I’m a maximalist in the closet: more on open shelves

I know. I just recently wrote a post about how open shelves get my goat. Let me clarify: an occasional open shelf is fine. It’s just really over stimulating for me to see them everywhere. It’s when they exist floor to ceiling in nearly every single room and when there are no closets or closed cupboards to hide the ugly that it becomes a problem for me.When you have a minimal amount of stuff that is in heavy rotation – like 12 dishes, 12 cups, 12 glasses, 12 bowls – that will be washed again and again and used frequently, open shelves can work. But if you’re maiden name is Cupp – you start your china collection at age twelve. You arrived at your marriage with three full sets of china, and registered for two more sets for your wedding. There is no way those dishes will rotate enough to make open shelves make sense.In that last post, I showed you all photos of kitchens with open shelves. What I didn’t show you is images of open shelves all over the house. What I am personally dealing with are open shelves in the pantry, the library, the living room and in the hallway going up the steps. As a reminder, this is not a particularly large house. It’s all of 1800 sqft, and there are only two closets. There is a small coat closet and a modest closet in the master bedroom.I guess you could say “Get rid of some stuff ABCD.” And that is a very valid point. However, I have not reached that place where I am ready to part with things I know that someday I will just want to go out and buy again. (I certainly don’t want to spend the money twice!) Changing the subject for a minute: A second ago I just linked to Decorno. Do you know this blog? She’s been writing for as long as I have – and through the years I have quite enjoyed it. Okay, back to storage…Not to mention, (and I have stated this before) while I absolutely love our stuff, I don’t want to be a slave to dusting it. As Swiss Miss said yesterday in the New York Times: Being a “minimalist in the living room” means being a “maximalist” in the closet. That is how I am. I have always accessorized sparingly, hiding away the visual clutter to be brought out only when I choose to do so.Images ABCD’s Pinterest – I don’t know about you, but is anyone else overwhelmed by Pinterest? Each time I get the ‘so and so is following your boards’ email I am reminded that I have only pinned once! Crouch End property, The Daily Mail, Zamira Mahardini’s Pinterest, Decorno, Design Sponge, Chedva K’s Pinterest

Posted by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo / Dream Decorating and Uncategorized

Tweet @ABCDDesigns Join the Concersation on Facebook Interact on Google+

9 Responses to “I’m a maximalist in the closet: more on open shelves”

  1. michelle on 11 Feb 2011 at 11:29 am

    Decorno is back to blogging?! This is such great news. She had given it up last Spring so I never checked back to see if there was anything new.

  2. ABCD on 11 Feb 2011 at 12:21 pm

    YES!! Isn’t that great Michelle? I read the same thing last Spring and was thrilled she had a case of the “I can’t quit you blog” – it’s good for all of us! :D

  3. Tweets that mention "A maximalist in the closet" more on open shelves | ABCD Design Sketch Book | milestones in life set the tone -- Topsy.com on 11 Feb 2011 at 12:25 pm

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brenda Lynn, moserstyle. moserstyle said: In love w/the UK kitchen! RT @abcddesigns NEW on ABCD Design: I'm a maximalist in the closet. {More on Open Shelves} http://bit.ly/hltvnx [...]

  4. Olivia Millwood on 11 Feb 2011 at 4:16 pm

    to answer your last question about books, I plan on keeping my collection and continuing to fill a library one day… if they are going away, then i want a room full to enjoy and share! :D Lovely blog as always! xo

  5. Chedva on 12 Feb 2011 at 12:24 pm

    I’m with you: I love open shelving but it’s highly impractical for us, especially in dusty Tel Aviv. Even with the 3 little open shelves I added in the kitchen, I’m fighting clutter constantly.
    Oh, and im glad you like my pins, which reminds me I haven’t “pinned” in quite long…:)

  6. ABCD on 13 Feb 2011 at 3:15 pm

    Good point Olivia ~ one day books might be rare ‘collectible’ antiques!

  7. Joseph on 13 Feb 2011 at 5:19 pm

    I will always have that many books because I will never have an IPad. As for the rest of the open shelves, though… UGH! I would build cabinets for every part of that.

  8. Laura on 13 Feb 2011 at 10:31 pm

    I like open shelves too, but am a bit of a dish hoarder myself – I think my dream house will have some open shelves for “daily” use, but then I love the idea of a butler’s pantry for those items less-often-used! I’m a book hoarder too though – love my books! I love how people take off the jackets and put them in “rainbow” order. So pretty. :o )

  9. Cristina - Positively Beauty on 14 Feb 2011 at 1:47 pm

    I’m with you about open shelves – a few (very few…!) are fine, but I much prefer closets and doors!
    Even though I’m not a hoarder, I find that having too many things on view looks a lot like clutter, and annoys me. Plus I hate dusting…
    Books are a hard one – I borrow a lot from the local library, but I have so many!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply