Hayley Atwell's cabinet doubles as both decoration and storage – designers say her technique can make kitchens look bigger

Of all storage systems, open shelving is among the most debated. While some love this feature for its personal qualities, others argue it can feel cluttered and hard to maintain. Whatever your stance, however, it's hard to disagree that Hayley Atwell's kitchen cabinet makes a strong case for open shelving – and it could be enough to convince anyone to give the look a try.

In her eclectic turquoise-tiled kitchen, the actress exhibits a white wooden cabinet with open shelves filled with cookware, jars, and decorative candlesticks. Above all, the cabinet serves as a form of kitchen storage, but her filled shelves feel both ornamental and personal as she brings some of her favorite pieces to the forefront of her room.

While we're almost certain that Atwell, like us, has some more cookware and utensils behind closed doors, her choice to celebrate many of her accessories reminds us that our kitchens should be a balance of personality and practicality, as experts explain.

'Open shelving can double up as both decoration and storage if you fill them with ornate jars, beautiful crockery, and your best kitchenware while putting your less aesthetically pleasing items in closed cupboards,' comments Magnet’s head of design, Jen Nash.

Since open shelves mean everything is on display, we do need to put more thought into their contents – and how to make them as decorative yet functional as possible. One way to do so is by decanting our goods into cleaner containers.

'To make your kitchen shelves look sleek and stylish, you can streamline the contents of your cupboards by decanting products into glass canisters or containers. This is a great way to reduce the amount of packaging you're storing, especially for things like cereals, which usually come in bulky boxes,' Nash says.

Kitchen designer Tom Howley seconds her suggestion. He believes that open shelving can create the illusion of a bigger kitchen, explaining that ‘open shelving encourages a tidy space because items are on show.’

‘It’s a great opportunity to display treasured pottery or copperware instead of hiding them away behind closed doors. Arrange glass jars containing dried goods or exotic spices in size order on an open shelf for a practically stylish pinch of color,' he says.

'Open shelving helps light flow through and can make a kitchen look bigger. It’s a great kitchen storage alternative if space is at a premium as shelves make smaller spaces feel less cramped.’

To get started, we've handpicked some of our favorite decanting essentials below.

Alongside decanted goods, we can decorate our shelves with candles and cookware (as Atwell demonstrates) and even add an indoor plant, according to Nash. 'To add some more color to your shelves, make sure to add a few plants for greenery and texture,' she says. As long as our cabinets feel curated, it's hard to go wrong.