Room Design
Kitchen Design
By
Kristin Hohenadel
Kristin Hohenadel
Kristin Hohenadel has written on design for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Slate, Fast Company, and the international editions of Elle Decor.
Learn more about The Spruce'sEditorial Process
Published on 01/04/24
If you are looking for corner cabinet ideas to add storage or display space to your kitchen, there are a number of options to help you make the most of an awkward or underutilized space.
From angled cabinets to open shelving, interior features such as swinging pullout drawers, to tips on how to use paint, lighting, and moldings to seamlessly integrate both base and upper cabinetry, check out these corner cabinet ideas to make any size kitchen more functional and stylish.
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Install Pull-Out Shelving
Corner cabinetry can be challenging to access, resulting in forgotten items at the back. Bakes & Kropp solved that problem with two-tiered slide-out shelving with a built-in guard rail to store large pots and cookware to keep your kitchen looking organized.
Tip
There are a number of ways to make the interiors of your corner cabinets extra-functional. Look for special features like built-in lazy Susans, tiered pull-out shelves, and accordion drawers.
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Add Inner Cabinet Lighting
Take the focus away from an awkward kitchen corner space with glass-front cabinetry that is lit from within to show off your favorite collection of glassware, like this space from Bakes & Kropp.
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Mix in Open Shelving
Combine a double-height countertop-to-ceiling painted corner cabinet with natural wood floating shelves to create maximum storage while allowing your walls to breathe, like this space from Jessica Nelson Design.
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Build a Banquette
If your kitchen has wrap-around windows and a captivating view, focus on maximizing your base cabinetry. Jessica Nelson Design added under-bench storage drawers in this eat-in kitchen that mimic the base drawers and cabinets in the light-flooded space.
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Add a Hidden Compartment
Fill the empty corner space in an L-shaped kitchen with a hidden compartment for storing appliances or camouflaging your coffee bar that blends in seamlessly with upper kitchen cabinetry, like this space from Bakes & Kropp. (This kind of concealed storage is often called an appliance garage.)
The cabinetry is finished with crown molding to create a polished and finished look.
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Blur the Corners With Paint
Help make cabinets look integrated by blurring the corners with an extra-dark backsplash and countertops. Desiree Burns Interiors maximized the corner space with wrap-around cabinets that float above the dark backsplash in this Newport, RI, kitchen.
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Skip the Hardware
Keep upper cabinetry free of hardware for a streamlined look that won't call attention to kitchen cabinets of varying widths. This spacious kitchen designed by Eric Gilmer and Sven Simon of DasMod in conjunction with interior designer Sara Simon of Handsome Salt is finished with flat-front stained wood cabinetry in a warm honey tone.
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Try Doorless Cabinets
Lighten up the look of corner cabinets by taking off the doors. Velinda Hellen Design filled the corner of this bright modern kitchen with a natural wood storage cabinet that includes open shelving for cookbooks and everyday items.
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Smooth Out the Angles
An angled corner cabinet will allow you to create an uninterrupted line of storage on the upper cabinetry for a streamlined look, like this kitchen from Gray Space Interiors.
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Hang a Pair of Shelves
If your kitchen includes a corner space with a window on one side, adding upper cabinetry can make it look cluttered or crowded. Opt for a pair of shelves instead, like this airy space from deVOL Kitchens and Our Food Stories.
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Choose Pull-Out Drawers
Store your most-used items at the front of pull-out drawers for maximum efficiency, like these space-saving pull-out drawers from Bakes & Kropp.
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Skip the Upper Cabinets
In a spacious kitchen, install base cabinets and drawers with enough storage for everything, and swap upper cabinets for a slim open shelf that runs into the corner for display. Then fill the corner with a small piece of art and a table lamp for ambiance, like this timeless space from deVOL Kitchens.
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Match Brass Pulls and Handles
Using the same shiny brass hardware on upper and lower kitchen cabinets as well as plumbing fixtures will give your kitchen a polished and cohesive feel, like this bright kitchen from Bakes & Kropp that includes L-shaped cabinetry that hugs the corner.
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Fill Gaps With Open Shelves
If your kitchen includes a partial wall of built-in, floor-to-ceiling storage, make it blend in seamlessly by painting the cabinetry and backsplash in the same color. Then fill in the corner gaps with open shelving in natural wood to break it up, like this terracotta-colored kitchen from Fantastic Frank.
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Use Vertical Space
Take your corner cabinets all the way up to the ceiling to maximize storage and balance the scale of surrounding windows. Jessica Nelson Design added smaller glass-front cabinets on top to lighten up the look.
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Create Under Cabinet Space
Use the countertop space below an angled corner cabinet for fixed items like a coffee machine or home base for your standing mixer if baking is a regular pastime, like this kitchen from Gray Space Interiors.
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Hang Open Shelf Units
Keep your kitchen feeling open and airy by trading upper cabinets for a pair of open shelf units hung from the ceiling. Jessica Nelson Design filled the corners of this open-plan kitchen with a pair of storage and display shelves that don't interfere with the windows and create a symmetrical look.
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Add Skinny Cabinets
Don't be afraid to mix kitchen cabinets of varying widths to accommodate a kitchen corner. Gray Space Interiors used a combination of skinny cabinets and an angled upper corner cabinet to make the most of this space. White cabinets are finished with antique bronze hardware that matches the pot filler over the range and echoes the grout on the white elongated hex backsplash.
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Light the Corner Shelves
If your range has a large bump-out frame that would make adding a corner cabinet awkward, create a niche with open shelving and add a sconce light at the top so that your kitchen will be evenly lit in the evenings. Jessica Nelson Design styled the open shelves of this kitchen corner with a mix of practical and decorative items.
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Use Paint to Unify Space
If your kitchen layout includes a corner with a load-bearing wall that makes it impossible to install an uninterrupted line of cabinets, paint them in a bold contrasting color.
Marie Flanigan Interiors painted the upper and lower cabinets on each side of this kitchen corner in deep forest green to create a unified look that makes the most of the space.
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Mix in a Corner Shelf
Fill the gaps between upper kitchen cabinets with open shelving to maximize every inch of space. Living With Lolo outfitted the corners of this neutral modern kitchen with tall, skinny double cabinets and chunky L-shaped natural wood floating shelves.
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Use Glass-Front Cabinets
Use glass-front cabinets in the corner of your kitchen to distract the eye and create a space to display your prettiest or most used kitchen items, like this DIY kitchen design from blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona.
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Use Light Tones
Downplay the look of corner cabinetry by using light tones on the uppers, lowers, countertops, and backsplash, like the pearl grays and creams of this uncluttered kitchen from Desiree Burns Interiors.
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Mix Dark and Light Finishes
If you prefer a high-contrast look, pair jet black corner cabinetry with a white stone backsplash, like this space from Mary Patton Design. Open shelves flank the window to balance light and dark tones.