Why Ted Allen Prefers Open Shelving In His Kitchen

"Chopped" host and TV personality extraordinaire Ted Allen may not have a ton of time to cook at home with his busy work schedule, but he has definitive views on how he likes his kitchen to be laid out. Allen was thoughtful about how and who would be working in what he considers to be the most important room in the home. That's why he chose to go with open shelving in the kitchen instead of using upper cabinets.

As Allen explained to Food & Wine magazine, "All of our plates are visible above the washing area, where they can be taken out of the dishwasher and stacked without taking a single step." Every utensil, pot, and tool can be visible, which is key when you have dinner guests who want to help out with the cooking or cleaning up. "This way, they aren't forced to go through each cabinet to find what they're looking for (or worse, to ask you where to find it)," he added.

As Ted Allen has pointed out, using open shelves instead of closed cabinets makes your kitchen more accessible to friends who aren't familiar with where you like to keep things. There are other reasons why open shelving can be a great option for your kitchen, too. First of all, installing open shelving is going to be less expensive than putting in full cabinets. The shelves require fewer materials and are quicker to install, which will save you on labor costs. You could save even more if you're handy enough to put up the shelves yourself.

Open shelving also creates a bit of an optical illusion, making your kitchen seem bigger. This is especially important when you're cooking in a tiny apartment kitchen. Going for an open setup is a great way to get more use out of any awkward or tight spaces where a cabinet wouldn't fit. Allen puts these kinds of spots to good use in his kitchen by installing magnetic strips to hold knives, which allow him to maximize some of the wall space. Using the strips is in keeping with his design philosophy of having everything readily available and clearly visible.

Wide open shelves throughout your kitchen can be both functional and beautiful. Still, there are some factors to keep in mind when adopting this design style. When picking out your shelves you want to take care to use quality materials. You want the shelves to be durable and sturdy. Using anything flimsy will make the space look shabby, and in the end you'll be replacing everything much sooner than you'd like. Open shelves also require more cleaning as dust and dirt will settle on your dishes and cookware faster than if they were tucked away behind a cabinet door.

Be aware that all of your kitchen items will be on display, so you may want to think about getting rid of any chipped or worn bowls or pans. Sticking to a similar color palette will help keep the entirety of the design looking neat. Allen likes to use jars to hold and organize kitchen tools, which creates a tidy look while letting you have all your spoons and spatulas at the ready.