Open Shelving

 Giving a wall an open area breaks up the monotony and adds interest. 

 Our house is a 1950's rancher which hasn't been renovated since it was built,  save for the kitchen which was given those 1990s Ikea cabinets that so many houses seem to have. It has so little character and yet we barely have time to eat these days let alone renovate. So I dream up little things I can do in between feeding the baby, doing the dishes, etc.  This week after watching BBC2's Victorian Pharmacy I was inspired to add a little interest to the cupboard area. I removed a cabinet door, moved everything to another cupboard and moved all the most used baking items into the shelves.

  Aside from looks,  the open shelves can also be very practical since I now have my baking supplies within quick reach without going through an overly large pantry full of food. 

  

I used old looking jars and for those that were recycled like jam jars I printed antique labels to give them an apothecary look. 

Notice that this type of vanilla extract used to made by a pharmacist. Apparently many bottled foodstuffs got their start in Victorian pharmacies.  And many are still being made today by the same companies. One example is Lea and Perrins Worchestershire sauce. They were chemists who created the recipe in 1835.