Kitchens rarely feel cramped because the room is small; they feel cramped because storage is in the wrong places. Pans live far from the cooktop, the corner cabinet swallows things, and everyday items sit on shelves you need a step stool to reach. This guide covers how much storage a kitchen needs, where it should go and the cabinet details that make it usable, using the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Kitchen Planning Guidelines as the reference.

Three principles: store things where you first use them; put everyday items between about 15 and 48 inches above the floor; and choose drawers and pull-outs over deep fixed shelves wherever you can.

How much storage do you need?

NKBA measures storage as “shelf and drawer frontage”: cabinet width in inches × number of shelves or drawers × cabinet depth in feet. Its recommended totals:

Kitchen size Total shelf/drawer frontage Wall Base Drawer Pantry Misc.
Small (under 150 sq ft) 1,400 in 300 in 520 in 360 in 180 in 40 in
Medium (151–350 sq ft) 1,700 in 360 in 615 in 400 in 230 in 95 in
Large (over 350 sq ft) 2,000 in 360 in 660 in 525 in 310 in 145 in

NKBA allows the split between wall, base, drawer and pantry to move up or down as long as the total stays the same, but it says not to use more than the recommended miscellaneous amount to reach the total, and that storage more than 84 inches above the floor counts only as miscellaneous.

A worked example: a 24-inch-wide base cabinet, 2 feet deep, with one shelf plus the cabinet floor (two storage levels) gives 24 × 2 × 2 = 96 inches of frontage. Adding up every cabinet this way tells you whether a plan is short of storage before anything is ordered.

Where storage should go

Near the sink

The cleanup sink is the busiest point in most kitchens. NKBA recommends that a share of the total frontage sit within 72 inches of the centre of the main sink: at least 400 inches in a small kitchen, 480 in a medium kitchen and 560 in a large one. That is where dishes, glasses, cutlery, cleaning supplies and everyday containers belong.

Near the cooktop

Keep pots, pans, utensils, oils and spices within a step of the cooking surface. Deep drawers under the cooktop or beside it hold pans better than shelves, because you lift rather than dig.

Near the refrigerator and prep area

Food storage containers, cutting boards, knives and mixing bowls belong near the main prep area, which NKBA recommends be at least 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep next to a sink.

Pantry

A pantry, whether a tall cabinet or a walk-in room, is the most space-efficient way to store dry food. Shallow shelves keep items visible; pull-out shelves in deep tall cabinets avoid lost items at the back. See cabinet organisation.

Reach heights

NKBA’s access standard recommends storing frequently used items 15 to 48 inches above the floor, within comfortable reach for most people including seated users. In practice:

  • Upper wall-cabinet shelves above eye level suit occasional items.
  • Base-cabinet floors near the toe kick suit heavy, rarely used items.
  • The zone between counter height and shoulder height suits daily items, which is why open shelves and appliance garages on the counter are popular.

Drawers versus doors

Drawers Doors with fixed shelves
Access Everything visible from above; nothing lost at the back Need to kneel and reach into the back
Best for Pots, pans, dishes, utensils, food containers Tall items, small appliances, cleaning supplies under the sink
Cost Higher (more hardware) Lower
Upgrade path Dividers and inserts Retrofit roll-out shelves

NKBA’s drawer frontage figures (360–525 inches depending on kitchen size) reflect how much of modern kitchen storage is expected to be in drawers.

Corner cabinets

Blind and L-shaped corners are where storage is lost. NKBA recommends that at least one corner cabinet include a functional storage device, unless there are no corner cabinets. Options include rotating (lazy Susan) shelves, swing-out or pull-out units, diagonal corner cabinets and corner drawers. Another option is to give up the corner and use the space from the adjacent room or for a recycling cabinet accessed from the other side.

Vertical and space-saving storage

  • Tall wall cabinets to the ceiling add space; keep everyday items low and seasonal items high.
  • Rails and wall shelves keep utensils and spices visible near where they are used; see vertical storage.
  • Toe-kick drawers use the space under base cabinets for flat items.
  • Narrow pull-outs beside the cooktop hold oils and spices.
  • Inside door storage for lids and cleaning supplies.

More ideas are collected in space-saving ideas.

Waste and recycling

NKBA recommends at least two waste receptacles: one near each cleanup/prep sink and a second for recycling in or near the kitchen. A pull-out bin cabinet beside the sink is the most common solution.

Safety in storage

  • Store cleaning products and medicines out of children’s reach, ideally in a high or latched cabinet rather than under the sink.
  • Store heavy items low to avoid lifting them overhead.
  • Tall cabinets and freestanding shelving should be securely fixed to the wall following the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Keep the area around the cooktop free of flammable items such as paper towels and plastic containers.
  • In homes built before 1978, removing old cabinets can disturb lead-based paint; the EPA requires paid contractors doing that work to be lead-safe certified.

Storage planning checklist

  1. List what you store now, grouped by where you use it.
  2. Calculate total frontage for the plan and compare with NKBA’s totals for your kitchen size.
  3. Check the 72-inch zone around the main sink.
  4. Choose drawers for base cabinets near the cooktop and sink.
  5. Plan a storage device for every corner.
  6. Plan two bins: waste and recycling.
  7. Check reach heights for everyday items.

Storage interacts with layout and lighting: see kitchen layouts explained and kitchen lighting plan. All storage guides are under Kitchen Storage.

Sources