’ll be rid of the builder grade maple which started out a natural color but get more orangey all the time.
Get what pleases you and not some hypothetical new buyer.
Dianne says
I agree – the pet hair and grease build up – I love the look of the open cabinets, but it is not functional in a busy kitchen.
Val-Ann says
I love your ideas for a kitchen renovation! I had never considered black soapstone, but I’ll bet it would be lovely. I don’t think colored cabinets will ever go out of style. From what I’ve seen on your blog, I don’t think you’d do anything too “out there” that would inhibit future resale value. Our cabinets are white, but we’ve got a robins egg blue island. Our home feels like a home someone’s great grandmother could have had years ago. I vote go for it! 🙂
Mary3M says
Why are you always looking to resale? Friends of mine did that with their house and never enjoyed their home – all changes were made for resale rather than enjoyment. Nix the open shelving idea. Too hard to keep the displayed items clean and if you are looking towards resale the lack of storage will prove to be a downer. You might be a minimalist but the next person buying your house – if you move to the island you so desire – might want cabinets for storage and to hide the clutter. Pick what you and the HH like and enjoy living in your house. People change houses when they buy them. what you like might not be what the next person wants. Clean. Tasteful. And make your house have a ‘good karma’ feel to it. That will sell a house.
Jeanie says
I totally agree with you. For many years my husband and I made decisions based on resale and guess what….we are still here and no we want a home we can totally enjoy and are making OUR CHANGES. To make us happy!
Holley says
Don’t you wish we could forget about resale?!!! I’m the same way to an extent and it definitely robs the joy of living in OUR house!!! That being said, I HAD navy blue bottom cabinets in the house I sold four years ago. Painted cabinets aren’t going anywhere! Go for it! Robin’s egg blue is my choice for kitchen cabinets (and maybe, just maybe, living room built ins too)!
As far as the open shelving in the kitchen, I think you are the perfect person for it! You are so minimalist and tidy I don’t think you would have any problem keeping them up! MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY!!!! It is your house after all!
Mark says
If you’re going with a good quality custom cabinet, paint them whatever color you like. They can always be refinished later.
I like a mix of open shelves and full length upper cabinets. I have to much junk for all open shelves. You could compromise and go with glass front cabinets. Then new owners would only have to replace doors if they wanted it all closed in.
Bonnie says
Mavis, go with what you like. You are always decorating with very good taste. You remember that other house that sold like “hot cakes” and people wanting to keep items you decorated with. Be happy! ! You go girl!!
Carrie says
I’d vote to go with the colored cabinets if it makes you happy, they can always be repainted if they are quality cabinets to start with.
On the open shelves I’d agree that less is more, they can quickly look cluttered and so hard to keep everything clean. Do you have space to just have lower cabinets? That would give you the minimalist look and you could just add a few shelves to use sparingly.
Rosemary Calhoun says
The color of the kitchen cabinets or color of the walls would not prevent me buying a home. I would probably repaint it all anyway. The size of the rooms, the amount of cabinets, closets, etc. are what I would be looking at. I think buyers like to put their own stamp on a new home. Use whatever color you like and enjoy!
Lynne says
You and the HH have great taste, so I’m sure whatever you choose will look awesome. If you have good quality cabinets, the color can always be changed. One downside to going with all open shelving not already mentioned – right now, you and the HH are completely able to take on the extra cleaning required for that to work, but if you are looking at this as your forever home, you could be living in this house when that might no longer be the case.
Elle says
You love this home and don’t have the intention of moving on. Do what you WANT! Paint those cabinets 🙂 If for some reason you leave, the buyer can paint them too. Resale is not the priority-live for today.
Open shelving: do it! We bought a dump of a mountain cabin because it had good bones per our inspector. We’ve spent 17y fixing it. Mom helped design the kitchen after what she had in Holland for 10y in a 1 room attic rental. Open shelves in the kitchen. Use them for what you use every day. Dust will not gather on those items. You could do a top shelf for decor if desired. We have 3 shelves that wrap the ‘wetwall’ and a few feet up each side. We used wood we rescued from our carport that fell off the house. The decor is on the top shelf that is just 6″ deep. The middle and bottom shelves are 2×12’s and they work great for daily use items: bread, butter, fresh fruit, onion, garlic as well as drinking glasses and plates. I have enough lowers for pots and pans but I would put my daily use there as well if needed. WE love it all these years later! (kitchen was finished about 7y ago).
Do it your way 🙂
Sara says
I love the blue color for a kitchen on the Maine Coast.
But hard pass on the open shelves, I want storage, not anxiety because I have shelves that show off every flaw in my dishes.
Karen says
And open shelves don’t really hold that many dishes.
Connie says
As I age it becomes more difficult to get to back of of lower cabinets. I would go with large pullout drawers for lowers.
Some shelves are ok. Depends on your personality type. I like white cabinets but also colored cabinets. Maybe upper and lower different colors. If you have island it could be a color.
Do what you like.
Marianne says
I love the robin’s egg blue idea – for goodness sake, pick something you & your hubbie enjoy looking at!
Open shelving looks great for a week or two, then the grease buildup starts to get gross. I love my mix of glass fronted and closed cabinet doors. I would mix in open shelving as well, but furthest from the stove/ oven
Margo says
We overbuilt for the neighborhood 30years ago knowing we would never get top dollar out of it should we sell. We were given some advice that I’m passing on to you. If you plan on staying, do what makes you happy! You will not lose money in the long run. So glad I needed that advice. Besides, if you don’t do what your heart really wants in this house, will you ever? Go for whatever color you want. If you hate it, or later want to change it, it might entail a lot of work, but you don’t seem to shy away from big projects. Enjoy!
Carole says
Its just paint, and in 5 yrs or so anything could be “out of style” As for open shelving, I agree, dust, oily residue, clutter, NOPE not for me. And closed cabinets tend to hold more stuff out of sight.
Tammy says
I despise open shelving. All I can think of is the dust and grease and dirt settling on them. They seem so unsanitary. And who wants the work of keeping your shelves always looking just so? Ugh, hard vote against them.
OTOH, I like the colored cabinets. Sure, they’ll be dated one day, but most parts of the house will be.
Angela D. says
If I don’t use my Kitchenaid mixer for a week, I have to rinse out the mixing bowl before using because it has accumulated a layer of dust!
Janet Langlois says
Hi Mavis. A wise person once said, “It’s paint. It can be repainted. It won’t change the world but it can change your world for however long you like.” I agree. If I could, I’d have navy blue cabinets and I wouldn’t think twice about painting them. I’m not a fan of open shelving. Who wants to dust that much or have to “ style” your kitchen? Love the idea of a plate rack though. I think a dark countertop would be good. There. That’s my two cents worth. Enjoy your day.
Virginia says
My feeling is always do what YOU love, but since you’re asking for opinions, here are mine. If you have a wood floor, I think painted cabinets look great, and I love the idea of blue. You do live in Maine near the water, so I do not think for a minute that a blue kitchen would hinder resale. Keep in mind that getting the exact blue you want will likely result in a higher price tag. The other thing with painted cabinets is that you will likely have paint cracking at the joints, which bothers some people but not others. As far as counters go (quartz is great), I would never recommend white. I have personal experience with pure white quartz countertops and think they are an utter pain to keep clean looking — they show everything. There are other “white” options that have pattern in them that would work much better. And, lastly, I like minimalism as well, but open shelves in an kitchen would discourage me from buying a house. Closed-door cabinet space is what I’d want, not open shelves that have to be curated then cleaned of all the greasy dust and grime. Depending on the size of your kitchen, what I do prefer is to have wall cabinets placed at a slight distance away from the cooktop area. It not only opens up the space and makes the cook feel less “restricted”, but it also will help mitigate some of the dirt/grease factor on the cabinets. You can then take your wall tile all the way up to the ceiling for a very open appeal.
Catherine says
My only two cents is that I would pick a white or light grey speckled counter top with the robins egg color. Solid black counter tops would be way to dark for me with such light and airy colors for the rest of the room.
We’re actually considering painting our kitchen blue anyways and blue is coming into style right now.
suzanne says
We have open shelves on each side of our window bank. Love them for the everyday yet pretty things. You’re not the type to confuse the cereal box for the cereal bowl and your not going to try and cram a bunch of crap-pity crap on them. Mine don’t get greasy at all. Maybe my extractor works better then most but its inexpensive so I doubt it. I have to clean them with the same frequency as the lowers. That little molding lip thing on shaker doors catches a lot of drips.
I can’t imagine you having anything but a classic shaker door so you could always easily add them later for whatever reason. They could even be white and would look beautiful with blue lowers. You can’t go wrong with either countertop. I would be concerned with the quality and layout of cabinets over color.
Elle says
I find it amazing that so many comments are about dust and grease that requires so much cleaning. We don’t have that issue either. Yes, the shelves need to be wiped a few times a month but it’s not that big a deal. Dust is easy to remove and greasy we’ve never seen. I’m glad I’m not the only one that likes them.
Michelle says
I do not have an issue with dust or grease in my open shelves either. We have upper cabinets with a narrow shelf directly under. The shelves are decorative to display my collection of vintage pyrex.
I can sympathize with your concerns though. We bought a home needing many updates. Mid century home built in 1968. So many original features. My biggest challenge has been updating without taking away what makes the house vintage and unique. We buy and sell homes at a similar rate as you Mavis. Deciding to not “play it safe” with my updates has been hard but I am enjoying putting my stamp on this home. We have decided to “bloom where we are planted” this time around.
KC says
Think about what you would want to keep on open shelving. Then think about whether HH would put those things away “correctly” and whether that would drive you nuts and make there be the right amount of open shelving. (also think about how much dust and other buildup happens on top of your existing cabinets or in otherwise not-always-touched bits of your kitchen; some kitchens are more dust-creating than others, and if you fry much, ugh to the aerosolized grease buildup everywhere…)
Pam Favorite says
You should do whatever makes you happy since neither you nor HH is weird or wacky. I have granite countertops and love them so I have no idea about quartz or soapstone but I have seen kitchens that have more than one type of counter like soapstone on the back cabinets and quartz on the island. I did however ask for deeper bottom cabinets, so my counter tops are 29″ deep. I can put a toaster and my canisters on it and still have work space. Also, on my island on one end is shelving for my cookbooks. Design the kitchen to fit your needs not some buyer in the far, far future. Have fun!
Peg says
I’m not a fan of painted cabinets, no matter the color. Almost all paint will probably eventually chip, doesn’t matter the brand or the finish. It is YOUR house (plus you seem to like to paint), and if you two like painted cabinets, go for it!
Marti says
I agree-never would want painted cabinets. My home was built in 1972 and I have the most beautiful butternut cabinets. Wouldn’t dare paint away their beauty. And a definite NO to open shelving–to me it is not sanitary.
Erin says
My husband builds custom cabinets and we did a robin egg blue set about 2 years ago. The owner was going for a french country kitchen. It was a bit bright in my opinion. I prefer stained cabinets but I’m in the minority these days. Go with soapstone…I have a green soapstone with streaks of iron and serpentine. Originally I wanted black soapstone but HH saw the green and loved it. Use some shelves and some cabinets mixed. I have shelves for my cookbooks, plants and photos.
debbie in alaska says
just echoing what others have said — do what brings you joy — and to heck with the resale — there is something for EVERYONE. If someone loves the house, the color of the cabinets will not be the deal breaker … and if it is, the next person in line won’t feel the same way — life is meant to be lived and enjoyed — which seems like how you approach every day — so do the same with your design style.
Karen says
Do you plan to stay in this house or are you thinking of moving? Do you want to please yourself or someone else? Stay here and enjoy this house with whatever you like!
Seems like an easy decision.
Jason Best says
I think you should go with the robin’s egg blue if that is what makes you happy; you will smile every single time you walk in the kitchen.
Regarding open shelving, the only problem I’ve ever seen with that is when someone let’s it get too cluttered or junked up. Lord knows if anyone is disciplined enough to keep that need, tidy, and in good order …YOU ARE! So, I say go for that too!
sandyf says
It is just paint. Easy to re- paint. Get the open shelving. If you don’t like it after time-buy more cabinets. Stick with a simple shaker cabinet that you can get anytime, and it classic and timeless.
Get photos of both black soapstone and white. See what makes you smile.
Do what you love. That is what life is all about.
Make it fun.
sandyf says
https://www.wellborn.com/blog/2020/07/29/blue-kitchen-cabinets-a-trending-design/
Elaine says
We’re in the process of remodeling our kitchen with pale greenish/blue cabinets and a white counter!!
DO WHAT YOU LOVE!
Veronica says
Just putting this out there because I didn’t see any comments mentioning it:
I’m short and a klutz if I’m sleep-deprived or hormonal and I’d accidentally knock things off open shelving while trying to get other things down, even with a step-ladder.
That, combined with the fact that we live near an active fault line, would discourage me from choosing open shelving. (In fact, we are debating putting locking options on the upper china cabinets just in case an earthquake hits so we can protect our family from shards, etc.)
In regards to the dust and grime, I currently don’t have to dust my kitchen because we use it at least 3 times a day, but I routinely have to clean grease off the counters and (sometimes) ceiling. I wouldn’t want to add shelves to that cleaning list – I’ve got better things to do with my time than clean!
Gigi says
I’m with you on the shelve cleaning. I ditched the knickknacks and excess and it makes cleaning and dusting so much faster. Not to mention, we always seem to use the same 8 glasses in front or the same 6 bowls and never the stuff behind.
Amanda Tirado says
I would be MORE likely to purchase a home with blue cabinets. I’m currently in Escrow on a house with a white kitchen and plan to paint the cabinets.
Brandy says
I would go with whatever color makes you happy! You can always repaint them if you decide to sell in the future. I do have to say I’m not a fan of open shelving – it looks good on HGTV but isn’t practical. Here is my suggestion, your hubby is handy – have him build the shelves you want, live with it for a bit and if you absolutely hate it then you can always add the upper cabinets! I am getting ready to install gray cabinets in my kitchen for the walls and hickory cabinets for the island. If I don’t like the gray in the future, I will paint them white, have done it a few times before in other houses.
Katherine says
We remodeled the kitchen in our previous house that was a 50’s rambling ranch with the original kitchen. We put in white shaker cabinetry and quartz countertops. I chose to only to two upper corner cabinets and fit in 4 36″ wide cabinets with drawers. We also did floor to ceiling pantry’s with pullout shelves and we ended up using huge lower cabinets with a shelf in each corner. My kitchen felt so bright and open and I had tons of storage space. I had plenty of room to put up open shelving but chose to hang artwork instead.
I plan to use the same cabinetry in my current house when we renovate our kitchen here.
Marcia says
I’m of two minds (literally).
1. I see houses with old, not-updated kitchens and I think “yuck”. Same goes for ugly kitchens.
2. I think it’s terribly wasteful to rip out a kitchen because you “don’t like it”. Especially if it still functions. I mean, so wasteful to just throw all that stuff away (sometimes people recycle/ donate).
I like the blue.
Angela Muller says
Open shelving is beautiful…until it’s not! I think the key to keeping it beautiful is having sufficient storage somewhere in the kitchen and being able to live with just enough stuff!
As for colored cabinets, I love them; and home remodeling stores will always make a cabinet color obsolete every few years anyway! I love everything you are doing with your home!
Gwyn says
I love your kitchen pictures. It would be my dream kitchen. I have watched my children look at homes with what they called ‘dated kitchens’. To me they were modern kitchens. No matter what you do a future owner will think it is ‘dated’. Do what you want and what you enjoy. You can’t account for future owners taste.
Stacey says
Make the house yours and do those colored cabinets! You will love them and if you move they can be painted. As for the shelves, I love the way they look but I would never have too many. I like the idea of my dishes being tucked in a cupboard away from most of the dust. I lived in the desert too long. I like the most storage space possible anyway.
Kippy says
You have said before that you hope to live there forever and never move again unless it is an island. Resale value should not matter. Remodel the kitchen the way that makes you happy using materials you prefer.
Chris says
Definitely go with the soapstone! It will look fabulous. You could possibly add a small island with the white quartz for the HH. Open shelves lighten up a kitchen so much. The type of cooking that you share doesn’t seem heavy on the greasy build up so I doubt it would be an issue to keep the shelves clean. As always, you have a great eye for color and design. Your plans sound picture perfect.
Jeanie says
I have the same 40 year old hardwood oak cabinets that I have had from the beginning. They are quite classic and we have updated the hardware. I have black countertops and I love them. I hate open shelving. It wouldn’t be the look for me. I like classically painted colored cabinets.
Deb says
Ten years ago I moved to an older house with very solid and ugly dark brown cabinets. I painted them a lovely 1930’s British green and replaced the hideous Formica countertops with inexpensive butcher block stained cherry. I still smile every time I walk into my kitchen. Do what gives you joy.
Nancy says
I love the blue cabinets—go for it. Open shelving only looks good in pictures. Just think of the dusting you would have to do. I like the idea of a few open shelves for plants and decor items. For the lower cabinets get mostly drawers. I love them— so much easier to get at things instead of getting on your knees looking for things. You’ll appreciate that as you get older.
Heather says
I would love painted cabinets. Coming from someone who has had the same golden oak cabinets for 30 years. I think a few open shelves or glass front cabinet for decorative items look great, but I don’t have the type of dishes that I would want always on displayed. We live in earthquake country so it isn’t even an option for us.
Donna Sanford says
I always wanted sage green cabinets. I think painted cabinets are classic and never out of style. As far as resale value, it just isn’t everyone’s taste. Do what you love.
Annette says
Navy blue is a popular color right now for kitchen cupboards, but the light blue would be easier to paint over if you got tired of it. Go for it.
Tracy L. says
I’ve been following you for a very long time. You’ve had some BEAUTIFUL kitchens. Which kitchen did you like the best? You’ve had wood, white, which made you the happiest? Which was the easiest to clean etc.? I like more classic Hampton design. White shaker cabinets with soapstone or marble counters. But design changes constantly. Make your kitchen what will make you the happiest.
Nancy says
Do what makes you happy! Considering the fact that you all are planning to be in this home for the long haul, think about “aging in place” choices for the expensive items like counter tops and any structural changes you make that could be very expensive to change down the road should you need to for your own use. Investing in your kitchen now will bring you joy for many years to come. I absolutely vote for the robin’s egg blue cabinets! Gorgeous!
Andrea says
If you like being super tidy, then open shelving is fine, but it gives me nightmares of cobwebs (for shelves that have things that don’t get used often) and disarray (for shelves that have always used items on them…not everyone in my house can be talked into putting things back where they “belong”)! I’m not a fan of blue cupboards in a cold climate–don’t mind blue and white if it’s a bright and sunny place, but if I was going to paint the cupboards any color, I’d pick something warm if I lived in Maine, otherwise I’d never be able to talk myself into going in there in the winter time.
Alecia L. says
I owned a Victorian for 12 years that’s kitchen had been painted an almost neon green by a former owner who was a friend of mine. It absolutely made the room pop with stainless appliances, gorgeous white cabinets, some of which had glass fronts and some of which were closed.
I’d go for the blue cabinets if that’s what you want as I’m sure the new owners will or already have painted the kitchen in my Victorian after I sold it. New owners can change your cabinets later if they want to.
As far as open shelving goes, personally I feel this is more for decorative purposes rather than a functional use. If you have plenty of other cabinet space then maybe add a little, but I wouldn’t use it exclusively.
Julie P says
My daughter has an IKEA kitchen in a kind of duck egg blue/teale and beautiful wood worktops, she only has cupboards on one wall where she has her built in oven, the rest is open shelving and hob extractor hood. I don’t like to say it, she’s not one for cleaning, but it always looks delightful when we go round. She says the choices they made made her happy she loves her open shelving and she loves the over all design and colour so she likes it to look clean and neat and therefore doesn’t find it a problem to keep on top of it. As many readers have said go with what you love. My daughter echoes what someone said, she walks into her kitchen and smiles and it’s been nearly two years now. They laid what I think they call pamment tiles, small square thick red tiles which had been rescued from a house in Yorkshire. The house is old but the modern cupboards look glorious.
Rebecca says
First, it’s YOUR house, so you need to LOVE what you put in it. As far as resale, blue cabinets in a house with a beautiful water view would almost be expected? My point is, that blue cabinets won’t be a huge stretch in the expectations list for potential buyers down the road. For counters, why not compromise like we did: honed absolute black granite (mimics soapstone) on the perimeter and Cambria Tourquay (mimics marble, but better for people who like red wine) on the island. Open shelving makes me a little nervous but I think there’s enough of it around now that it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker down the road. Whatever you decide on, it will be gorgeous, I just know!
Cecile says
If I remember correctly your kitchen looks out onto the water. I would keep the counters lighter. Someone earlier recommended a white with grey fleck which I think would look amazing; something that looks like a speckled egg but light. You don’t want anything that distracts from your view if you are standing away from the counter but looking out the window. I think going with the blue counters would be breath taking with the light counter tops, natural wood open shelves. Let’s face it there are only two of you living in the home so if you put your everyday dishes out on the shelves and have a cupboard that stores the extras for company, I think it will be perfect. Just make sure you get real wood cabinets and you can paint them any colour you want, when you want. It will be more expensive but in the long run when your family sells (since you aren’t moving) your home after you are gone or takes over the property they know it will be a relatively easy job to make it their own. I can see your dining room done to match with an accent piece of furniture like a buffet to match the cupboards in the kitchen and dried grass placemats or runner on the table. If you’re going coastal you’ve got to go all the way!
Mona R McGinnis says
I don’t mind open shelving for daily use dishes or decor. I love the deep drawers and pull-out shelves. I’ve often thought about 2 dishwashers – one clean, one dirty. It would minimize the need for shelf storage and omit the task of emptying the dishwasher.
Jamie M. says
Open shelving is already going out of style for the reasons everyone has already stated above.
I wanted something timeless in my kitchen since it’s hard for me to make home design choices. We settled on soapstone since it’s been used in kitchens for over 150 years, I don’t think it will ever go out of style. The quartz may still be in style too, since it seems to be a quality product. The only issue would be what pattern you choose, since there are already ones going out of style.
If you only wanted a little bit of open shelving and a similar look, go look at “The Minimal Mom” on YouTube. She has done something similar in her kitchen and she talks about the special paint they used that hardens and they loved.
Teri says
I think you should do what you love and not worry about resale value. After all, it didn’t prevent you from buying the place!
Personally I don’t like open shelves but if you do then definitely go for it!
LindaT says
I read about 1/2 of the comments. Two things not mentioned: How much dust you get is partially dependent on your heating system. We have electric baseboard and a wood stove. The electric would be fine, but turn on the wood blower and dust becomes a constant companion. I suspect it would be that way w any forced air system.
I want to move. When I do, storage space will be a huge priority. Open shelving cuts a lot of that out.
I love blue in all its forms so the color would please me. If you have the things I’ve mentioned covered, or you don’t mind climbing up to dust regularly, go for it. Make yourself and your hubby happy!
Shirley says
Hi, I’m a realtor in CA and I’ve seen the trend from white cabinets and quartz slowly change to gray and complementary blues for the cabinets while keeping the white countertops.
Do what makes you happy, you seem to really enjoy living where you are, and if you decide you’re going to move you can decide then what to do about the cabinets.
Mary M Kerns says
I have had cabinets very similar to the pictures for abut 5 years now. I absolutely love them. I walk into my kitchen in the mornings and still say “I love my kitchen”. The cabinets are from Lowes and are juniper berry in color.
I would not do open shelving for all the reasons others are stating, including being on a fault line. I do have the large lower drawers and I love those also.
Christy says
Painted cabinets in any color are totally splendid, open shelving not so much. Major dust collectors and they don’t afford nearly the storage that closed cabinets do. I would not buy a house that had open shelving in the kitchen, I go for as much storage as possible, but that is just me. Follow your ehart.
Beryl says
It’s lovely! Looks like a designer kitchen…I’ll take it!
Molly says
I think all lower cabinets should be deep pull out drawers. I have a few in my kitchen and I think all kitchens should have them.
Other than that You Do You!!!!
Christa H. says
Honestly, I would not want colored cabinets. If I had to touch up the paint, it would never “perfectly” match.
I also would pass if it was all open shelving. A few shelves is fine for some decor, but I would want to keep everything clean and uncluttered looking. Besides DH would never stack stuff perfectly or line up the mugs just right and that would drive me nuts. Also unless everything is one to two colors on display, it may add to the cluttery look.
I would go white cabinets and then the black soapstone counters or quartz white counters with slight grey veining in them and black hardware for either to accent.
Use the blue in accessories.
Kathy Schick says
I have and love a few open shelves. They don’t hold plates or glasses but do make a great space for cooking oils, flour, sugar, etc.
I’m also minimalistic so the shelves are not crowded. Don’t have a problem with grease (rarely fry anything) and don’t have pets.
Ashley Bananas says
I would avoid the open shelving concept…..I think it’s trendy but not long term. With a color, you can change the color in the future if you want.
Ashley says
I’m a minimalist and I vote no on open shelving. Maybe as another poster commented, a few for display but most closed cabinets. They don’t have that much storage space and the dust & pet hair will land all over your clean dishes.
Plus, not everything is ‘open shelf worthy’. The old toaster oven, the plastic kids dishes, the random measuring cups from multiple sets–unless you’re willing to buy all matchy-cute-hygge kitchen stuff, put in some cabinets you can close. A wall of matching, closed, smooth cabinet doors is much more pleasing to the eye and and calming than a jumble of real-world kitchen supplies on a bunch of open shelves.
Elaine K McCarty says
Wow! This is certainly a popular topic! I can’t resist weighing in, though. First, let me say I love painted cabinets, especially colors rather than white. I think it shows the homeowner’s creativity and a home’s individuality – makes it stand out from the crowd. My Dad was CKD (certified kitchen designer) who painted his own kitchen cabinets blue in the late 70s. The kitchen is part of a kitchen/dining/sitting room and has really stood the test of time. I think blue is such a calming color, and I love the look of open shelving too. Honestly, I don’t think I’d worry about re-sale as much as pleasing yourselves.
Elaine K McCarty says
Oh, and I vote with the comment above for the large drawers rather than standard cabinets on the bottom. I loved them when I stayed at my brother’s home, and have wanted them ever since!