Simple Kitchen Storage Upgrades - How We Made Our Cabinets Work Smarter

Maximizing Our Lower Cabinets

Strangely enough, during this renovation, we actually reduced the amount of lower cabinet space. That might sound like a step backward, but it allowed us to add a tall, floor-to-ceiling pantry and four new upper cabinets (three on the back wall and one over the fridge). So, in the end, we made a big gain! To refresh your memory, we removed three narrow lower cabinets:

We took them out to turn an old window into a door, giving us direct access to our porch – now home to a grill and outdoor dining space that we use all the time.

Having this porch as a sort of outdoor kitchen extension is amazing, especially since our climate stays warm most of the year. If you have a small kitchen and can add an outdoor area with a table and a grill (maybe even some outdoor storage for grill tools), it’s something I’d highly recommend – it’s like gaining more kitchen space without the hassle of adding on.

Here’s the old storage layout before we put in that door to the porch. Those cabinets had thick wood framing that made the space feel segmented and inefficient. It was tough to store anything over 12 inches wide, and getting items out often involved bending or crouching down to reach into the back. Compare that to a pull-out pantry or drawer – you see why we opted for more drawers in our new setup!