31 Kitchen Cabinet Ideas for Beautiful, Practical Storage

Go Higher

The two-story ceiling in this traditional kitchen from Liz Williams Interiors offers enough vertical space to accommodate a second set of upper cabinets—perfect for storing holiday platters, seasonal cookie cutters, and spare linens. Black knobs and handles match the counter, backsplash, and faucet, while the warm wood of the exposed beams and exterior door tie into the flooring.

Gain a Great View

Maggie Griffin designed this square kitchen layout—with the range on a peninsula opposite the sink—to allow plenty of natural light into the space. Instead of storage over the sink, a wall of cabinets stretches from the counter to the ceiling—its glass fronts create a pretty display while also reflecting the outside view.

Highlight Little Luxuries

The streamlined, neutral design of the cabinets in this small kitchen from Sarah Tract Interiors is a minimalist complement to the room’s luxe accents, including a shimmering tile hood, natural stone backsplash, gold-edged stools, and plush fabrics.

Go With Natural Grain

Gorgeous natural grain patterns provide these cabinets with an organic warmth, contrasting with the black counters, tiled floor, and metallic accents. Silo Studios balanced these high cabinets with decorative open shelving on the other side of the window.

Add Invisible Storage

Black lower cabinets ground the design of this Studio Seva kitchen, while white uppers—installed without hardware—visually disappear next to the ceiling, hood, and adjoining wall of the same color. Built-in food and wine refrigerators on the opposite wall are hidden behind coordinating fronts.

Use Complementary Colors

Designer Nadia Watts mixed pale green cabinets with a gray-blue island “to create a statement with color without overwhelming the room,” she says. Enclosing the refrigerator creates a cohesive look on the primary storage wall, while black and white countertops complement the cabinets.

“The varying hard surfaces and cabinet colors help move the eye around, and provide plenty to take in. It feels interesting and relaxing,” she adds. “This kitchen has loads of storage and seating, yet still feels open and airy.”

Create a Built-In Look

Rayman Boozer, the principal designer of Apartment 48, used inky black paint to set off this kitchen’s cabinets against the lighter floors and white stone counters. Intricate crown molding gives the impression of ceiling-height cabinets; they also match the depth of the refrigerator, which prevents the appliance from overwhelming the room.

Use Every Inch

This galley kitchen from Ali Budd Interiors has floor-to-ceiling storage surrounding an extended island with a waterfall top. A medium-toned stain on the cabinets coordinates with the warm veining, while the thoughtful layout maximizes the available space.

Add Thoughtful Details

Though the stone walls and island are the focal point, the cabinets make their own statement. Layered, monochromatic molding serves as an elegant detail—Budd’s smart design scheme prevents the cabinetry from feeling like an afterthought.

Install Contrasting Cabinets

The white cabinets, hood, ceiling, and beams in this roomy kitchen could leave the space feeling cavernous. To prevent this, Budd installed a wall of light wood storage from floor to ceiling. Gold hardware adds even more coziness to the room.

Embrace Asymmetry

Kaminski + Pew installed plenty of storage in this contemporary kitchen, with asymmetrical cabinet doors and handle placements providing a unique, customized look.

Vary Your Storage

Interior design firm Stil James incorporated a variety of cabinet storage options in this kitchen—each was chosen to accentuate the enclosed range. An appliance garage, glass-front cabinets with small drawers, and open shelving provide a fully bespoke layout.

Get Creative with Glass

Working within a kitchen layout that includes multiple windows requires some creative solutions. In this case, Budd installed a glass display cabinet, which can feature crystal and other low-profile items and boosts overall storage space— without sacrificing the view.

Mesh Old and New

This rustic-meets-modern aesthetic from Rumor Designs blends exposed beams, a shiplap hood, and an animal skull with modern elements like contemporary blue cabinets, gold hardware, and a waterfall-edge island.

Designate a Work Zone

In this kitchen, interior designer Ali Vivoda installed the refrigerator on the same wall as the range and used matching cabinetry to keep the visual effect cohesive. Display cabinets adjacent to the refrigerator create a seamless transition between the kitchen and nearby living spaces.

Go for Green and Glass

Forge & Bow designed this kitchen around two-tone cabinetry. The deep green base cabinets and a matching backsplash rises to meet the window trim, and the cream-colored displays provide plenty of extra space.

Install Unexpected Shelving

The rich wood tones of this kitchen’s island and base cabinets are balanced by the minimalist white uppers, which are installed without pulls or handles. The unexpected addition of two open shelving systems pulls the eye around the space, connecting each element.

Show Your Best Stuff

These showstopping, full-height cabinets are backed by natural wood and lined with sturdy shelves, then finished with contrasting white doors and glass frames. It’s perfect for showing off a collection of glassware, vintage Pyrex, or heirloom china.

Mix Wood and Steel

Textured wood grain and inset doors keep this kitchen feeling contemporary—but not cold—while functional, stainless-steel counters provide a beautiful, durable workspace. Pops of bright green are a natural complement to the medium brown hues and a vibrant accent against the gleaming metal.

Add Useful Drawers

In this spacious kitchen, two half-depth cabinets flank the stove and reach from the counter all the way to the ceiling. Shallow drawers installed under the glass-front cabinets offer easy access to essential cooking tools, linens, and utensils.

Trade Cabinets for Pull-Outs

Martha’s kitchen at her Turkey Hill home included an ample workspace built not over cabinets but sets of drawers. While deep drawers can store your biggest pots and pans for quick access, these smaller versions are ideal for keeping track of prep bowls, counter cloths, spices, cooking utensils, and cake-decorating tools.

Extend Cabinets Over the Sink

Interior design firm Hanover Avenue maximized the functionality of this kitchen with extra cabinets that extend storage to the ceiling—and even over the sink. The seating side of the island offers access to cabinets that might hold things like entertaining supplies, single-use appliances, or oversized platters.

Stack Your Bottles

A timeless color palette of black and white is modernized in this Hanover Avenue kitchen with colorful rugs, open shelving, and a neatly-trimmed range hood. Smart storage includes a wine rack built into the island and open-top baskets that take the place of an enclosed end cabinet.

Match a Favorite Décor Element

CM Natural Design chose pale blue cabinets to bring out the striking colors in this kitchen’s terrazzo floor. The slim profile modernizes the look, while the mix of textures—an upholstered bench, woven pendants, scroll-back chairs—gives the space its own defined personality.

Keep It Sleek

A waterfront view draws all the attention in this minimalist kitchen from PJC Architecture. Nearly seamless cabinets, an expansive white counter, and twinkling lights create an unobstructed vista from the tall windows.

Add a Small Dose of Contrast

In a kitchen filled with white cabinetry, a neutral range hood, and contrasting black and glass cabinets provide a dramatic focal point. Glass pendants, curved chairs, and a herringbone floor add to the chic, comfortable aesthetic.

Add a Second Island

Twin islands in this kitchen do double duty, maximizing the square footage while allowing designated spaces for cooking and socializing. Wooden base cabinets anchor each, while a wall of large-format storage (complete with a wine cooler) makes it easy to cook and host simultaneously.

Create a Cohesive Flow

In an open-concept home, using the same color on the cabinets and walls allows for a natural flow between rooms. The neutral palette here creates a beautiful, flexible floor plan.

Enclose Unused Counter Space

Decorative molding on this kitchen’s glass cabinets draws attention to the colorful displays inside. But it’s the smart use of otherwise dead space under an upper corner cabinet—filled here with hidden storage for appliances, tools, or a breadbasket—that makes a big impact.

Stack Your Storage

This contemporary kitchen has two rows of cabinets, with the second taking full advantage of the room’s lofted ceiling. The light wood tones make the space feel large and airy.

Add Sliding Doors

A cabinet with sliding doors can open to reveal a hidden spot for a coffee station, cookbook collection, or serveware storage. To access a higher set of cabinets, add a rolling library ladder.