Ina Garten’s shelving takes cues from a Belgian designer’s cherished library – it's a rare lesson in curating what you love

Our kitchens, libraries, and home offices may be separate spaces, but after seeing a recent post from Ina Garten, we are considering ways to blend the two.

The Barefoot Contessa's snaps of her kitchen shelves are inspired by a Belgian designer, who she explains decorates his library in a curated and intentional manner.

'There is an antique dealer in Belgium (Axel Vervoordt) whose library is exquisite, not just because his bookshelves are gorgeous but also because he’s read all the books,' she states in the caption of the Instagram post.

'When you walk in, you just know it’s a library that someone loves. If you’re setting up your own kitchen shelves, you can just move things around until you find the most pleasing arrangement!'

We can see that Ina has sparsely but effectively stocked her kitchen shelves with items like white, ceramic pitchers, copper and brass pots, and tidy stacks of cookbooks. There is notable space between all these items, so the look is curated rather than cluttered.

The 'library' style is evident in the books. Rather than shelving them vertically, the stacks create dimension and visual interest thanks to their colorful spines and varying spine texts.

I also love that Ina uses the book stacks as platforms for other objects, like the copper pans. This elevates these pieces so they appear more as decor rather than purely functional kitchen accessories.

The different materials also contribute to the library's feel; much like a shelf of books contains a mix of hard and soft covers, Ina's mix of ceramics, metals, and glass set on the wood shelves creates a blend that keeps visual intrigue high.

Crucially, all of these display items are fully functional rather than just decorative, making it a practical design choice. We're absolutely taking cues from Ina (and Axel) on this front.