This Kitchen Cabinet Transformation Squeezes Storage into 24 Inches of Space
Sneaking in extra storage where you can (whether that’s in an island or above the cabinets or elsewhere) is always a win in a small kitchen, or even a large kitchen that’s becoming crowded quickly. In Crystal Ranson’s (@theransonshome) kitchen, she added a little extra storage on the end of her cabinetry.
“I love the look of old Craftsman homes that use any dead space for something to display or store,” she says. And her cookbook storage on the edge of her kitchen cabinetry is her way of employing that in her own home.
The shelf addition is made from 1×2 poplar.
Crystal used wood left over from another project, so it was completely free. She built a rectangular frame with two tiers and tipping rail. She drilled holes into her cabinets and screwed the attachment on from the inside to make it look built-in.
She did accidentally drill the holes in the wrong spots at first because she didn’t account for the shorter front end of her cabinet that accommodates the countertop overhang. “Nothing too bad happened,” Crystal says; she just had to patch the holes before painting.
She painted the shelf to make it look built-in.
Crystal used BIN shellac primer and Behr’s Ulta Pure White paint for the shelf. She also caulked it to the side of the cabinet for a seamless look, so it’s not renter-friendly, but Crystal says a creative renter could possibly make a similar project that extends all the way to the floor.
In the future, she plans to add another tip rail to her piece “so I can add some plates without them falling through,” she says, but she’s proud of how she maximized just a two-foot-wide spot in her kitchen.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.