Designer dust
So while I was doing the massive clean the other week, I got to thinking again about one day, in my fantasy future, when I can get a new kitchen.
I’ve always loved the look of open shelves. Most people who like interiors have lots of impulsively bought crockery that sadly doesn’t come out for use as often as you’d like – tea party for 23? – so a few shelves to display it on adds real personality to a kitchen. Imagine these open cupboards as lovely shelves.
The beautiful translucent mint green deco tea cups my mum brought back from France, the coffee pots, the Skandi salt and pepper peeps – all hidden away at the moment.
But the question is not whether I have enough lovely stuff. It’s that I know open shelves in the kitchen are a dusty, greasy nightmare. The grease aspect I have tackled already by hardly ever cooking anything, but the dust is another matter. What do you think – anecdotes/dust level readings and pros and cons from your own kitchen most welcome.
I had wonderful custom made, open shelves at one end of my kitchen, far away from the cooker [Grease Making Unit], and one lot above the GMU . The ones above the GMU were a cleaning nightmare, nice but never to be repeated, yet the ones at the far end of kitchen, used for glorious pretty tat [all my glasses and plates, trinketry, tea cups - you know the stuff] were a delight, just basic dusting once a week. Perfect.
Oh dear – I think even once a week ‘standard’ dusting might on occasion be beyond me. But still, your scientific distance-from-GMU conclusions are useful and I’ll bear them in mind if I ever get round to a new kitchen.
I work on the Quentin Crisp theory “after seven years the dust level stays the same” and always put things back in exactly the same place after use! ha ha
Amen Trish. It’s the family motto. Which reminds me – Mr Crisp’s room and cleaning regime will make a great future post. Thanks
hello girls! I have just found your blog and so far loving it….particularly this post.
hubby and I are just in the ‘getting quotes’ stage from builders for a much long awaited new extension for our kitchen and bathroom. I’ve been waiting eight years for a new kitchen so I have it down to a t now as to how it will look and mine will definitely have open shelves in it.
I plan on putting all my day to day crockery on the open shelves as well as a rather large collection of coffee pots and bowls I have collected over the years.
as for cleaning it, who cares! the overall look over open shelves is so lovely that a clean once a month will be worth it =)
keep up the great work,
KA
Well thanks Kelly-Ann. Nice to hear from you. Your comment is actually very inspiring, because I do indeed have plenty of other things in my house that mean it looks like hell if I don’t clean it every two days (and I don’t). White floors and a black cat spring to mind. Maybe I should just do it, and get over having to rinse a few teacups every few weeks. Good luck with your renovation.
Ooh this is just so relevant right now! I’ve got to choose a kitchen as I’ve bought a wreck of a house and I’m having this dilemma too. I love the look of open shelves but I also love cupboards where I can shove things without worrying too much what they look like, but how much of each? Just what is the right cupboard/shelf ratio??? It’s keeping me up at night I tell you…