2. It forces you to keep your home tidy.
The main reason a lot of people hate open shelving? All the cleaning. But we like to see the glass half full—yes, open shelving requires more dusting and tidying up, but this also means that your kitchen will stay relatively clean. Our tip: Keep open shelving away from a stovetop. This will help you avoid grease buildup, which, as we all know, is quite the pain to remove.
![“I think my own personal style is a bit of French design [and] a little bit of English, but I just love that overly collected, curated, layered space that looks lived in and comfortable,” Paige says.](https://thecottagejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Photo-May-05-2022-2-46-08-PM_OTR-feat-218x150.jpg "Designer Paige Kontrafouris Layers Her 100-Year-Old Home with Collected Treasures")
