This week we’re taking a look at a beautifully designed kitchen in Sydney that makes the most of every inch of space through clever and concealed storage solutions. From secret drawers to lift-up cabinetry, this kitchen is full of surprises that allow the homeowners to neatly tuck away cooking gadgets, pantry items, and other kitchen equipment. Keep reading for an in-depth tour of this week’s stunning kitchen!
Overview of the Space
This modern kitchen is located in a home in Sydney’s inner suburbs. It features a simple, open layout with crisp white cabinetry, concrete-style countertops, and light wood flooring. At first glance, the kitchen appears clean and streamlined, but upon closer inspection you’ll find that it harbors a variety of hidden storage elements.
The main working area of the kitchen centers around an extra-long island topped with white quartz. This spacious island provides ample prep space, room for bar seating, and also houses drawers, cabinets, and shelving. Along the back wall, floor-to-ceiling white cabinetry anchors the space and conceals most of the functional items like the refrigerator, stove, oven, and dishwasher behind closed doors.
Without visible handles, these back cabinets have a sleek, integrated look. But secret compartments are hidden inside, as we’ll explore in detail below. The white palette makes the space feel open and airy, while pops of wood elements and black accents add warmth and definition. Let’s take a closer look at how this kitchen makes the most of every square inch thanks to its disguised storage!
Clever Solutions for Storing Kitchen Essentials
Pull-Out Pantry Cabinets
One of the first concealed storage elements you’ll notice are the pull-out cabinet doors located on either side of the stove. At first glance, they simply look like regular cabinet fronts. But when opened, they reveal deep pull-out pantries packed with foods and supplies. The home chef makes good use of this space by storing everything from oils, spices, packaged goods to pots and pans inside.
The pantries pull out about two feet from the wall, allowing easy access to items in the back. Custom made racks, holders, and dividers keep everything organized and accessible. This is a great way to neatly tuck away bulky pantry items in a concealed spot. It also makes good use of the prime real estate next to the stove, where items are within easy reach while cooking.
Hidden Drawers
Another clever surprise is found in the big cabinet to the right of the stove, which secretly houses small hidden drawers. At first, this spot appears to be a regular cabinet front with no knobs or handles. However, if you push in on the bottom edge of the door, the front panel pops out to reveal two small secret drawers inside.
These disguised drawers provide the perfect spot for storing cooking utensils, measuing cups, spices, or other small items you want to have at your fingertips while cooking and prepping meals at the stove. The homeowner makes good use of them by storing oil bottles, spices, and other frequently used items inside.
Lift-Up Upper Cabinets
The upper cabinets provide ample storage space behind their unadorned cabinet doors. But for the corner unit and adjacent upper cabinet, the storage goes even deeper, thanks to lift-up cabinet bottoms that reveal bonus storage areas.
The corner cabinet lifts up to unveil an entire hidden shelving unit, creating the perfect space to store larger cookware items, serving trays, and extra pantry overflow items. The lift-up mechanism makes it easy pull this storage unit up when you need access, and lower it down flat when you’re done.
The upper cabinet next to the corner similarly lifts up to reveal open shelving on an inner wall of the cabinet. Here, the homeowners have tucked away extra dishes, glassware, and serving pieces. This bonus storage spot works perfectly for stashing overflow items or pieces that are only used occasionally.
Drawer Organizers
To truly maximize the storage potential of the kitchen, the owner has made good use of drawer organizers to neatly arrange cooking utensils, silverware, potholders, and more inside each drawer. Custom dividers create dedicated spots for different items, while preventing flatware and tools from turning into a jumbled mess. Sections for knives, spatulas, whisks, and cutting boards keep essential daily cooking items orderly and accessible.
Long, shallow drawers provide the ideal home for these divided organizers, allowing you to see everything at a glance. The drawer organizers are easily removable, too, making it simple to clean and rearrange your drawers whenever needed. This small add-on ensures that the contents of each drawer remain neatly tucked away, while still being easy to access.
Baking Sheet Drawer
Tucked away underneath the wall oven is a specialized drawer outfitted to store baking sheets and cooling racks. Built-in dividers create a slot for each pan, allowing them to slide smoothly in and out while keeping them neatly stacked and organized.
Storing bulky baking sheets inside a drawer helps optimize space usage, while also protecting them from getting damaged or dirty. This is an ideal storage solution for avid home bakers who use baking sheets and cooling racks frequently. The pans are always close at hand, protected, and tidy.
Customized Fridge Storage
Even the refrigerator gets in on the hidden storage action, thanks to customized fittings inside the fridge and freezer. The inner refrigerator compartment contains specialized racks, holders, and bins to neatly organize all the homeowners’ refrigerated foods and containers. A rack along the interior of the door holds an orderly row of condiments and jars.
Inside the freezer, a pull-out basket provides easy access to frozen foods. And the bottom compartment is outfitted with custom dividers that hold an array of ice cube trays. Every inch of storage space inside the fridge and freezer has been optimized to keep foods organized and accessible. This prevents forgotten foods and freezer burn, while also maximizing capacity. The customized compartments accommodate the homeowners’ refrigerator items perfectly.
More Surprise Touches
Beyond the functional hidden storage, a few other design details incorporate surprises and unique touches that make this kitchen truly one-of-a-kind.
Secret Mini Fridge
Next to the big stainless steel fridge is what appears to be a regular cabinet door. But behind it hides one more fantastic surprise — a secret under-counter beverage fridge! This discreet mini fridge provides the ideal spot to chill drinks without taking up room on the main fridge’s shelves.
It’s the perfect size for storing bottled beverages, soda cans, milk for coffee, juice boxes for kids’ lunches, and other smaller chilled items. The understated cabinet door keeps the mini fridge hidden, yet easily accessible when you need to grab a cold drink. It’s a fun, unique touch!
Two-Toned Cabinetry
The clean white cabinetry provides a light, bright backdrop throughout the kitchen. But inside some of the lower cabinets and kitchen island, a surprise touch of color awaits. When you open certain cabinet doors and drawers, you’ll find their inner sides are painted a deep blue that matches accent colors elsewhere in the home.
This unexpected pop of color adds a fun accent every time you open a cabinet. The rich tone contrasts beautifully with the crisp white exteriors for a striking two-toned look. It’s a subtle detail you wouldn’t expect, keeping things visually interesting.
Tips for Adding Hidden Storage to Your Kitchen
If you’re looking to maximize storage and build in surprises like this Sydney kitchen, here are some tips for adding concealed storage elements:
- Opt for cabinetry styles without visible hardware to streamline the look and allow for hidden compartments. Integrated handles and finger pulls help achieve a sleek, modern look.
- Look for specialty pull-out cabinetry and organizers to optimize corner spaces, and pull-outs that allow you to access items in the back of cabinets.
- Consider lifts, false fronts, and hidden mechanisms like secret drawers to disguise extra storage spots.
- Look for ways to customize closet, cabinet, and drawer interiors with built-ins designed for your specific items. This optimization helps keep things neat.
- Incorporate drawer organizers and dividers to neatly arrange contents and double storage capacity.
- Find ways to stash specialty appliances like mini fridges out of sight. Under-counter cabinetry and closet storage can often accommodate small appliances.
- Add fun surprises like unexpected pops of color inside certain cabinets to keep things visually interesting even when closed.
With a bit of creative thinking and custom cabinetry work, you can discover new ways to tuck away items and build specialized storage spots that suit your cooking and kitchen needs. This week’s kitchen is full of inspirational ideas for creating a space that’s both beautiful and highly functional thanks to its concealed storage elements.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hidden Kitchen Storage Ideas
What are some good ways to add hidden storage to an existing kitchen?
Some easy ways to incorporate hidden storage into existing kitchen cabinetry include:
- Adding pull-out cabinet organizers or shelves to optimize corner cabinets or other hard-to-access areas.
- Installing false drawer fronts to hide small storage cubbies for items like utensils.
- Replacing cabinet doors with lift-up doors to reveal bonus space.
- Creating secret compartments with hidden panels, false bottoms, or hidden drawers.
- Organizing cabinet interiors with dividers, holders, racks and other custom elements to optimize space usage.
Where are the best places to add secret compartments or hidden storage elements in the kitchen?
Some smart spots for concealed kitchen storage include:
- Next to the stove – Hide small narrow drawers to store cooking tools within reach.
- Corner cabinets – Use pull outs or lift ups to access hard-to-reach areas.
- Near the refrigerator – Conceal small specialty fridges or beverage coolers.
- Sink cabinets – Install false fronts to hide cleaning supplies or sponges.
- Upper cabinets – Add lift-ups for extra dish storage or occasional-use items.
- Blind corner spaces – Pull-out shelving on lazy susans creates access.
What are some cabinet customizations that can help optimize kitchen storage?
Some great ways to customize cabinets for optimized storage include:
- Adjustable shelving, so you can accommodate various item sizes.
- Custom-designed inserts for pots, pans, and bakeware.
- Pull-out baskets for easy access to items in back.
- Integrated spice racks and specialty holders.
- Built-in dividers for neat, organized drawers.
- Pegboards or racks to hang utensils and tools.
- Tiered drawers for splitted storage of items like cutting boards.
How do you disguise appliances like mini fridges for a hidden look?
Some ways to conceal small specialty appliances:
- Use cabinetry panels and custom fronts to integrate them with surrounding cabinetry.
- Place them inside closet spaces, kitchen islands, or full-height pantry units.
- Tuck them under the counter and install false cabinet fronts to hide them.
- Place them behind cabinets and use panels to cover the sides and back.
- Store them inside cabinetry designed specifically to fit the appliance dimensions.
What kind of organizational products help optimize kitchen drawers and cabinets?
Helpful organizational products include:
- Customizable drawer dividers and inserts to compartmentalize drawers.
- Expandable drawer organizers that conform to your space.
- Sliding trays and racks to double storage capacity.
- Pull-out baskets for easy access to back of cabinet contents.
- Adjustable shelves and smart inserts for cabinets.
- Turntables or “lazy susan” organizers for corners.
- Tiered racks for items like cutting boards and baking sheets.
Conclusion
This clever kitchen should provide plenty of inspiration for designing a space that perfectly suits your storage needs. With its array of pull-outs, lift-ups, secret compartments, drawer organizers, specialized racks, and more – this kitchen makes the most of every inch. A few customized fittings paired with a streamlined, handle-free aesthetic allows this Sydney home to conceal items away in style.
While maximizing storage capacity, the kitchen still maintains an uncluttered,open feel. The disguised storage elements let you neatly tuck away items when not in use, reducing visible clutter in the space. With the right mix of custom cabinetry, specialty organizational products, and creative concealment, you too can discover new ways to optimize your kitchen storage. Hope this week’s Kitchen of the Week tour has provided helpful ideas for crafting your own multi-functional kitchen design.
