8 Things You Should Never Store on an Open Shelf, Straight From Designers

It may seem like anything and everything is fair game to display on your open shelves, but this isn't actually the case, designers say. Some items aren't meant to sit out in the open all day long, while others are only going to be frustrating to access when placed high up.

Below, interior design pros share eight specific types of items that they suggest leaving off of your open shelves—whether in the kitchen or another room of the home—at all costs.

Appliances

When it comes to open shelving in the kitchen, do not use this space to store appliances, says Liz Kirby, the founder of Surf Road Interiors.

Kirby explains that most appliances can be heavy, don't add anything aesthetically to your kitchen by being on display, and will require regular cleaning.

"Open shelves should be reserved for carefully curated items that you want to display, but that you do not need to access often, such as decorative bowls, candles, and coffee table books," she says.

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Clear Glassware

Evelyn Pierce-Smith, the founder of Evelyn Pierce Design Studio, says that she will never store clear glassware open shelves.

"They are magnets for dust," she says. "Visually it isn't appealing to see dusty glassware and also you have to wipe down the glasses before you use them.'

Personal Photos

Don't turn your shelves into a mini gallery, says Shalmai Keim, the founder of Shalmai Interior Design Studio.

"Excessive personal photos or items too many can overwhelm the space and make it feel less curated," Keim says.

Jen Bienvenu, the founder of J. Bienvenu Interiors, agrees. Bienvenu says that clusters of family photos are not just distracting on open shelving and built-ins, but they can also make the space feel "disjointed and cluttered."

Instead, display framed photos on the wall—hang them in the stairwell or in the long hallway leading to your bedroom, for example.

Houseplants

While it may put your houseplants in a good location for their light needs, realistically, how easily can you care for green friends that are positioned way up high? Bienvenu suggests putting them on open shelving might not be practical when it comes to keeping them well watered.

"I know myself, and I'm probably not going to be dragging the step ladder out to water plants in the middle of a busy week," Bienvenu says.

Clutter-Causing Items

Your everyday items can live somewhere else other than on your open shelves, says Danielle Perdue, the founder of DK Home.

"Avoid items that are not visually appealing," she says. "Don’t store household items or catch-all bowls for keys, mail, sunglasses—this will appear cluttered and unorganized."

Kim Macumber, the founder of Kim Macumber Interiors, says that the purpose of open shelves is to have them be curated, and anything you place on them should be thoughtful.

Books With Covers

Corinne Back, the founder of Corinne Victoria Design, makes an effort to only display books on open shelving after she has removed their covers. Even as a maximalist, the designer says the key to avoiding a "chaotic and messy look" is to take their covers off before displaying them.

Megan Baker, founder of Megan Baker Interiors, agrees that too many books or papers are a no-go. Paperwork, magazines, paperback books, and other paper items "create visual clutter," she says.

Packaged Items

When using open shelving in the kitchen to display functional items—coffee grounds, grains, and the like—be sure to take these ingredients out of their original packaging, says Lisa McDennon, founder of Lisa McDennon Design.

She suggests storing them instead in a set of coordinating glass or ceramic jars to create a more organized look.

Solely Non-Functional Items

Allann Arnold and Victoria Payne, the co-founders of Sloan Hollace Hill Country Interiors, believe that open shelving in the kitchen should always include functional items as well as the decorative ones.

Arnold and Payne suggest mixing "daily use essentials," like plain bowls and plates, with more decorative aspects like art, plants, and colorful ceramics.

"This fun and functional approach maximizes valuable kitchen space, countering the misconception that open shelves are a waste, and creates a charming, lived-in, and aesthetically pleasing home," they say.