Trending: Suspended Kitchen Shelving

By Kate Riley October 18, 2018

They keep popping up in my Instagram feed so I’ve come to the conclusion that suspended kitchen shelves are the new “it look” in kitchen design.

This style of shelving is not attached to the wall like floating shelves, rather they are suspended from the ceiling and hang down from metal supports with glass or wood shelves added to provide open storage.

 

 

build boswell

 

Open shelving has been popular in kitchens for long enough to say it’s no longer a trend, the look is definitely here to stay. Floating shelves are still going strong and now the suspended shelf is on the rise.

 

marianne strong interiors

 

studio life/style

Suspended shelving is a far more contemporary look than traditional closed upper cabinetry. They can blend well with transitional kitchens as long as the remaining elements are classic.

 

magnolia

With trends, I’m a skeptic but with this one I have to say, I’m on board. When suspended shelving is floated above a peninsula or island, they’re a more clever storage solution compared to a bulky drop down cabinet because they don’t block the light or a view into the space.

 

my domaine

 

lonny

 

sweeten

In a kitchen, hanging shelves carry the same challenges as floating shelves: the need to constantly clean them so they remain dust free, and to also style them so there’s no emptiness.

 

jean allsopp photography

The suspended shelf look suits the display of a modern cafe or coffee shop…

 

san francisco cafe via we heart

 

cafe gratitude

 

… and now they’re showing up in residential kitchens.

 

addison’s kitchen

 

marie flanagan

With any residential kitchen, practically is key, but everything depends on lifestyle. This kind of shelving works well for displaying lesser used platters or cookbooks or cake plates and offers an opportunity to layer decorative objects… or nothing at all?

 

lonny

What are your thoughts on the suspended shelving trend? Do you see them as the same as open floating shelves, looking good but requiring a higher level of maintenance? Or do you see them as a headache to clean and style on a consistent basis?

12 comments

  1. Love the look of them along the wall, but not the practicality, especially when they’re next to the range. Dust is one thing, but it would seem open cabinets/shelves next to the range are an invitation for a fine coating of sticky grease on everything.

  2. I still love open shelves. I lived with them for over a year before we moved, and I loved them. Would totally do it again. I don’t see the point of the suspended ones, but if that’s what you like, go for it. I don’t think they’d be any harder to style than mounted shelves. The key with any open shelf design is to use what is on them daily. Otherwise, you will need to dust them more often. That suspended shelf that isn’t centered on the cathedral ceiling would drive me nuts though!

    • Good to know about what to place on open shelves. I designed a kitchen with open shelves for décor, not for daily use, but it’s nice to read you’ve used yours for practical reasons too!

  3. I like the looks of them in the right setting, but don’t think I would like the maintenance of them myself. Too much extra dusting, and close to the stove would be even harder to keep clean. I love my windows open in the summer, and that means more dust and pollen to deal with. I’ll keep my cupboards for now.

  4. I would hate to drill into tile if I wasn’t 100% sold on my shelving plan, so this seems like a great workaround!

  5. I see this as a trend, however I do like a little bit as an accent say above a coffee bar serving area, at a wet bar, possibly a bathroom or workspace. Forces you to have nice looking, well organized dishes, glasses etc – maybe decorative and not so functional.

  6. Living in California even though earthquakes are rare, I am not going to go for this or any other open shelving trend. I would be too nervous to enjoy it and I think the visual clutter would get on my nerves.

  7. Can’t wait to take everything off the shelves, clean it all, spend a few hours kneeling on the counters, de-griming each shelf, spindle, connector, areas between walls and shelving, and re-placing each item. Not.

  8. I love this look! Any ideas on sourcing? I have been searching for systems like the ones shown in the first four pictures, but really can’t find anything similar. Thanks!

  9. This would definitely be the answer for me! The shelves would be right above my dishwasher!
    Where can I get this kind of ceiling suspended shelves? Maybe even stainless ones!

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