Clever Corner-Cupboard Storage Solutions
That annoying corner in the kitchen can become a help rather than a hindrance with these storage options
Joanna Tovia
7 October 2014
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
Planning a new kitchen can be daunting, and the impact of any decisions you make now will ripple through your daily life for years to come, so it pays to do your homework ahead of time.
Those living with dated kitchens are usually contending with an awkward corner cupboard that forces you to reach blindly into the dark depths to find what you want. The corner solution you settle on for your next kitchen, however, could mean the difference between a kitchen you like and a kitchen you love. Fortunately, there are now clever corner-cupboard innovations for every budget, and they all make life easier. We’ve done the groundwork for you right here…
Those living with dated kitchens are usually contending with an awkward corner cupboard that forces you to reach blindly into the dark depths to find what you want. The corner solution you settle on for your next kitchen, however, could mean the difference between a kitchen you like and a kitchen you love. Fortunately, there are now clever corner-cupboard innovations for every budget, and they all make life easier. We’ve done the groundwork for you right here…
Carousels
Otherwise known as a ‘lazy Susan’, a carousel is an inexpensive solution for kitchen corners that sport bi-fold cupboard doors. The carousel shelves can either be positioned on top of the existing shelves to simply swing around, or the shelves themselves can spin around in a stand-alone system installed inside the cupboard.
Find a kitchen designer or renovator near you on Houzz to customise storage solutions to your space
Otherwise known as a ‘lazy Susan’, a carousel is an inexpensive solution for kitchen corners that sport bi-fold cupboard doors. The carousel shelves can either be positioned on top of the existing shelves to simply swing around, or the shelves themselves can spin around in a stand-alone system installed inside the cupboard.
Find a kitchen designer or renovator near you on Houzz to customise storage solutions to your space
An alternative solution is a carousel that spins around and takes the door with it. This easy-reach option avoids the need for a bi-fold cupboard door, which can be more cumbersome. If you do plan on bi-fold doors, The Kitchen Broker’s managing director, Brian Patterson, recommends using hinges with lifetime warranties, such as those from Blum, Hettich and Grass.
“I think Blum are the top guns,” says Patterson. And what of hinges without lifetime warranties? “We just don’t go there,” he says.
“I think Blum are the top guns,” says Patterson. And what of hinges without lifetime warranties? “We just don’t go there,” he says.
The LeMans
A step up from the carousel in price but also function, the LeMans II corner system swings the contents of a cupboard out into the room, making every item easily accessible. The LeMans system here, from Häfele, can cope with 20 kilograms of weight per shelf, so it can hold crockery or pots and pans with ease. This option avoids the need for a bi-fold door, and each shelf can move independently of the other.
A step up from the carousel in price but also function, the LeMans II corner system swings the contents of a cupboard out into the room, making every item easily accessible. The LeMans system here, from Häfele, can cope with 20 kilograms of weight per shelf, so it can hold crockery or pots and pans with ease. This option avoids the need for a bi-fold door, and each shelf can move independently of the other.
“Corners are very well sorted out today – there are so many options,” says Patterson. “In a U-shaped kitchen I like to run drawers right down to the corner and then just have the LeMans spin out into the room so you can use the whole area.”
See the ‘before’ shot of this kitchen
See the ‘before’ shot of this kitchen
Easy corners
A Wari corner, or easy corner, allows for two door-mounted baskets and two slide-mounted baskets within the cabinet that separate for ease of access as you open the door.
Browse more images with inventive solutions for kitchen corner cupboards
A Wari corner, or easy corner, allows for two door-mounted baskets and two slide-mounted baskets within the cabinet that separate for ease of access as you open the door.
Browse more images with inventive solutions for kitchen corner cupboards
Clever drawers
Interior designer Jordan Smith from Brilliant SA opted for corner drawers in this project, despite the higher cost.
“My middle-aged clients wanted to utilise as much space as possible in their small kitchen,” says Smith. “The corner drawers were a perfect solution as they have full extension drawers for ease of use – no more bending down to that awkward corner space at the back.”
Interior designer Jordan Smith from Brilliant SA opted for corner drawers in this project, despite the higher cost.
“My middle-aged clients wanted to utilise as much space as possible in their small kitchen,” says Smith. “The corner drawers were a perfect solution as they have full extension drawers for ease of use – no more bending down to that awkward corner space at the back.”
The soft-close drawers are designed to hold heavy loads, but still glide smoothly. “The drawers are a more expensive option compared to a standard corner cabinet, but in my opinion the benefits outweigh the cost,” says Smith. “They also look great.”
10 Top Design Tips for an Ergonomic Kitchen
10 Top Design Tips for an Ergonomic Kitchen
Corner pantry
If you have the space, a walk-in pantry can be just the thing to avoid fiddly corner cupboards, but if your kitchen is on the smaller side, they are not recommended. “You’re just creating a whole lot of air for you to stand in,” says Patterson.
If you have the space, a walk-in pantry can be just the thing to avoid fiddly corner cupboards, but if your kitchen is on the smaller side, they are not recommended. “You’re just creating a whole lot of air for you to stand in,” says Patterson.
Corner sinks
Positioning the sink in the corner frees up bench space on either side, and creates two work areas – one for the cook, the other for another family member wanting a cup of tea or a sandwich (or maybe even helping to prepare dinner).
Patterson says the corner sink is especially useful in tight kitchens and in apartments where common plumbing tends to run down through all the units in the corner. If the sink is positioned along a straight edge, the pipes then have to travel through the lower cabinets to reach the corner – and take up valuable space along the way. When this is the case, corner drawers are also out of the question.
The Tricks to Using Your Under-Sink Area for Kitchen Storage
Positioning the sink in the corner frees up bench space on either side, and creates two work areas – one for the cook, the other for another family member wanting a cup of tea or a sandwich (or maybe even helping to prepare dinner).
Patterson says the corner sink is especially useful in tight kitchens and in apartments where common plumbing tends to run down through all the units in the corner. If the sink is positioned along a straight edge, the pipes then have to travel through the lower cabinets to reach the corner – and take up valuable space along the way. When this is the case, corner drawers are also out of the question.
The Tricks to Using Your Under-Sink Area for Kitchen Storage
Oven on an angle
“When an oven runs 45 degrees across a corner with a range hood running across at the same angle, it can be quite a feature,” says Patterson.
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“When an oven runs 45 degrees across a corner with a range hood running across at the same angle, it can be quite a feature,” says Patterson.
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Having both the sink and the stovetop at an angle made the most sense in this kitchen. This set-up takes advantage of the garden outlook (you can enjoy it from the sink or when prepping food at the bench) and created two benchtop work areas.
Your turn
Have you employed one of these solutions in your kitchen or are you living with a corner cupboard where things are hard to reach? Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Hidden Agenda: 15 Cleverly Concealed Kitchen Storage Spaces
Your turn
Have you employed one of these solutions in your kitchen or are you living with a corner cupboard where things are hard to reach? Share your experiences in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Hidden Agenda: 15 Cleverly Concealed Kitchen Storage Spaces
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If you like the look of that Wari corner unit, the Fit team would like you to know it's a Vauth-Sagel unit, designed and made in Germany, and that we are the NZ distributors!
Wari is one of our strongest sellers (for good reason!), is now called the COR Fold and comes in several stunning styles, including the new Planero charcoal grey, and in both left and right hand opening models. You can check out this model on our website here or, along with several other Vauth-Sagel and Giamo blind corner units, in our Houzz Ideabook for blind corner storage here. (Blind corners are where you have just one opening door with a fixed panel on the second facing. They can be very tricky for accessing stored items, and installing a unit specifically designed for these spaces greatly improves accessibility and space efficiency.)
Here's just a few of the items you'll see in our blind corner Houzz Idea book:
Now, if your corner cabinet has two opening doors, revolving units or units that offer both revolving and pull out components will help you make use of that space.
Here's just a few of the options Fit offers. Click on the product name to see our Houzz project for that model.
Vauth Sagel's COR Wheel Pro
Giamo 270° Revolving Corner Unit
Giamo 360° Magic Lazy Susan Units
There's an abundance of corner unit options available from Fit. Check out our range in the Kitchen Storage section of our website here.
I hate wasted space and dislike corner cupboards even more. The solutions shown just dont do it for me and i suspect there is still plenty of unused space.
My new kitchen has an L shape with a corner cupboard. But because the kitchen is open plan the bench looking over the lounge room which has an overhang and stools means i can put a cupboard door in lounge side. So my corner cupboard which will have revolving recycle bins can be accessed kitchen side to throw in the rubbish, but the door lounge side enables me to easily access the bins for removal. Voila problem solved. My kitchen designer loved my idea, he hadnt thought of it, and there is no wasted space. Obviously you cant do this if you dont have a double sided bench.
Old post, new comments, well my kitchen is complete and I did finally do some overheads at the request of my kitchen guy, as he said my kitchen would look odd and even unfinished without some overhead cupboards in a few strategic placeslike over the ovens for example and given this will not just be my home in future years, I relented but only where necessary.
So I now have a cupboard over the fridge, ovens and microwave and I have placed some cupboards either side of the rangehood with pretty glass fronts and all in all I'm happy with the outcome. Still never got the hot water service in my wasted corner but did put in the draws I mentioned in my earlier post so absolutely no wasted space there at least. I do have oodles of storage with over 40 draws and one draw still empty!!