Custom Storage Ideas for Kitchen Renovations

Has your kitchen ever felt more like a place for chaos instead of cooking? Though the kitchen is the heart of the home, it also ends up being a place that collects so much of the family’s clutter.

If you’re thinking of remodeling your kitchen, you have a prime opportunity to create a kitchen space that works with you rather than fights against you. Morgan Longhenry, lead designer at James Barton Design-Build, shares some tips on how to plan custom storage for your kitchen renovation.

Start by Pinpointing Your Frustrations

Your daily kitchen routines will tell you a lot about what types of storage you should consider for your renovation. And though you’re always told not to focus on the negatives, when it comes to upgrading your kitchen storage, you first have to identify the problem areas.

Morgan says, “You have to think through how you use your kitchen. How are you currently storing things? Are you always frustrated when it comes to grabbing pots and pans or searching for the right spices? Do you do a lot of baking or meal prep?”

These details can help you figure out what you’ll need in your kitchen remodeling design.

Kitchen Storage Ideas

Once you’ve identified your needs and frustrations, it’s time to get creative! Here are some ideas on how to make your kitchen routine easier.

Spice Drawers

One common frustration is searching for the right spice in the middle of a complex recipe. “Spice bottles are all different sizes, and are typically put in an upper cabinet where it’s really difficult to find what you’re looking for,” says Morgan. “Maybe it makes more sense for the spices to go in a drawer, where they can lay flat, and you can see all the labels at a glance.”

Pull-Out Cutting Boards

If you do a lot of cooking or meal prep, you might be reaching for your cutting boards daily. Instead of pulling them out of a lower cabinet each time, a custom pull-out cutting board can be a convenient solution. In the kitchen pictured above, we built a custom cutting board with a hole for pushing scraps into the trash bin below, solving two problems at once.

If you don’t want a built-in cutting board, a narrow, vertical drawer can be a great solution for stashing cutting boards. This style of drawer also works well for large pans.

Deep Drawers

Cabinet drawers can do so much more than hold your silverware! Deep drawers can be the perfect place to organize pots and pans, stack meal prep containers, or even hold your dishware for easy everyday use.

Hidden Storage

Flip-up doors are handy for accessing the things you use all the time (think coffee makers, toasters, and stand mixers) while hiding them when they’re not in use.

Keep your technology from cluttering countertops with a charging drawer, suggests Morgan. “Having a designated place for tablets and watches, and incorporating that into the kitchen’s design, makes a lot of sense for families,” she said.

Kitchen Appliance Storage

While smaller appliances like coffee makers, toasters, and mixers work great for flip-up storage, you sometimes need a different solution for microwaves, toaster ovens, and other larger appliances. When renovating your kitchen, creating custom built-ins for your microwave or even a second oven is a great way to keep your counters clear while maximizing storage.

In the Woodbury kitchen we renovated above, we incorporated the microwave into the lower cabinets where it’s easy to access while being out of the way. Read more about how we updated the layout in this 1990s kitchen renovation to create the homeowners’ dream space.

Toe-Kick Storage

One of the most-often overlooked opportunities to increase storage space is right at your feet: the toe-kick of your cabinets. “It makes the perfect spot to house a step stool,” Morgan says. “They make step stools that can be integrated into the toe kick with a panel, finished the same as your cabinetry, so it is discreet yet useful.”

The toe kick is also a great spot to add shallow drawers. “They aren’t deep enough to store much, but they are a perfect place for larger cutting boards, stacked pans, or cookie sheets,” says Morgan.

Built-In Pet Feeding Stations

If you have dogs, their food and water bowls don’t have to go on the kitchen floor. Custom built-in feeding stations allow you to keep your floors clear while giving your pets their own dedicated space. Pet bowls can be built into pull-out cabinets or custom-built alcoves. Looking for more ideas? Read our guide to pet-friendly remodeling!

Improved Pantry Storage

If your home has a pantry, don’t overlook it when rethinking your storage solutions. Pantries can be great places to store crockpots, bulk food purchases, and other items that you don’t want taking up space in your cabinets or on the counters.

Your kitchen pantry storage cabinet doesn’t need to be a freestanding wire rack. Custom-built cabinets or shelves help you keep everything organized without sacrificing aesthetics. Looking for more pantry ideas? Read our complete guide to renovating a pantry in Minnesota!

Kitchen Storage Island

As shown in the Apple Valley home we renovated above, your kitchen island doesn’t need to be for just seating or just storage and prep work. A kitchen island can do both jobs. This 13-foot kitchen island has seating for seven with ample cabinet space underneath for storage.

If your kitchen layout doesn’t support having an island, keep in mind that you can always expand its footprint. In this 1980s Apple Valley home, we turned a cramped layout into an open-concept “great room” that blends the main floor into a more unified space (with room for an island, too).

Planning Your Ideal Kitchen Storage with James Barton Design-Build

Each homeowner has unique needs, and JBDB’s design team can help homeowners with custom solutions to make their kitchen work for them! We can help you work with an existing layout and improve storage with custom-built cabinets and a kitchen island. Or if your kitchen feels cramped, we can reconfigure your floor plan to improve its flow and give you more space to work with. Either way, our designers are here to talk about your kitchen renovation priorities and design a space that exceeds your expectations. Check out our kitchen design portfolio or schedule a design consultation today!