Ina Garten kitchen shelf design tip mixing shapes, Digi Mart USA News: Ina Garten has shared a simple way to give kitchen shelves more visual depth without spending money on a remodel: place items of different shapes next to one another. Instead of grouping similar pieces together, she suggests mixing square, round, oval and oblong dishware.
Garten has previously said that decorating shelves with a mix of old and new items, along with books placed beside dishes, can add interest. Her shape-based idea builds on that approach.
In a post on Substack, she said that “a shelf of all round bowls or all flat plates can be a little boring.”
In a photo of one of her dish cabinets, the principle is clear. The bottom shelf includes several square plates and bowls, interspersed with oblong gravy boats, round bowls and a large oval platter at the back.
Repeating the square shape creates cohesion, while the other shapes add contrast.
Another shelf holds several mixing bowls that are all round but vary in shape and height, with a stack of rectangular books breaking up the uniformity. A higher shelf uses pitchers in two slightly different sizes, rectangular books and a wide round mixing bowl to achieve a similar effect.
The tip can be applied with items most people already own. Smaller dessert plates can be stacked beside a larger mixing bowl with a few books or decorative objects, while a large vase can be paired with square or rectangular items and a round platter.
Garten keeps denser stacks on the bottom shelf, which looks more balanced than stacks on top, and taller items should be placed on shelves with ample vertical space.
