Kitchen Storage and Pantries: Planning Space That Works

More cabinets do not automatically mean more usable storage. A kitchen feels short of space when things are stored far from where they are used, buried at the back of deep shelves, or stacked so that reaching one item means moving three. Good storage planning fixes those problems first and adds volume second.

Plan storage by zone

Start with a list, not a cabinet catalog. Walk through your current kitchen and write down what you own, then assign each group to the place it is first used.

Two tests keep the plan honest. Can you unload the dishwasher without walking? Can you get from refrigerator to prep counter to range without crossing the room? If a storage decision fails either one, change the decision. The page on kitchen layouts covers how the zones relate to the work triangle.

For a rough check on quantity, the National Kitchen & Bath Association's planning guidelines suggest total shelf and drawer frontage of 1,400 inches for a small kitchen (under 150 square feet), 1,700 inches for a medium kitchen (151 to 350 square feet) and 2,000 inches for a large one. Those are guidelines, not code, and a household that cooks little or bakes a lot should adjust them.

Drawers versus doors

In base cabinets, drawers beat doors for almost everything. A door-and-shelf cabinet makes you crouch, reach past the front row and lift things out over each other. A drawer brings the whole contents out to you at once.

A practical pattern for a base run is a bank of three drawers: a shallow one on top for utensils or spices, and two deep ones below. Keep doors for the sink base, for trays stored on edge and for the few tall items that need them. Full-extension, soft-close slides are worth specifying everywhere. The kitchen cabinets page explains how box construction and hardware grade affect how drawers hold up.

Upper cabinets are the reverse. Shelves behind doors work well at eye level because you can see straight in. Use them for dishes and glasses, and keep the highest shelves for things you reach for a few times a year.

Pull-outs and vertical storage

Narrow leftover spaces are where pull-outs earn their keep:

• Tray dividers. Vertical slots for sheet pans, cutting boards and platters, in a narrow base cabinet or above a wall oven or refrigerator.
• Spice and oil pull-outs. Slim units beside the range. Keep in mind that heat shortens the life of spices and oils, so some cooks prefer a drawer insert a step away.
• Tall pantry pull-outs. A full-height unit that slides out to expose shelves from both sides.
• Toe-kick drawers. Shallow drawers in the base of the cabinet for flat items. Useful in a tight kitchen, a nuisance if overused.
• Drawer inserts. Dividers for flatware, knives, lids and peg systems for plates. These can be added or changed later.

Corner solutions

Every L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen has corners, and a corner base cabinet is deep, dark and hard to reach. Pick a strategy on purpose.

• Lazy Susan. Rotating shelves in a corner cabinet with an angled or bi-fold door. Simple and durable. Round shelves leave the cabinet's own corners unused.
• Blind-corner pull-out. A mechanism that swings or slides shelves out of the hidden part of the corner. It recovers the space, with more moving parts and a higher price.
• Corner drawers. Drawers with a V-shaped front that run diagonally into the corner. Easy to use, and they need a generous corner.
• Dead corner. Close the corner off and put full-width drawers on each side. You lose some volume and gain two cabinets that work perfectly. In a small kitchen this is often the right answer.

Avoid placing the dishwasher, range or a bank of drawers tight against a corner. Handles and open doors collide, and nobody can stand at both at once.

Pantry types

Whatever the type, light it properly and keep shelves adjustable. Creating a pantry by moving or adding walls is a structural and permit question. See the page on opening and moving kitchen walls before borrowing space from the next room.

Appliance garages and small appliances

An appliance garage is a counter-level cabinet with a lift-up, pocket or tambour door that hides the toaster, coffee maker or mixer. Done well, it clears the counters. Check three things: the door should not block the work surface when open, the interior should be deep enough for the appliances you own, and heat and steam need somewhere to go, so toasters and kettles should be pulled forward when in use.

Receptacles inside a garage or pantry are new electrical work that has to meet current code and be inspected. Plan them with the rest of the wiring. The kitchen electrical code page covers what applies. Heavy stand mixers are easier on a lift-up shelf in a base cabinet than on a high shelf.

Trash and recycling

The NKBA guidelines call for at least two waste receptacles in a kitchen, which fits how most households sort. The usual solution is a pull-out base cabinet with two bins, placed beside the sink on the side away from the dishwasher so that both can be open at once. If you also collect compost or glass separately, plan a third container, either a small countertop or under-sink bin or a second pull-out near the prep area. Put the bins where scraps are made, not at the far end of the room.

Before you order

• Inventory what you own, and decide what leaves the kitchen for good.
• Assign every group of items to a zone and a specific cabinet.
• Measure the largest things: the stockpot, the stand mixer, the tallest cereal box, the sheet pans.
• Choose corner and pantry strategies, and the trash location.
• Mark where receptacles are needed inside cabinets.

Fitted interiors are one of the main differences between cabinet grades. In JDI Construction's published planning ranges, fully custom cabinetry adds $12,000-$25,000 to a kitchen project before sales tax, a planning range and not a quote. Our team works through the inventory with you during design and shows the result in a 3D layout. For more ideas, see how to maximize space with a kitchen remodel and our small kitchen remodel ideas, read the guide to small kitchen remodels, or learn about kitchen remodeling in Vancouver.