It’s time to open every cabinet, drawer, and door to show how we organized our smaller kitchen after a slow, two-year renovation. This update builds on our earlier small-kitchen storage post from almost two years ago and includes a video walkthrough that highlights current storage solutions and a couple of planned outdoor cabinets for the kitchen porch.
Start with the video for the most complete view of where everything lives now. We also included a bit of Penny footage and a look inside our utility closet, which used to only contain HVAC equipment and a water heater but now functions much more usefully.
The first time we documented how we organized this kitchen was in September 2020, just three months after moving in. Back then we were cooking every meal at home during the pandemic and had already downsized from our previous kitchen. Over the last few years we gradually added a pantry cabinet, new secondhand appliances, updated cabinetry, and a tiled backsplash to the ceiling on the back wall. That renovation transformed the space from the early setup to the kitchen you see now.
Below I’ll cover the three main storage zones: lower cabinets, upper cabinets, and the pantry cabinet, explaining the organizational improvements we made.
Organizing The Lower Cabinets
Although the renovation removed some lower cabinet footage on paper, we gained a full floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet and four upper cabinets, which netted a big functional win. We removed three skinny base cabinets to convert a window into a door leading to the kitchen porch, which now functions as a useful outdoor extension with a grill and table.
Those old cabinets had thick framing that limited usable width and made accessing items awkward. Replacing cabinet doors with pull-out drawers in the renovation significantly improved usability: drawers pull to you so you don’t have to crouch and reach into dark corners.
Removing the skinny cabinets allowed us to install a new 24″ base cabinet in a previously dead corner. That cabinet is highly efficient and actually contains four usable drawers even though it appears to have three. It’s become a real workhorse.
The top drawer serves as a junk drawer outfitted with bamboo storage trays that keep keys, a dog leash, and quick-grab items neat and tucked away. The second drawer functions as a small tool drawer with frequently used tools. The lower drawers are deeper and include a hidden drawer that stores glass bakeware, leftovers containers, and school-lunch items. An Ikea pegboard organizer helps keep containers tidy so they don’t rattle or get buried.
The Under Sink Cabinet
The new under-sink cabinet has full-height doors which make access easier and allow us to consolidate items that had previously lived in the laundry closet and hall closet. We reuse mismatched bins where possible and rely on lazy susans and wire shelves to create two-level storage that keeps cleaning supplies and odd items organized and easy to reach.
The Cabinet With Our Utensils and Pots & Pans
To the right of the sink we keep flatware, pots, pans, and baking dishes conveniently next to the stove. The Ikea drawers are more efficient than the old framed drawers, so a slightly smaller new cabinet stores more than the old setup. The top drawer holds utensils in a fitted bamboo tray, the middle drawer stores a frequently used pan, and the deeper bottom drawers house saucepans and metal baking pans—some tucked into hidden drawers so everything is separated and easy to find.
The “Oil Drawer” Cabinet
A formerly inefficient 7″ cabinet to the left of the stove became a functional 12″ two-tiered pullout that stores oils, vinegars, cooking spray, and small gadgets standing upright on the top tier. The bottom tier holds cutting boards, muffin tins, and flat bakeware. We installed metal partitions to keep these items separated and upright so they’re easy to grab without unloading the whole stack. The pullout design turned a cluttered narrow cave into an organized, visible storage spot.
Keeping a knife block on the counter also saves drawer space and makes frequently used tools readily accessible.
Organizing The Upper Cabinets
Originally the kitchen had upper cabinets, then we removed them during earlier renovations and used open shelving. For the final renovation we added upper cabinets again for a cleaner look and extra concealed storage. The cabinets visually draw the eye up, making the ceiling feel taller while hiding clutter behind smooth fronts.
The right-side upper cabinet stores plates, mugs, and mixing bowls on the lower shelves and decorative serving bowls and vases on the upper shelves. Bowls and glasses the kids reach for are still on open shelves next to the kitchen table to keep things accessible for them. On the left side, one larger upper cabinet houses the exhaust fan and is used for spices, baking goods, and grill tools (with plans to move some items outside once additional outdoor cabinets arrive). A narrower cabinet holds strainers, vitamins, and miscellaneous pantry items.
The Pantry Cabinet
The floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet is the biggest functional upgrade. Previously we used two freestanding Ikea bookcases as pantry storage; now those bookcases live upstairs and the pantry cabinets built around the relocated fridge provide much more usable space.
The top shelves are used for surplus or backstock items—extra cereal, condiments, and seasonal supplies—while the cabinet over the fridge stores a microwave and other bulky items. The three lower drawers serve as snack and dry-food central, which is convenient since both kids prepare their own lunches. Drawers keep things organized and quick to access on busy mornings.
Better kitchen storage has also helped streamline organization across the rest of the house: items like keys and the dog leash no longer live in the laundry closet because they now have a dedicated spot in the drawer by the side door we use most. The utility closet was also transformed from a space dominated by a water heater into a useful storage zone—another upgrade worthy of its own post.
If you want to see sources for items in the kitchen—things like the fruit bowl, toaster, runner, or pendant—they’re collected in our renovation post and on our site’s shopping page. We’ve also linked several related kitchen organization posts for more ideas and for a look back at how we organized previous kitchens.
- A cabinet tour of our previous, larger kitchen
- How we organized the Beach House kitchen
- How much the duplex kitchens cost
- How much our recent kitchen reno cost
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