Open shelving has been a huge trend for the past few years, but so many of us still struggle to make it look good in their own kitchen. Of course, your home doesn't have to be a carbon copy of something you see in a magazine, and we believe its important for homeowners to put their own stamp on their spaces. That being said, it is nice to have a jumping-off point for what you can do in your own kitchen.

Here are some of our top kitchen open-shelving styling tips.

Keep it clean

Image from A Beautiful Mess

The key to getting open shelving right is to keep your displays coherent. Here, in blogger Elsie Larson's Nashville kitchen, we see wrap-around shelving that's four shelves high and hung on three walls. Yet, because the objects displayed are all white or glass, it manages to maintain a light and airy look.

Streamline your storage

Image from Rocky Hedge Farm

Open shelving is a really great way keep your most-used food at arm's reach. This can look chaotic and messy if you keep the food in its original packaging. Using matching storage jars keeps food fresh, contained and looks great.

Add artwork

Image from The Three of Us

Not everything on your shelving needs to be purely functional. That being said, you don't want to waste too much important real estate on decorative items. By adding artwork, you can add height and vertical interest without taking up too much shelf space.

Small is beautiful

Image from Laine and Layne

Neither space nor desire for full-on kitchen shelving? A couple of small simple shelves can create a stand-alone statement that you can use for those special pieces you want to display. The less shelving, the less brackets needed, so using decorative brackets is more doable.

Light 'em up

Image from The Identité Collective

Adding wall lights above your shelving elevates the whole feel of your shelving to be more of a feature wall.

Go high or go home

Image from Liz Vidyarthi

Make the most of your vertical space and shelve all the way to the ceiling. Not only does this obviously add additional storage, but makes the room look bigger.

For more simple home styling tips, check out these ideas for styling your coffee table here.