Looking for kitchen cabinet storage ideas? I’m giving you the tour of our kitchen and sharing all of the storage and organization ideas packed into mine!
I LOVE smart storage and organization systems. Other than having a much larger pantry, my new kitchen has about the same amount of storage space as my previous one did but I can fit SO much more inside my cabinets because of the design of MasterBrand Cabinets’ Diamond line of cabinets along with the storage and organizational features packed inside. I’m so glad that I was able to partner with them for my kitchen renovation and am excited to be opening up my cabinet doors and drawers so you can see all of the reasons why. Let’s kick things off with the cabinet feature that I’ve gotten the most questions about… (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})
Kitchen Pull-Out Trash Can Cabinet + Built In Paper Towel Holder
The combination pull-out trash can + built in paper towel holder cabinet is one of my favorite kitchen cabinet storage solutions of all! First off, I love that it fits two trash bins so that I can use one for regular trash and one for recycling. In my old kitchen, every time that I wanted to recycle something I had to walk out to the garage to throw it in the recycling bin there so this is definitely a much-loved change:
Kitchen Sources: Appliances | Cabinet cup pulls | Cabinet pulls | Round braided tray | Marble & wood utensil holder | Gray & white striped planter | Geometric gray rug | Floating wood shelves | Floral recipe tin | Sink | Black & white hand towel
And the built-in paper towel holder above the trash can compartment is amazing if you’re someone like me who hates having your paper towel roll cluttering up your countertops! I’ve had several questions about whether the paper towel compartment is separate from the trash compartment so thought I’d share this view of it open – as you can tell, there is a divider between the two so the bottom of the paper towel roll is never going to touch the top of my trash:
The compartment holding the paper towel holder goes all the way back so there’s space to store a few extra rolls of paper towels too! MasterBrand Cabinets also makes a similar garbage pull out + paper towel holder with a full height door that completely covers the paper towel compartment in case you don’t want your paper towel roll showing at all. I feel like it would be a pain to have your paper towel roll holder behind a closed door but I can absolutely see using the full door cabinet to have a convenient yet hidden spot to store extra paper towel rolls and trash bags.
And if you’re looking to add this double pull-out trash can to a preexisting lower cabinet, check {this option} out. I’ve also gotten a lot of questions about where my trash cans are from – they actually came with my Masterbrand cabinet which is so nice but if you’re looking to purchase them separately, I found them {here}.
Two Tiered Divided Cutlery Drawer
In my old kitchen, we had our silverware in a drawer with one of those inexpensive plastic silverware trays – it worked fine but left a good bit of drawer space unused. Our silverware is now housed in solid wood tiered cutlery dividers – it’s such a smart silverware storage solution:
The top tray is on a track so it slides back to reveal a second level of storage space beneath it. I keep all of our everyday silverware in the top tray and then less frequently used cutlery like steak knives on the bottom. I love that I get about double the storage space that I used to with the same sized drawer! If you’re looking for a two-tiered cutlery tray like mine to add to a pre-existing drawer, you can find my tiered organizer {here}.
Pantry Cabinet with Pull Out Shelves and Organizers
One of the biggest luxuries of my new kitchen is having a much larger pantry! Deep pantries with fixed shelves can sometimes be a pain because you can’t easily see all of the way into the back but the pull out shelves allow you to fully see everything inside:
Since the shelves have so much space, I’ve found it helpful to use pantry bins to keep everything organized and in place. I have four of {these large 6″ x 16″ x 5″ deep drawer binz} on the top shelf, three of {these 8″ x 11.25″ x 6″ pantry binz} on the second shelf, and two of {these medium 4″ x 16″ x 5″ deep drawer binz} + two of {these revolving turntables/lazy Susans} for spices and cooking oils on the third shelf.
In-Cabinet Lighting with Motion Activated Strip Light
You know how the inside of some cabinets can be a bit of a dark hole? The Diamond line of cabinets had the perfect solution for lighting up that space without the need for electrical wiring. My sink base has a battery powered strip light that’s mounted right inside the doors so any time I open them, it senses motion and the light illuminates everything inside:
So clever! As you can see, the space under my sink has a lot of not-so-pretty things going on between the plumbing, apron sink supports, and hole cut in the bottom of it to access the toe kick heater but I was able to squeeze in a few organizers to use the space as efficiently as I can. I have all of my dishwashing tablets in {this penny candy jar} and to the right of it I’m using {this lidded soda can organizer} to hold my dish scrubbers below and sponges and towels on top:
Sources: Glass penny candy jar (for dishwasher tabs) | Plastic storage bin (for dishwashing brushes) | Water bottle cleaning set | Stainless steel odor absorber bar | Walnut scrubber sponges | Black/white dish towel
Corner Drawers (Instead of a Lazy Susan!)
I LOVE this kitchen cabinet storage solution! I’ve had other corner cabinet solutions in our previous homes including a lazy Susan in our first home and simple drawers on each side of the corner in our second home that left the entire corner space unused. The solution that MasterBrand Cabinets had for our current kitchen is by far my favorite – I have three corner drawers (one shallow and two deep) that fully extend so that you can access the entire drawer. So smart! In the top drawer I keep longer utensils in two of {these two 6″ x 15″ x 2″ shallow drawer organizers} in the back and shorter utensils in {this 6″ x 12″ x 2″ shallow drawer organizer} near the front:
In the deeper bottom drawers I have several of {these 6″ x 6″ x 6″ storage bins} that hold my most often used spices, measuring cups, and a bunch of short utensils:
It’s a night and day difference from how my utensils were stored before, which was basically a single deep, impossible to sort through pile in a drawer that drove me (and my husband) nuts!
Cookie Sheet / Cutting Board Cabinet Dividers
My cookie sheets and cutting boards are stored on their ends in the base cabinet to the left of our range – they are held upright by a series of metal dividers secured to the base and back of the cabinet:
The dividers come individually so I was able to customize the number of dividers and the spacing between them to fit my needs. And there’s a shallow shelf above them to take advantage of every last bit of cabinet space! You can do this to one of your cabinets by (1) getting chrome dividers similar to mine that you install with brackets screwed into on the bottom and back of the cabinet – these take a little more time but the plus is that you can choose the distance between the dividers – you find that type of divider {here} (2) for a super quick and easy storage solution, you can grab one of {these free-standing racks}and just throw it into your cabinet! I had this exact one in my old kitchen and it worked great!
Built-In Drawer Outlet + USB Port
We’ve always had a spot to charge phones and an iPad in our kitchen – previously it was {this family charging station} that used to sit on the shallow cabinetry next to our coffee station. In our new kitchen, I wanted to keep my countertops as clutter free as possible so instead we store those electronics in a drawer under our coffee maker that has a built-in drawer outlet with USB ports:
Sources: Nespresso machine | Storage bins for coffee pods | Storage bin for spoons | Drawer pull | Floral framed wall art
I especially love being able to keep the iPad there since I use it for recipes while cooking. And if I want to keep more electronics in the drawer, I can just put a double USB plug into one of the outlets. I have plenty of outlets on my backsplash for small kitchen appliances but this would also be a great place to plug in something like a mixer! I also use this drawer as my hidden coffee station with three of {these 3″ high organizer bins} holding my Nespresso pods and one of {these more narrow bins} holding stir spoons.
Drawers with Hidden Roll Tray
You’d never know until you start peeking in the drawers and looking at the toe kick, but my kitchen island is a total workhorse – I don’t think there’s an inch of wasted space! You can’t tell by looking at it but the upper drawers of my island are actually two drawers in one. When you open them, there’s a shallow roll tray drawer for additional storage. I like to keep some basic desk supplies in my kitchen because it’s where I end up filling out school papers, paying bills, etc. and the roll tray is perfect for that:
Sources: Grey drawer organizers, stapler, & tape dispenser | Nesting hedgehog measuring cups
I organized the inside of the roll tray with {these fun Poppin desk supplies} – I chose dark gray to go with my island color but they also make them in white and five other colors.
Hidden Toe Kick Drawer
It’s not at all apparent when closed but the toe kick space under the center bank of island drawers has a hidden toe kick drawer! When you take your foot and push it in, the drawer pops out, revealing a generously sized shallow drawer to store things like large trays that are usually hard to find a good home for in your kitchen:
It would be a great place for storing cooking sheets and cutting boards too if you didn’t have room for them in one of your cabinets! It’s a smart cabinet storage solution for space that would otherwise go unused.
Toe Kick Vacuum
Moving a little further down the toe kick space is one of my favorite features in the kitchen – a toe kick vacuum (it’s {this Sweepovac})! It turns on with a simple tap from my foot and sucks in everything I’ve swept up in my kitchen:
How cool is that? I’ve found that using a dry microfiber mop with a swivel head works best for easily sweeping things to the vacuum without hitting the cabinetry above it. My exact mop (you can find it {here}) is currently out of stock (except for used options) but {this super similar mop} has almost identical specs and equally glowing reviews. My toe kick vacuum doesn’t require a central vacuum line – the dirt and debris simply gets sucked into a vacuum bag that you change out occasionally just like you do with a normal vacuum bag. It’s so nice not having to drag out my vacuum or broom and dustpan to sweep my floors and I find that I clean them much more often now because it’s so quick and easy!
So what do you guys think – do you have a favorite? If you have questions about sources for anything else in my kitchen, be sure to check out my kitchen reveal post {here}} that has a detailed source list at the end. You’ll also want to check out my favorite kitchen remodel ideas and my favorite home organization ideas. And if you love my kitchen remodel and want to get more room makeovers, DIYs, and organization projects delivered to your inbox, I’d love for you to subscribe by email – it’s typically just 2 posts per week and you can unsubscribe at any time! CLICK {HERE} TO SUBSCRIBE!
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Anne says
My husband saw the movie and said it was good. He is a movie geek and sees just about everything (even the kid movies!) If you ever need a source…:)
Love your kitchen! We did a small remodel/update this past year. What a pain…but the results were worth it!
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Anne – we ended up seeing “Searching” this weekend (it was good!) but Crazy Rich Asians is still on our watch list! And yes, kitchen remodels are a lot of trouble but so rewarding in the end!
Jane says
You thought of everything; your kitchen is the one I aspire to in a little cottage I’m building. Thank you fo sharing; I think I pinned every image of every idea. Thanks 🙂
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much Jane – that’s so kind! And good luck with your cottage!
Peggy says
This is the best kitchen I have ever seen!!! I am green with envy over your drawers! Bravo.
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much Peggy!!
tina says
very interesting kitchen remodel but most of the pictures did not appear. Maybe my computer is at fault? I was very interested in the built in features because I need to update my kitchen as well. Wishing you many happy years in your new kitchen .
tina says
Please ignore my previous email. Tried again and this time all the pictures came through nicely. Wonderful ideas.
Kris Jarrett says
I’m glad it was just a temporary glitch!!
Barbara says
Brilliant
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Barbara!!
Karen B says
Kris,
What great features. I have one of those corner spaces in my kitchen and it’s such a deep, dark hole that I store a flashlight in the cupboard so I can see what’s back there. Having a light in that space, like under your sink, would be amazing.
You gave me some ideas for putting few organizers in some of the needed areas.
xo,
Karen
Mary T says
Wow! I love it all! Truth be told, I have a little toe-kick vacuum envy. What a great idea!
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Mary! It is a nice little luxury 🙂
Susan says
A friend just added a battery operated light that sticks to any smooth surface. She ordered it online to brighten a closet without lighting. The light installed automatically turns on when the closet door is opened. This might be an inexpensive fix for your dark space.
Kris Jarrett says
Karen I had the same issue with our old corner lazy Susan cabinet! Glad you found a few ideas you like!
Laura says
Hi Kris, can I ask you how wide your pantry is? I love it! Thanks.
Kris Jarrett says
Hi Laura – it’s 36″ wide.
Laurie Carpenter says
Whaaat?
Your kitchen is more clever & beautiful every time I see it.
I am filing away these ideas for when it’s time to do my kitchen reno! Thanks so much for sharing –
L
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you Laurie!! I’m flattered that you found a few bits of inspiration!
Gal Storti says
Your kitchen is not only gorgeous but very functional too. You’ve chosen really smart things to make kitchen organization easy. There are so many fancy drawer and cabinet gadgets out there and some aren’t worth the extra cost. Your kitchen is fabulous, inside and out!
Kris Jarrett says
That’s so sweet – thank you so much!!!
Annie says
Such kitchen envy! Creative and useful ideas! do you think it’s possible to build into existing cabinets some of these ideas? I would love to use the bottom (toe kick) area for storage.
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Annie! I think you could do some things like the double layer silverware drawer and cookie sheet storage but I think the toe kick drawer and paper towel holder would be hard to create from existing cabinetry unfortunately.
Annie says
Oh and I have another storage question – I have a very tiny non walk in closet type of pantry. So I store my garbage bags under my sink. Any ideas on how to store them in an organized, useful, but prettier than the box way? Thank you!
Kris Jarrett says
I’ve seen some people put a roll of garbage bags on a type of paper towel roll holder hanging from the top of the sink cabinet!
Elizabeth Whitesides says
As usual, gorgeous food for thought as I look for our new home. I think I pinned everything! But hello! Where was Hope? I was half expecting one of those drawers to be a swank toe-kick lounging space for her. ; ) Actually, I just saw a kitchen with a wide lower drawer that was built to secure pet food and water dishes so they don’t have to live out in the open on the floor. Thanks for sharing your beautiful kitchen with us!
Kris Jarrett says
You have to look really, really hard but she did sneak her way into the corner of one of the pics 🙂 I’ve seen those pet food drawers before too – very cool!!
Susan says
Kris, put on a pot of coffee please! Your home is sit back…relaxed, so highly organized, functional and designed with thoughtfulness. I love every aspect of your home and now even the cupboards invite us in. Spectacular..again and again!
Kris Jarrett says
That’s about the nicest compliment I could get – thank you so so much!
Casey says
Oh my goodness,its gorgeous. I lo e the corner drawers for all your kitchen utensils. I love gadgets but keeping them organized is a constant battle.The vacuum is a game changer . Great job…I would never leave the kitchen.
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks so much Casey!! My utensils used to be in the messiest ever pile in a deep drawer so those corner drawers are a huge improvement!!
Laura says
OMG so many clever ideas! I can’t wait to make use of some of these in future projects. Thanks for sharing!
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you Laura!
Kerri says
Seriously drooling over here! Your kitchen is beautiful and those cabinets are so functinal! I would love to have that garbage/paper towel cabinet! I have a very similar pantry cupboard to you and it has gotten unruly over the summer and is scheduled to get a serious overhaul, so I am grateful for your suggestions on that. Those deep binz are a great solution!
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Kerri! I’m hoping that having those deep binz will force me to keep things neater than they were in our old pantry!
Tamara says
Brilliant! That’s all I have to say about every detail….simply brilliant! I am so happy for you that you have such an incredibly functional kitchen!! Amazing!
Kris Jarrett says
Tam you’re so sweet – thank you! It’s such a nice change for us!
Cindy says
Wow amazing and very well thought out. The under cabinet vacuum crazy good idea.
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Cindy! I’m really loving having that vacuum!
Oksana | FOXYOXIE.com says
Oh my goodness, these features are incredible. I honestly didn’t know half of them even existed, ha!
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much!!
Meghan says
This is insane! Obsessed!
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much!!
jaime says
Beautiful cabinetry! Can you tell me about the countertops!
Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
Sure, they’re quartz but look just like marble! There are more close up pics and details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/
Jennifer Weir says
Hi, I love your kitchen! I was wondering where you put your small kitchen appliances like a Kitchen Aid or a food processor?
Kris Jarrett says
I have a large armoire in our living room that I’ve always kept my food processor in since I only use it a few times a year and I don’t have a standing mixer. The base cabinets to the right of the stove have plenty of room for bigger items though – right now I have my crock pot and instant pot in there and still have some space left.
Shawn says
Evening to you from a very warm Richards Bay in Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa.
I have recently joined your website group and found your kitchen make over rather interesting sinc we have also embarked on a major house remodel / make over with most of the interior walls being gutted and pretty much starting over.
I firstly wish that we had the options and variety of products that you have available to you in the USA.
I was wondering about your flooring that you used in the kitchen; is it natural wood or tiles that look like wood and if so what is the name of the product and where did you purchase it ?
Sharon Kelly says
Hi, where can I purchase the corner drawer to replace a lazy Susan cabinet! They gave me two lazy Susan cabinets and I do not want them…I love the corner drawers.
Thank
Sharon Kelly
Susan says
I have just found you , and I’m smitten ! With your cabinets ! We are in the process of putting in a new kitchen , I am planning a eat at large island and lower drawers.I am VERY INTERESTED in the corner drawers . As I want to use drawers as much as possible , in the working area of the kitchen including the island . Then the table on the other side . Well ! Will you look at that ! I just went on and on … best thing for me to do is wish you a good evening with a awesome weekend ahead!
Susan
Laith says
Can you please tell me how to get the corner drawers and how do I purchase them or what’s the measurements for me to build them.
Thank you
Kris Jarrett says
Hi Laith – my corner cabinets are made by Diamond brand. There are more details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-choose-kitchen-cabinets-style-color-finish-design/
Holly says
Where did you get those Corner drawers? That is exactly what I need. That would solve a lot of storage problems in a small kitchen that I have. Thank you for showing that!
Kris Jarrett says
Hi Holly – they are Diamond brand cabinets. There are more details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-choose-kitchen-cabinets-style-color-finish-design/
Kim says
Meant is the height of your TWO TIERED DIVIDED CUTLERY DRAWER? I love this idea but not sore I have the room to double up.
Kim says
Meant was typo, what is the height of your cutlery drawer?
Kris Jarrett says
It’s a standard height – 3 3/4″ high measured on the side of the drawer.
Heather Barbieri says
OMG LOVE it all!
Nicole says
Hi! Beautiful kitchen!! We are hoping to do something similar. Can you tell me about your flooring? Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
Sure – you can find all of the details here: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/hallmark-wood-floors-review/
Glenda Fittz says
I love your ideas! I am having a hard time finding the right size trash cans for the pull out trash in my Kitchen. Would you mind letting me know what size yours are and where you got them from? Thank you so much!
Kris Jarrett says
Mine are about 10″ x 14″ and are 18″ tall and they actually came with my cabinet which was nice. If you’re looking to buy them separately, I just added a link to what I think are the same ones (dimensions are exactly the same) in the pull out trash can section of this post.
Anne Maloney says
Been looking for some unique & clever ideas for our kitchen reno. I think I found a few here in your kitchen . Great photos, great ideas, will try to include a couple if it’s not too late as the kitchen cupboards have been ordered!
Thankyou
Maryann says
I love your cabinets with all of that storage and organization . I have most of that in my recent kitchen renovation. Thank you for sharing. Your kitchen is beautiful
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much!
Debbie says
Kris I love you new kitchen. We just remodeled ours and incorporated some of the same things! We did our corner a bit different with fixed lazy Susan shelves and our cookie sheet/ sheet pan section is over our oven. However, your island and ours is almost identical, including the microwave and the grey color! But I missed the toe kick vacuum. Great idea, I would have loved that! You are correct, there are so many great new options in cabinet storage. Enjoy your new kitchen, it looks awesome!
cathy says
I am wondering how you like the paper towel in drawer set up now that you have lived with it for awhile.
Also, I have two blind corners in my new build and I am struggling with cabinet options. It seems I would like the drawer set up like you have – are you happy with them?
Steve Carpenter says
Your storage spaces are the best I’ve seen after looking for weeks on pinterest. Outstanding! We are designing our kitchen remodel now — how timely.
Carol M says
Thanks so much for sharing all these ideas. Your photos will be so helpful in educating my husband and contractor. So man great ideas I would not have thought of or known were possible. Thanks again!
kelly schmoker says
Hi I am trying to recreate this look. The link to the gold cabinet handles (the long skinny ones) is broken. The Amazon link for the wider drawer pulls works. Could I have the company name and color you purchased for your large cabinet handles? Thanks!! Kelly
Sue says
I simply love your cabinets. They seem so user friendly and so accessible. I love the toe kick vacuum. Impressive! Thanks for sharing.
Lakshmi Prabhakaran says
Thanks for all the details dear Kris! I am enjoying reading your remodeling posts.
I have a question though. How do you store your appliances like Blender/ Airfryer/ Toaster?
Monica says
I love this piece, very inspiring. Thank You !!!
Sam Ali says
I love the corner drawers. I will have to do that to open up more space in the kitchen. It all looks beautiful
Michelle says
This is really helpful as I’m meeting with cabinets tomorrow and I hope to ask for some of these options! Thanks for sharing.
Pat says
Need economical ways to replace carpet after my dad passed. What flooring options are really cost effective? Also fixing up kitchen cabinets in my dad’s manufactured home.
Kris Jarrett says
Hi Pat,
So sorry to hear about your dad. I would check out luxury vinyl for flooring – there are some great options that look like wood flooring but at a very reasonable price!
Jennifer says
Great kitchen! You thought of everything. I am literally green with envy with your draws and the organization. We are just beginning to plan our kitchen remodel and I have pinned every picture! Thank you so much for sharing.
Karen Keller says
I am so inspired! Thank you!
Carolyn Hubler says
I am looking for pantry cabinets with pull out shelves. Can you tell me where you found them?
Kris Jarrett says
Yes, everything is from MasterBrand’s Diamond line of cabinets – you can find a link in the first paragraph of this post
Jordan R says
This is absolutely beautiful! I’m in the middle of building my own kitchen cabinets and I’m almost finished except for the corner drawers like yours. Since they’re such a new concept I haven’t been able to find much on them. Can you tell me how yours are mounted? I don’t see drawer slides on the sides, so I assume that they are underneath?
Kris Jarrett says
Hi Jordan – thank you! Yes they’re mounted on full extension drawer slides underneath the drawers.
Andrea says
Can you please share the dimensions of your garbage cabinet pullout and your paper towel holder? My cabinet people are trying to tell me there isn’t enough space to put the paper towels in a space above the pull out garbage cabinet. Your help is much appreciated! Thanks!!
Mary Craven says
Just wonderful kitchen. We left a huge newly constructed kitchen 4 years ago. New kitchen is very small and I cannot reach most shelves. Cluttered counter drives me nuts!
Mary
Amanda says
Is the toilet paper holder just a spring rod? Where did you get it from? Thanks!