Kitchen Metro Shelving

I LOVE our metro shelving in our kitchen!  

Well, truth be told, technically it's Intermetro Shelving.  What's the difference?

Mainly the amount of weight the shelves can support.  The Metro Commercial Shelving can hold up to 800 lbs per shelf, while the Intermetro Shelving can hold 300-500 lbs each.  Obviously, this variation makes the commercial grade more expensive.  Color is different as well, the commercial is chrome, while the intermetro is silver.  I personally preferred the silver, the chrome was a bit more industrial than I wanted, and knowing what I planned to use the unit for, the intermetro worked perfectly given the weight limits.  I also want to note, there are a lot of similar units out there, so be sure to check weight limits on the individual unit you're looking at ~ from the research I did, you can find cheaper options, but typically that also limits the amount of weight per shelf.  So, consider what you plan to use it for before purchasing too little or too much in what it can hold.  I lucked out when I found two floor samples, with four shelves each, for a steal at my local Container Store.  They happened to be on on 34.5" posts ~ too short for what I needed.  But that's the great part about this unit, you can change them whenever needed.  So I purchased eight, individual 62.5" posts, and reconfigured the shelves.  This is what our shelves looked like:

Rather than use the unit as a pantry, I opted to use it as a functional space, storing kitchen wares we use the most while also displaying some of my vintage finds.

Our everyday dishes and wooden spoons displayed in antique silver...

Rosemary for easy use, a pitcher along side glassware...

It's even great for storing larger items that don't fit in our cabinets,

 like our three tier server and drink dispenser...

For those of you that saw the unit in our almost finished kitchen reveal, you may have noticed a difference in styling along with an addition of another shelf.  Again, why I love this unit!  As our needs change we can easily customize the piece.  Here's what the unit currently looks like...

I love changing the unit up seasonally.  This time of year I do more baking, so it was only fitting to pull out my KitchenAid and place flour & sugar canisters for easy access.

 And everyday serving items, like plates, soup bowls and silverware can easily be grabbed for easy access and quick serving...

 The key to making the unit looked organized and not cluttered is to keep like items together and create similar groupings.  If possible try to stay with a consistent color scheme and display items you use the most.  Obviously if you're using this in a pantry or for storage elsewhere it's a great storage option!  In our case, we're using it in our kitchen and we wanted it to feel more like open shelving rather than just another storage unit.  For example I only display my colorful Fiestaware during the summer months, and pack them away when not in use.  Making this shelving fit my needs whether it be seasonally or allow extra space when hosting a dinner party.  Baskets at the bottom add warmth to the look, while also adding additional function.  

And best of all I love displaying recent vintage finds and those pieces I love the most like these old demijohns...

One final tip:  if you're looking to put one of these in your kitchen and/or use it similarly to how we did, buy the clear shelf liners!!  They're expensive as all get out, but oh-so-worth it!!  Especially if your placing glassware, or smaller items like bowls and plates it helps give a flatter surfaces for them to rest.  I tried going without these at first and found out that wasn't a good idea.  So if going with this unit, I'd suggest making the further invest in the liners!  Also when putting this unit together, purchase a white mallet ~ it won't smudge like a black one did for us and it won't ding the shelving like a hammer will.

What storage solution are you currently loving in your home?