The best kitchens have a nice, open layout with good workflow, top-notch appliances, excellent lighting, and lots of hidden storage for all of your essentials. So much needs to fit into this one small space and good planning is key. Here are a few of our favourite renovation ideas that provide more kitchen storage.
A Kitchen Island With Built-In Storage
If your plans to renovate your kitchen include adding an island, make sure it offers built-in storage. That way, you get the most for your money, as you’ll gain additional workspace on top plus much-needed storage below. You can have generous, full-sized cabinets installed underneath the counter of your island and can customize them according to your needs. You might consider installing a utensil drawer, deep drawers for pots and pans, even vertical shelves to tuck away baking trays.
Tall Upper Cabinets
Make the most of the vertical space you have and maximize the height of your kitchen cabinets. Take them all the way to the ceiling, if you can, or just install the tallest upper cabinets that will fit. It’s much harder and more costly to add square footage to a kitchen than it is to use every inch of space you already have available. Use the highest cabinets to store the items you use less frequently but still want to keep close by: serving platters, holiday decor, etc.
Additional Pantry Space
Sometimes all you need to make your kitchen the more functional is to create more storage space for your dry goods and pantry staples. If you’re lucky enough to have a bit of extra space to work with, why not consider building an additional pantry or adding a pantry wall to your existing kitchen? You can even install pullout pantry drawers to your cabinets; they can house spices, oils, condiments, and other go-to cooking essentials you like to have within easy reach.
Open Shelves
If you have some available wall space, install a couple of open, floating shelves. They are great to look at, modern and airy, but serve a very practical purpose as well. Use them for additional storage: you can stack plates, cups, dishes, even pots on them. You can also use your shelves to make a decor statement, styling them by adding in the odd decorative object or small plant.
Under-Sink Storage
With one simple change, you can help the space under your sink live up to its potential. This is typically an underused area because the plumbing takes up room and prevents you from accessing what you need easily. You can have instant access to this whole area, however, simply by installing an under-sink pullout shelf. You’ll gain a couple of extra square feet of storage and will be able to reach everything you need. This is an example of a small upgrade that greatly increases functionality.
These are just a few suggestions for how to make the most of your renovation and provide more valuable storage in your kitchen. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to follow the Gemterra blog for more great home renovation ideas.