I thought floating shelves were outdated – but Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling's kitchen proves this simple design is as timeless as it is practical

Whenever I speak with designers about decor, trends, and styles that they feel are outdated, the floating shelf comes up a lot. With trends moving towards more characterful, personality-filled spaces, the very 2010s look of a floating shelf decorated with a stack of minimal frames and blah artwork, posed next to a carefully curated tower of books, does sound a bit tired.

However, I've noticed an increasing amount of ever-so-stylish kitchens that include floating shelves as a way to display crockery and decor, often instead of kitchen cabinets. Recently, I spied just the look in the kitchen of Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes, which offers a powerful counter-argument: this shelving idea isn't dead – it's simply where it's used and how it's styled that makes it feel relevant in 2025.

In Mendes' kitchen, which she shared a glimpse of on her Instagram, a simple black floating shelf can be seen housing her beautiful collection of crockery. The shelf itself is minimal, the crockery is not. The floating shelf creates the perfect space to style a display that instantly adds color and character to the room. Something that's so easy to recreate in any style or size of kitchen.

The floating shelf also replaces the upper cabinets in the kitchen, a huge kitchen trend that's only growing in popularity, offering more space for decor, while also making a kitchen feel lighter and more open.

Jennifer Ebert, editor of Homes & Gardens online, agrees that floating shelving very much has its place in the kitchen of 2025.

'The open design of floating shelves is popular because it fills the home with light,' she explains. 'The open space surrounding the shelves allows light to flow throughout the room, creating an open and airy effect. As we move away from darker, more closed-in interiors, floating shelves become a great kitchen storage idea.'

'They can also be used in areas where full cabinets would not fit. For instance, above the sink or the stove. This not only provides space to store practical items like often-used spices or cleaning supplies but also creates a platform for featuring decorative objects.’

'People are no longer satisfied with the lifeless, beige interiors of yore. 2025 and beyond are all about showcasing your individuality and bringing as much of your personality as possible into your home. Floating shelves provide the perfect opportunity to create a personal museum for showcasing your most beautiful and prized possessions. This is an especially wonderful idea in small or rented spaces, where you can't personalize in other ways.'

Shop the chicest floating shelves

Mendes' look is a refreshingly easy one to recreate, so if you have crockery you want to get on show to add some character to your home, these are my favorite floating shelves for all styles.

So the floating shelf hasn't died a death; it just needs to be put to use in the kitchen instead of a living room or a bedroom. The simplicity makes it perfect for this hardworking space, and creates an area in the kitchen that you can get a bit more creative with styling. Whether you want to display your nicest crockery as in Eva Mendes' kitchen, or create a vignette with cookbooks and vintage kitchenware, a floating shelf (or two) offers the perfect, easy-to-install surface.