There are lots of ways to improve your kitchen, but a big one is by adding functional storage. Here’s four ways you can improve your kitchen with cabinet extensions!
There are so many ways to make your kitchen look bigger, lighter, brighter and better. That could mean tearing down a wall, painting your cabinets, putting in a new counter or back splash, or adding a fresh coat of paint.
There’s also a less used way to improve your kitchen which is by building cabinet extensions in different ways that will give you more space and an added pop.
We’ve put together four cabinet extensions to improve your kitchen that you can implement now or on your next remodel!
Four cabinet extensions to improve your kitchen
Depending on what your kitchen looks like, certain cabinet extensions might be more easy to do than others.
However, most kitchens are going to have at least two of these issues and have the room to fix them. Let’s talk about the different extensions and how to do them yourself!
Extend cabinets to the ceiling
The easiest one to do right now without going through any renovation is to extend your upper cabinets to the ceiling using a few pieces of wood.
All you have to do is simply cut wood that is the same depth as your cabinets and the height of the gap between your cabinets and ceiling.
Simply paint them the color of your cabinets and nail them up. For an added element, run your crown molding around the outside to make it really pop.
Move the cabinet above the fridge
Another one that’s pretty easy and can be done without a full renovation is to that dinky cabinet that is always pushed way back above the fridge. This cabinet is easy to remove by pulling out a few screws.
Screw it back in flush with the gap of the fridge in the front. Then cut a custom piece of bead board and nail that up underneath and people will think you have a deep cabinet above the fridge.
Add shelving to your island
Now try extending out. This will work if you’re putting in new counters or if your kitchen island already hangs way off.
Using an old cabinet cut down to size, or building a new one, add open shelving to the end of your kitchen island. This extension allows you to have a bigger surface area on your island if you are putting in new counters or fills the gap if you have an overhang.
Put a tilt-out trash can in a cabinet
Another extension to try is building a tilt-out trash can.
We retrofit an old upper cabinet into an open lower cabinet and then built a tilt out door with chains that would hold our trash can.
If your trash is currently out in the open, add a custom tilt-out trash can extension that will hide your trash and add extra square footage to your new counters.
Four cabinet extensions to improve your kitchen
You can use boards + molding to extend your existing kitchen cabinets to the ceiling.
It's easy to convert an old cabinet into a tilt out trash can!
Moving your cabinet over the fridge up to the ceiling can add a surprising amount of storage space.
Create a recipe bookshelf from an old upper cabinet and add feet for a little extra detail!
Got any other cabinet extensions people can try to improve their kitchens? Share them in the comments below!
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Hey there, I’m Sean, the woodworking enthusiast and builder behind CharlestonCrafted.com! Since 2012, I’ve been sharing the magic of turning raw materials into beautiful creations. I love teaching others the art and satisfaction of woodworking and DIY. I try to inspire fellow crafters to make something extraordinary out of nothing at all.
Afton Jackson
Friday 11th of September 2020
I would like to thank you for showing your idea of a built-in tilt-out trash can as a way to save space while in the kitchen. Garbage disposal can get messy, especially if the trash can is out in the open where a dog or a running child can topple it over. Your idea sounds like a great way to conserve space while keeping the trash away from outside disturbances, so I'll look for any custom kitchen cabinet contractors that can help me design one like that.
Amanda
Tuesday 6th of February 2018
I love the look of just building it out with open shelving! I hadn't ever thought of trying that, but it looks fabulous!