See how Florence Pugh uses vertical shelving in her kitchen

Nov 18, 2023

The actress' unconventional storage trick is a savior for small kitchens, and of course, it's approved by those in the know

Florence Pugh is one of the most talked-about people in Hollywood (and New York, after recently setting headlines at The Met Gala) – however, the English actress is also a force in her LA kitchen.

While we may best associate Florence with her movies, Don't Worry Darling and Black Widow, she is also known to star in some slightly more homemade videos – or cooking tutorials – which she shares with her followers from her kitchen.

For most of these videos, Florence experiments with her favorite recipes – including browned bread, tzatziki, and pasta – and while these culinary classics are certainly worth replicating– we confess that her vertical kitchen storage ideas (seen in her backdrop) stole the show for us.

In her Instagram tutorials, Florence Pugh often stands in front of a vertical storage rack, which has been known to hold both plates and chopping boards.

These open-rack-style shelves are an unusual alternative to conventional kitchen cabinets that we may otherwise expect to see in a space like this. However, in a climate where designers choose to create kitchens without wall cabinets – we're not entirely surprised to see that Florence is a pioneer of the kitchen trend.

Of course, Florence's chef's kitchen is not what we would call compact (she owns this spacious Wolf oven, after all), but her vertical open shelving is the perfect solution for small kitchens where storage is at a premium.

The actress has lots of room to stack her utensils, crockery, and accessories vertically – and extras space atop the storage – where she has chosen to place yet more plates. And, unsurprisingly, this flexible solution hasn't gone unnoticed by experts.

'Modular, open shelving provides a great way to fit storage into small spaces,' says Peter Erlandsson, the co-owner at String Furniture. 'The best thing about modular furniture is that it really can be installed anywhere. There are only two things you need to consider.'

Peter Erlandsson is the co-owner and director of String Furniture – the Scandi-cool storage company hailing from Stockholm, Sweden. In 2020, String Furniture was awarded Furniture Supplier of the Year, but the basis of String's designs has shaped storage habits since 1949. In 1952, String shelves (now String Furniture) were ordered to decorate the newly built UN headquarters in New York City.

Firstly, we should make sure our shelving is 'deep and tall enough to store your belongings' – but narrow enough that it doesn't overtake 'precious square footage' –something imperative in more compact kitchens. For a similar alternative, we love these stackable storage baskets that won't take up too much room on your countertop.

Stackable Storage Baskets, $39.99 for two, AmazonOne of the best things you can do in your kitchen is to maximize your vertical space, just as Florence teaches us. To follow in her footsteps, we're beginning with these stackable storage baskets that will work in almost any sized space.

'The second is making sure you use a mix of open shelving and cabinet styles to create a display unit that is flexible enough to hide the things you don't want on show,' Peter says. Of course, this depends on the size of the space, but of course, we're sure that Florence Pugh has some more conventional kitchen cabinets hiding somewhere in that home of hers.

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.

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