Can you believe it’s been almost four years since we renovated the kitchen in our old house?! (If you missed it, you can see the “before” and “after” reveal of our kitchen remodel {here}). Back into reno mode we go – we’re now in the very early stages of planning a kitchen remodel in our new NC home! While we’re probably looking at the end of 2022 or maybe even early 2023 before demo begins, with appliances and so many other products being backordered for months, we’re starting our planning now so we can get everything with a long lead time ordered.
It’s always a little daunting jumping into a big remodel because I have so many design ideas swirling around my head. But it’s definitely an advantage to have been through a big kitchen remodel already because I learned a lot along the way. Today I’m sharing the kitchen remodel ideas that I loved from our previous kitchen remodel and plan on using again! I hope it’s helpful to any of you who are planning a full kitchen remodel or even just a few small kitchen updates down the road. (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
1. Open Kitchen Shelving
Open shelving in a kitchen… do you love it or hate it? I had never had open shelving before trying it out in our last kitchen so wasn’t sure what I would think – I loved it! First off, I love the aesthetics of it. Having open shelving breaks up wall to wall cabinets so you’re not looking at a sea of doors. And if you choose wood shelves like the floating oak shelves that I added, it adds warmth to the space (get source details on our floating wood shelves {here}). As a bonus, shelving is a great place to add some personality to your kitchen with things like art or beautiful serving pieces:
Open shelving accessories: Large glass vase | Floral recipe box | White pitcher | White flower blossom bowls | Wood + black/white stripe bowls | Acacia wood pepper mill | Marble lidded salt cellar | Bleached wood bowl | Spiral handled wood salad servers | Gold stopper glass oil and vinegar bottles | Round, gray stripe planter | Books: In My Kitchen, Food with Friends, The Flavor Thesaurus
Sources: Round braided tray | Marble & wood utensil holder | Bridge faucet in vibrant stainless | Ceramic apron sink | Gray & white geometric indoor/outdoor rug | Wood handled scrub brush | Gray striped tasseled hand towel | Cabinet pulls (golden champagne | Drawer cup pulls
One reason some people don’t like open shelving is because of the dust factor but I really didn’t find that to be an issue. Several of the things I kept on my shelves (salt & pepper grinders, oil & vinegar bottles, etc.) were items I used almost daily so dust really didn’t have a chance to settle on them. For other things like my large salad bowls that didn’t get used as much, I just did a simple, quick rinse and wipe-out before using them.
Another thing some people don’t like about open shelving is that you can’t hide your uglies like plastic cups since everything is essentially on display. But I still had plenty of cabinet space to hide the uglies and actually enjoyed rotating the pretty pieces/accessories that I have instead of keeping them hidden away.
2. Integrated Paper Towel Storage
Having a designated spot for our paper towels where they were off the countertop but easy to grab was one of the kitchen remodel ideas from our previous kitchen that I loved the most! It was great having a storage spot for a few extra rolls behind the hanging roll too:
I’ve also seen a version with a paper towel holder that’s part of a kitchen island drawer that pulls out to reveal extra paper towel storage.
3. Drawers & More Drawers
One piece of advice that many of you gave me before remodeling our last kitchen was to add LOTS of drawers. Such great advice! We did all drawers in our kitchen island:
Sources: Lantern pendants over island (12.5″) | Drawer pulls (12″) | Rattan counter stools in Fog | Round marble + wood cutting board
They held everything from our pots & pans to our food storage containers, baking dishes, colanders, and more. I also loved having a roll-out drawer at the top of two of our island drawers. One held baggies, aluminum foil, etc. and the other we used for desk supplies:
Get details and sources on our “hidden kitchen command center” {here}.
We also had a bank of drawers to the right of our dishwasher that held most of our glassware:
I thought that having glasses in a drawer might be awkward but it was so easy to pull open and grab the glass we were looking for instead of having to find it buried at the back of a cabinet.
4. Hidden Outlet & USB Charger
While we’re talking drawers, another feature I’d love to add to our NC kitchen is a hidden charger within a drawer like this one we had in our previous kitchen: 
I loved being able to store a tablet (which I often use for recipes) out of sight while keeping it charged. It was also a great spot to charge my phone when I was listening to music or a podcast while cooking or cleaning the kitchen.
We also had a hidden outlet on the back of our kitchen island where the counter stools were that I used all of the time for plugging in my laptop (our island often did double duty as my “desk”).
5. Corner Drawers
If you have the opportunity to add corner drawers to your kitchen when you remodel, do it! It’s a kitchen remodel idea you won’t regret – I LOVED mine! Instead of having a lazy Susan with an awkward hinged door and turntables, the corner drawers were easy to use, awesome for storing long items (in our top drawer) that were hard to fit in standard depth drawers, and full of functional, deep space in the bottom two drawers:
In our current kitchen, the sink is in the corner so if we keep it in that spot (still undecided on that!) we won’t need a corner storage solution but if we move the sink to the island, I’d love to have corner drawers again.
6. A Large Single Sink
Are you team single basin sink or divided sink. I am single basin sink all the way! All four houses we’ve owned had a divided kitchen sink when we moved in and swapping it out to a single basin sink was always high on my priority list! I love having a sink that’s big enough to lay baking dishes flat for soaking. And being able to use it as a dog washing station was a plus too 🙂
7. Smart Kitchen Storage & Organization
There are so many awesome additions that you can make to your kitchen drawers and cabinets to increase storage space and keep things organized. One of my favorites from our previous kitchen was the double tier rollback silverware drawer that essentially doubled the amount of storage space:
I also loved the hidden toe kick drawer in our kitchen island – it made use of what’s normally wasted space and was the perfect spot for storing large platters and trays:
Check out more kitchen cabinet storage ideas {here} to see other favorites from our last kitchen remodel.
8. Microwave Drawer
We chose to have a microwave drawer in our island in our last kitchen and it’s a kitchen remodel idea I’d love to add again:
It opened and closed with a single push of a button, was easier for lifting heavy dishes in and out, and was a nice large size. I was worried about it being difficult to clean but felt that it wasn’t any easier or harder than a standard microwave. The top of the microwave drawer was a little harder to get at for cleaning but the bottom and sides of it were super easy to clean off.
9. A Large Gas Range With Double Oven
The star of the show in our old kitchen was our 48″ Monogram range that had six gas burners and a griddle along with a full size oven and a second smaller oven. It was exactly what I wanted in terms of features and functionality and it was pretty darn beautiful too:
The small oven was great because it was large enough for many meals we cooked and heated up quickly – I didn’t miss having two full sized ovens a bit. And did I mention how pretty is is?! The only thing I’d change is electing to have a dual fuel range with gas burners and an electric oven instead of a gas oven (I found the gas didn’t bake as evenly as electric). See {this post} on choosing our kitchen appliances for more details on our Monogram range and the other appliances we chose. And to keep your appliances looking like new, see how to clean stainless steel appliances {here}.
10. Kitchen Pantry with Pullout Shelves
While I’d LOVE a walk-in pantry, our current kitchen doesn’t have space for one so I’ll likely put the kitchen pantry choice from our previous kitchen on repeat! We had this deep pantry cabinet with four pull-out shelves that held a ton of food and made it easy to access too:
A few other kitchen remodel ideas on my wish list are a cabinet with an outlet for my cordless Dyson and a few other long cleaning tools, a countertop push button for our garbage disposal, and a reworking of our corner window situation (I’m not a fan).
So now that you guys have seen my favorite kitchen remodel ideas I’d love your input! What am I missing?! I’d love to know the things that you have in your kitchen that you couldn’t live without or things that are on your kitchen wish list!
If you’re looking for sources for anything in our previous kitchen, you’ll find them in the Source List at the end of our kitchen remodel reveal {here} and you can find details on our Hallmark wood floors {here}. And if you’re looking for other posts with ideas and inspiration for a kitchen remodel, these might be helpful:
10 Kitchen Cabinet Organization Ideas
10 Best Kitchen Drawer Organizers
Kitchen Remodel Ideas on a Budget
Kristal R. says
I cannot believe you left your old kitchen, so amazing! But a new project is always fun too!
Pamela says
Our last house featured an open floor plan with the main eating area and the living room area right next to the large kitchen island. The sink was in the island easily visible to both the eating area and the living room. That meant that any mess or dirty dishes sitting next to the sink waiting to be cleaned, and any soap, lotion, or scrubbers that were not stored underneath, were visible to diners and people sitting on the sofas. I hated that.
Nancy says
I’m not a fan of farmhouse but an airbnb giant farmhouse sink with no divider was so awesome. Why do we have those dividers anyway? Get a dishpan if you want a divider. My next stove will be an induction type. That was another delightful thing to use and so easy to clean.
Kellee says
Thank you so much for sharing! Your 10 Kitchen Remodel Ideas come at the perfect time! Last year we sold our home and I have to say the kitchen sold the house! The reno was in 2003 but the large sink and bar sink, numerous large kitchen drawers, classic wide plank wood floors and quality, not to trendy painted cabinetry gave me years of cooking enjoyment and made the buyer thrilled.
Now we are trying to figure out how to make a 100+ year old home’s kitchen return to the classic it should be with thoughtful updates! I love the utility in the corner drawers and the paper towel storage! Please keep sharing your planning progress as we hope to begin late 2022 renovations and updates to make this house our home.
JL says
When we renovated our kitchen three years ago, I could not wait to get rid of my tiny, divided sink. I got one huge sink that I can now lay a roasting pan/cookie sheet in. It’s the little things that make a big difference in life! In our others divided sink, nothing could lay flat. Also can’t say enough good things about a hidden charging drawer. We added one of those and it’s the best. Also totally agree on the hidden drawer inside the drawer. IKEA is famous for that and it takes a little getting use to, but they are amazing! I love the look on people’s faces when they see me pull out *another* drawer. Always makes me smile. We store all of our plates, bowls, etc. in our drawers now – European style. Again, it is an adjustment at first, but so easy to put clean dishes away from the dishwasher – especially if you have little one that are old enough to unload the dishwasher, but not tall enough to reach your cabinets!
Joanna says
We had our kitchen renovated eleven years ago and still love it. My lowers are all drawers, some drawers within a drawer. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The one thing I really love is my appliance garage. All my small appliances are tucked away out of sight but within easy reach. The corner unit pulls out and pulls a second one out of the far corner. Hard to explain but it is slick. An integrated charging system would have been a good idea.
Erin says
We remodeled my kitchen last year. My favorite feature is the wireless charging pads/stations built into my countertops. You can place a phone on top to charge wirelessly or pop up the entire thing to expose outlets to plug in appliances.
Netty says
I definitely vote for a tall utility cabinet for broom,dust pan, swifter, and plug in vacuum! Hubby thought I was silly for wanting an outlet in the utility cabinet, but he totally gets it now! Lol 😉
Wilma says
This is a great post. Do you have any regrets or suggestions of what not to do? I’d love to hear about that, as well!
Kris Jarrett says
Great question! It’s rare for me to say about a big house project because I almost always have a few “wish I would have…” regrets but with this one, there wasn’t anything I would have changed. I will say that it wasn’t ideal to have our refrigerator next to our pantry on one side and silverware drawer on the other because you if we were all in the kitchen and for example someone was looking for food in the pantry while someone wanted to open the fridge, you had to be careful about the doors bumping each other. With our kitchen there really weren’t any better layout options so it was a bit of a necessary evil but if I had the option in the future kitchen, I wouldn’t have my fridge right next to my pantry.
Barb says
I second the recommendation for induction. Love it since it has no fumes, automatically shuts off if I leave the stove on with no pot on the range top and works similarly to gas without the chore of cleaning. Cleanup on the range is just a wipe wipe a paper towel. I never have had anything burnt on the solid surface.
If you have a dishwasher that is at the end of a cabinet run, consider raising the dishwasher about 18 inches. A storage drawer can go underneath and you don’t have to bend over to handle dishes.
All of my lower cabinets have drawers—best money spent! My corner cabinet has a built in lazy Susan adjustable shelf and a separate lazy Susan on the bottom of the cabinet which is more functional than a double lazy Susan insert with a metal pole in the middle. I have a shallow drawer in which I store spices in their original containers laying flat so I can just open the drawer a scan the labels to find what I need. I love under cabinet lighting to give more accent and task lighting as needed. Another suggestion is to think about where outlets need to go. I didn’t want outlets to disrupt my pretty backsplash, so it was easy to put outlets that are on a strip and mounted under the cabinets where they can’t be easily viewed. If you need an item plugged in all of the time (like a coffee pot), you can have a regular outlet so you don’t see the cord all of the time. Final thought is to use technology with lighting. All of my kitchen lighting in wired so I can ask Alexa to turn lights on and off as well as dim them. While there is a manual switch, I don’t use it. One less item to clean, especially during the pandemic and cold/flu season.
Since you have recently moved, you have probably already streamlined your kitchen items to just keep what you really use and know your storage needs. So many options! Take time to enjoy the planning and discovering the possibilities. I look forward to follow your journey!
Laurel says
Thank you for these wonderful options-some I incorporated when remodeling 7 years ago, others I plan to use in the next kitchen remodel coming up. I have loved open shelving and will continue that. Same with as many drawers as possible. Large sink, I mean what’s the point of a divided sink? But hadn’t thought of double silverware drawers or that style of corner cabinet? Tho I’m curious re glassware in a drawer…you have to pick the glass up by touching inside the glass? Guess I’m just a germaphobe, ha ha.
Kris Jarrett says
I’m with you on no use for a divided sink – definitely not my thing. With the glasses in a drawer, they’re actually easiest to grab with your whole hand around the outside of them from the top so you can pull them straight up but yes, your hand might touch the rim. Most of the time we are just grabbing our own glasses so it never bothered me. If I’m getting glasses for everyone at dinnertime, I’ve already washed my hands to serve everything up anyway so it’s not ever anything I worried about 🙂
Margot says
Life situations change needs, too. Now that my kids are out of the house I wish I had dishwashing drawers as it takes too long to fill up a full size dishwasher. Or at least one that allowed me to wash the top rack only – my husband thought I was nuts for wanting that one but the top rack is always full!
We added shallow cabinets under a window in our kitchen area – it’s been perfect for dishes – right there where you need them and where kids can reach them.
And I love the Corian countertops we added when we remodeled 15 years ago. They stayed looking great and have been low maintenance. My husband recently used a Scotch Brite pad on his sander (they sell different degrees of coarseness for different -matte, semi-gloss, shiny – surfaces) and spent an hour buffing them up and they look brand new again!
I personally don’t care for one big sink – it takes too much water to fill. I’ve always had a dirty side to my divided sink and a clean side – so I’ve never had to have a dish drainer on my counters. If I don’t have time to wipe everything at night it’s not a total eyesore and the first thing I do every morning Is put everything away and do a general house tour (for things that appear during the night. Actually if I get everything cleaned up at night someone always has more dirty stuff to add anyway.
The charging drawer is still a work in progress for me. My husband quickly filled the drawer up with his rechargeable camera, golf watch, Apple Watch, phone, and who knows what else and I’m still charging my stuff in random areas of the house – mostly my sewing room.
Sandra says
I really appreciate your post as we are in the middle of a kitchen reno and I keep waffling on a few choices. We are going with open shelves but my question about them is a little different. I intend to display functional items that are also pretty, i.e. large bowls, wood boards, etc. But then when I go to use them–most likely when entertaining–their absence will leave a hole on the styled shelves. Again, I’d likely be entertaining and I know I’d want the shelves to look pretty…so I’m worried I’ll have to maintain this “backstock” of pieces for the shelves and I’m really trying to cull my wares during this reno. Am I being silly worrying about this? (probably, lol)
Kris Jarrett says
I totally hear you! What I’ve done in the past is either just spread out what’s on the shelf a little more, grabbed a pretty bowl or pitcher in my cabinet to fill the hole, or layered a few of my smaller cutting boards in that spot. So I didn’t really feel like I had to keep extra pieces around just for styling but raided my cabinets for a few things pretty enough to put there. 🙂
Maria says
I love your post – I stumbled across it as I’m doing research for my kitchen reno which we’re hoping to start shortly. You have so many great ideas I’d like to talk to the kitchen designer about. I loved the microwave drawer but as I live in Australia I’ve never seen one like that before!