The Budget-Friendly Way To Add A Touch Of Luxury To Open Shelves In Your Kitchen

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Kitchen cabinets are necessary for storing anything from dinner plates to small appliances. But if you've been keeping up with trends, you might have noticed that open shelving has become a popular choice for storage. It offers a less closed-in feel, plus it gives homeowners a chance to show off those fun dinner plates and can be another way to squeeze some pops of color into the space. If you want to upgrade your kitchen shelving without breaking the bank, try adding railings to the front of the shelves for a more sophisticated look.

Known as a gallery rail, the feature comes in different materials, so you can choose which one best suits your kitchen's vibe. But true gallery rails can be pretty expensive, especially depending on the material, because you often have to buy the rails and posts separately. If you're looking for an easy way to save on a kitchen remodel, try DIY-ing your own gallery rails using anything from towel bars to lamp parts.

For that same look without the cost, you can actually use lamp parts instead of railings. DIY influencer Lauren Burke shared the hack on Instagram, where she screwed lamp rods together to give that same extravagant look without spending the money on true gallery railings. The project is simple; the hardest part might be deciding which type of lamp rod you want in the space.

If you have small kitchen shelves, you can go with an even easier idea: towel bars. Take a towel bar and lay It on top of the shelf, then screw the towel bar in, so it lays flat. From the front, the towel bar gives the appearance of a gallery railing. Make sure to secure the towel bar to the shelf the same way you'd secure it to a wall; towel bars tend to be light, and it could move around or fall off while you're reaching for plates. You can even find affordable, sophisticated options like this one from Kokisiri on Amazon for right around $30. With cabinets being the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel, open shelving is a great way to open up the space — and can save you money.