Kitchen Bookshelves: The Design Element That Will Keep You Inspired in the Kitchen
While beautiful kitchen design is something to aspire to, design alone does not mean as much without the nightly dinner preparations, birthday cake baking sessions, and Thanksgiving turkey roastings over the years. These are the things that turn a house into a home, and none of them would be possible without the recipes and cookbooks that inspire them. Home chefs, hungry families, and Food Network enthusiasts alike can all agree that cookbooks are an essential (and often nostalgic) part of any kitchen. Cookbooks inspire us to try new things, create the perfect dish on a special occasion, and revisit the family recipes passed down through generations. Whether you’re trying out the keto diet, on the hunt for the tastiest 30-minute meals, or prefer making specialty dishes from around the world, there’s a handful of cookbooks to inspire and guide you around your kitchen.
It’s beneficial to keep cookbooks handy, but they can be tricky to store. At Swartz Kitchens & Baths, it’s no secret that we love kitchen storage and organization ideas. After all, organization solutions reduce clutter and keep our lives running smoothly. Today we’re celebrating kitchen bookshelves, a kitchen design element that provides stellar storage while enhancing a kitchen’s design and functionality. Beyond storage, design, and general functionality — kitchen bookshelves’ essential role is to house the inspiration for every meal made in the kitchen — the cookbooks.
The Art of Cookbook Display
Julia Child’s “The Art of French Cooking,” the book of Betty Crocker’s sweet treats, and M.F.K. Fisher’s “The Art of Eating” all come to mind as cookbooks that have revolutionized how we cook at home. While not every cookbook can be as influential as those mentioned above, millions of cookbooks are out there to suit different dietary needs, meals, flavors, and occasions. Whether you want to poach an egg, mix a cocktail, bake cookies, or explore the new vegan treats you’ve heard so much about, your cookbooks can provide all of the instruction and creativity that you need.
The downside of frequent cookbook use is that it can either be inconvenient or lead to countertop clutter. There is not always a designated spot for cookbooks in the kitchen, so we tend to store them in far-away rooms. Inevitably, the cookbooks that we use most often will pile up on the counters. After all, if you’re using a cookbook multiple times each week, why put it away in an inconvenient spot each time? Rather than allow your cookbooks to collect on the counter, consider installing kitchen bookshelves to keep your cookbooks organized, handy, and beautifully displayed.
Make It Personal
People can learn a lot about you from your music collections, Netflix history, or the books on your bedside table. The same is true about the cookbooks you keep on display! Your cookbooks tell a story about who you are, so finding the right bookshelf to display them in is an important step in your kitchen design process. Not only do the books themselves give some clues about what and how you like to use your kitchen, but you can also personalize the display with organizational and decorative accents.
Thoughtful organization is the first thing to consider. What look are you going for? You might want to color-coordinate your shelves to match the rest of the design, which creates a cohesive look. Perhaps alphabetizing the cookbooks is more your style for long-term consistency. Or, for easy access, you might consider arranging them from most-used to least-used.
Next, think about the ways you can spruce up your bookshelf. You may want to place decorative objects or plants on or within the shelves to pull more focus. If your bookshelf is built into the kitchen island or the end of the cabinets, the top of the shelf becomes counter space that you can use or decorate however you see fit. Personalization allows you to create a look that you love with the convenience of having all of your cookbooks within arm’s reach.
A Before and After for the Books
It may be hard to imagine how much a bookshelf can change a kitchen’s look. Before and after photos from this recent Swartz Kitchens & Baths kitchen remodel of a home in Seven Valleys, PA, show just how drastically a kitchen can change with new cabinets, counters, and a kitchen bookshelf. As you can see in the before picture, the wooden bookshelves that provided a place for books, documents, and assorted decorations made the room feel cluttered. It is nice to add your own decorations to personalize your bookshelf, but if you’re not careful, your bookshelf will become a resting place for every miscellaneous item in your home. Aside from looking cluttered, the “before” bookshelves did not blend in with the rest of the design. As a result, the room did not feel cohesive.
In the “after” picture, you can see how the bookshelf now blends seamlessly into the newly renovated kitchen by matching the sleek Eclipse Frameless Cabinetry (in Reopse Grey) and Statuario Maximus honed quartz countertops. The top of the bookshelf is the perfect resting place for a trendy decorative plant, which brings a splash of color to the kitchen. Last but not least, the shelves feature a beautiful display of the family’s cherished cookbooks. This example goes to show how a kitchen can transform with the addition of a kitchen bookshelf and intentional design details.
Ready to Get Started on Your Own Kitchen Bookshelf?
The addition of a kitchen bookshelf will bring functionality, design, and inspiration to any kitchen, and we’d love to help you get started. Deciding the best way to incorporate a bookshelf into your kitchen will require thoughtful consideration from a design professional for the best results. Reach out to our experts today to start planning yours!
Kitchen Bookshelves: The Design Element That Will Keep You Inspired in the Kitchen
While beautiful kitchen design is something to aspire to, design alone does not mean as much without the nightly dinner preparations, birthday cake baking sessions, and Thanksgiving turkey roastings over the years. These are the things that turn a house into a home, and none of them would be possible without the recipes and cookbooks that inspire them. Home chefs, hungry families, and Food Network enthusiasts alike can all agree that cookbooks are an essential (and often nostalgic) part of any kitchen. Cookbooks inspire us to try new things, create the perfect dish on a special occasion, and revisit the family recipes passed down through generations. Whether you’re trying out the keto diet, on the hunt for the tastiest 30-minute meals, or prefer making specialty dishes from around the world, there’s a handful of cookbooks to inspire and guide you around your kitchen.
It’s beneficial to keep cookbooks handy, but they can be tricky to store. At Swartz Kitchens & Baths, it’s no secret that we love kitchen storage and organization ideas. After all, organization solutions reduce clutter and keep our lives running smoothly. Today we’re celebrating kitchen bookshelves, a kitchen design element that provides stellar storage while enhancing a kitchen’s design and functionality. Beyond storage, design, and general functionality — kitchen bookshelves’ essential role is to house the inspiration for every meal made in the kitchen — the cookbooks.
The Art of Cookbook Display
Julia Child’s “The Art of French Cooking,” the book of Betty Crocker’s sweet treats, and M.F.K. Fisher’s “The Art of Eating” all come to mind as cookbooks that have revolutionized how we cook at home. While not every cookbook can be as influential as those mentioned above, millions of cookbooks are out there to suit different dietary needs, meals, flavors, and occasions. Whether you want to poach an egg, mix a cocktail, bake cookies, or explore the new vegan treats you’ve heard so much about, your cookbooks can provide all of the instruction and creativity that you need.
The downside of frequent cookbook use is that it can either be inconvenient or lead to countertop clutter. There is not always a designated spot for cookbooks in the kitchen, so we tend to store them in far-away rooms. Inevitably, the cookbooks that we use most often will pile up on the counters. After all, if you’re using a cookbook multiple times each week, why put it away in an inconvenient spot each time? Rather than allow your cookbooks to collect on the counter, consider installing kitchen bookshelves to keep your cookbooks organized, handy, and beautifully displayed.
Make It Personal
People can learn a lot about you from your music collections, Netflix history, or the books on your bedside table. The same is true about the cookbooks you keep on display! Your cookbooks tell a story about who you are, so finding the right bookshelf to display them in is an important step in your kitchen design process. Not only do the books themselves give some clues about what and how you like to use your kitchen, but you can also personalize the display with organizational and decorative accents.
Thoughtful organization is the first thing to consider. What look are you going for? You might want to color-coordinate your shelves to match the rest of the design, which creates a cohesive look. Perhaps alphabetizing the cookbooks is more your style for long-term consistency. Or, for easy access, you might consider arranging them from most-used to least-used.
Next, think about the ways you can spruce up your bookshelf. You may want to place decorative objects or plants on or within the shelves to pull more focus. If your bookshelf is built into the kitchen island or the end of the cabinets, the top of the shelf becomes counter space that you can use or decorate however you see fit. Personalization allows you to create a look that you love with the convenience of having all of your cookbooks within arm’s reach.
A Before and After for the Books
It may be hard to imagine how much a bookshelf can change a kitchen’s look. Before and after photos from this recent Swartz Kitchens & Baths kitchen remodel of a home in Seven Valleys, PA, show just how drastically a kitchen can change with new cabinets, counters, and a kitchen bookshelf. As you can see in the before picture, the wooden bookshelves that provided a place for books, documents, and assorted decorations made the room feel cluttered. It is nice to add your own decorations to personalize your bookshelf, but if you’re not careful, your bookshelf will become a resting place for every miscellaneous item in your home. Aside from looking cluttered, the “before” bookshelves did not blend in with the rest of the design. As a result, the room did not feel cohesive.
In the “after” picture, you can see how the bookshelf now blends seamlessly into the newly renovated kitchen by matching the sleek Eclipse Frameless Cabinetry (in Reopse Grey) and Statuario Maximus honed quartz countertops. The top of the bookshelf is the perfect resting place for a trendy decorative plant, which brings a splash of color to the kitchen. Last but not least, the shelves feature a beautiful display of the family’s cherished cookbooks. This example goes to show how a kitchen can transform with the addition of a kitchen bookshelf and intentional design details.
Ready to Get Started on Your Own Kitchen Bookshelf?
The addition of a kitchen bookshelf will bring functionality, design, and inspiration to any kitchen, and we’d love to help you get started. Deciding the best way to incorporate a bookshelf into your kitchen will require thoughtful consideration from a design professional for the best results. Reach out to our experts today to start planning yours!