Beyond cooking and food preparation, many homeowners use their kitchens as gathering places for friends and family. To create more counter space and room for people to move around, add storage solutions during a kitchen remodeling project. Below are a few lesser-known but effective ways to discreetly expand your storage capacity. 

3 Clever Storage Ideas for Your Kitchen Remodel

1. Exhaust Hood With Shelf Space

Although the hood above your stove is primarily designed to filter exhaust fumes and oil away from your house, it also provides aesthetic value and an additional opportunity for storage. These fixtures are sturdy, and thus are an ideal place to add hidden shelves to hold pans, crock pots, and other bulky cookware and appliances. Create a custom hood with enough built-in shelving to accommodate your needs.    

2. Drawer & Cabinet Solutions

If your current kitchen drawers are shallow, switch them out with deeper options. This way, you’ll be able to stack plates inside them, creating more area in overhead cabinets for dry goods and spices. Install vertical pegboard inserts on the base of the drawer to secure even fragile dishes in place. For non-stackable items, add shelf inserts to create more layers of space. To free up even more room, mount hooks underneath your cabinetry to hang mugs by their arms. 

3. Island With Built-in Storage

If you have floor space, consider adding an island in the middle of the kitchen. You’ll be able to use the large surface to prepare food and eat meals. You’ll also be able to customize it with built-in drawers, open shelves, and corner compartments to hold everything from small appliances to dishcloths and linens. 

To make your kitchen more functional and comfortable for your family, let the general contractors at Santoro Home Improvements handle your remodeling project. For over a decade, these home improvement specialists have provided residents of New Haven County, CT, with design advice and construction services to make the kitchen the most popular room in the house. To schedule a consultation in Hamden or nearby areas, call (203) 287-9787. Visit the crew online to view a list of additional ways they’ll revamp your property and to see photos of their past projects.