11 Corner Kitchen Cabinet Ideas That Maximize Use of Space

 If you have the luxury of having a big kitchen, you might even have a beautiful L-shaped worktop made of luxurious granite, along with some large cabinets with high-grade hardware. However, for all the perks of having no shortage of space, there can also be some unexpected downsides.

Sometimes, you’ll be confronted with a kitchen corner that is oddly empty. Of course, this isn’t inherently an issue given that some people like having dead space since it helps embody the serene simplicity of a minimal aesthetic. But if you want to fill that space, a cabinet is an easy solution.

But you may ask, “what kind of cabinet?” and if so, you’ve asked exactly the right question. There are many kinds of different corner cabinets, each of which is designed to suit different purposes and fulfill different roles. To determine which works best for you, you’ll need to consider what you need, but also what you want. It also goes without saying that aesthetics are also important.  

1. Corner Pantries

Even a small corner pantry can come in handy.

Corner pantries might seem old-fashioned, but they’re actually super practical, especially when you keep lots of different ingredients. Instead of just going without one, why not take advantage of an awkward empty corner by making it into a spice pantry?

Corner pantries allow for plenty of room to handily store a variety of ingredients for practicality. This idea works best in a kitchen layout with bigger floor space, so smaller kitchens may not work so well.

However, if you’re stuck with limited room, you can also try to install a small corner pantry which can work quite well especially if you don’t need to regularly cook for more than two people.  

2. Handy Corner Sink Cabinet 

Corner sink cabinets are a perfect place to store cleaning supplies.

The only thing better than a practical corner sink is some extra storage space under that corner sink. This ensures that you can fill in all the empty spaces and make the most use of your kitchen’s corners. Even something as simple as some plain double doors can work quite reliably and provide a great place for your cleaning products and compost bin.

On top of all this, floating shelves add extra storage over the sink and can be snugly mounted in the corner over the worktop. This can be for extra cleaning products, but it can even just be for some decorations such as trinkets and plants for a creatively beautiful aesthetic. 

3. Maximize Storage 

Blind storage easily adds cabinet space.

This is one of the more straightforward ways of literally filling in the corner gap. Simply install cabinets both above and below the worktop in an L-shaped layout that gives you plenty of room for plates, ceramics, and cookware. The only flaw with this setup is that you cannot open two corner cabinet doors at the same time since the doors will hit each other.

Of course, you usually close one cabinet before opening another one, so this isn’t as big of a problem most of the time. This can also make your kitchen feel cramped by taking up room, but you can work around this as well even with a smaller kitchen. Even simple things such as brightening up the kitchen with extra lights or sunlight can ameliorate the stuffy feeling. 

4. Lazy Susan 

Lazy Susans have been around for ages, and for good reason.

Lazy Susans have been around for a long time and it’s no mystery why they are so popular. They are just one of the timeless ideas that work well in any configuration, especially when installed in bigger, deeper cabinets. Instead of having to reach in a cabinet and rifle through to find a single can or spice container, all you have to do is spin a pie-shaped shelf around until the thing you’re looking for comes to you.

With a corner base cabinet lazy Suzan, nothing gets banished to the deep dark corners of your cabinet just because they aren’t used as often, and therefore none of your ingredients will get lost. Interior designers love this feature as an easy way to upgrade your cabinets, and that’s partly because they can be installed relatively easily even in cabinets that have regular shelving. 

5. Special Corner Cabinets Options

Pull out cabinets save space and maximize storage.

One special cabinet idea that’s purpose-built for kitchen corners is the accordion cabinet design. This is a double door that folds open kind of like an accordion, allowing you to fully open the door and get full access to the corner cabinet shelving behind. These cabinets are very popular for their accessibility and ease of use, and it’s no surprise that they’re also seen outside of the kitchen for stereo cabinets and closets.

A similar yet different special cabinet configuration is corner cabinet pull-out shelving. Unlike the accordion door, this cabinet door pulls open and retracts your shelves outward, allowing easy access to anything stored inside. This is a similar principle to a lazy Susan in that you don’t need to reach into the cabinet to get stuff out, but it works differently because the corner cabinet shelving is attached to the door itself.  

6. Minimalist Design Accent 

Minimalist design allows for a relaxing atmosphere.

If you’re not into big complicated fixtures and space-saving cabinets, another solution is just to stick to the simple things. Minimalist additions such as some floating shelves can fill the space and add a little bit of room for storage.

These shelves could be used for keeping some pretty dishware or even just for some decorative elements that complement your kitchen’s pretty design. A simpler design will allow for better light propagation, making for an airy, calming, and inviting space that is not unnecessarily cluttered.  

7. Lower Corner Cabinet Options 

Diagonal cabinets are purpose-built for practicality.

For those not trying to maximize storage space as much as possible, diagonal corner custom cabinets will provide more than enough utility. These cabinets are purpose-built to sit in the corner of an L-shaped worktop and can help augment the clean straight lines of a functional kitchen.

Plus, this kind of corner cupboard storage can even be used to make a kitchen brighter using color choices. White-on-white diagonal corner cabinets reflect both artificial and natural lighting and make for a more balanced space when it comes to interior brightness. 

8. Corner Fridge 

An empty corner can always fit a fridge.

This one sounds a bit outlandish, but it doesn’t hurt to shake things up every now and then. And really, an integrated refrigerator unit isn’t as out there as it might sound. As with other nifty integrated kitchen appliances, a refrigerator installed in a corner is a great way to make use of some extra space in an awkward corner.

Newer fridge units don’t use as much power as the full-sized model, and they are also relatively easy to set up thanks to their more lightweight construction. It also goes without saying that having a box full of ice-cold drinks is a pretty cool perk as well. 

9. Handy Integrated Appliance Cabinets 

Mount a pizza oven in your kitchen corner for the best dinner get-togethers ahead.

Speaking of which, you don’t have to just content yourself with mini-fridges if that’s not really your style. A variety of appliances are central to modern kitchen designs after all Aside from refrigerated cabinets, other kitchen corner units include devices such as microwaves, stoves, and even ovens. This helps reclaim worktop and cabinet space elsewhere in the kitchen since you don’t have to put those devices in another part of the room.

This is a perfect solution for a small kitchen where space is at a premium since it will maximize space efficiency. So you get added practicality and a smart kitchen design to boot.   

10. Cookbook Mini-Library Cabinets 

A charming cookbook corner is a perfect storage solution.

As with other forms of the printed word, cookbooks have become a relic of the past, especially since you can now find thousands of different recipes for virtually every meal you can imagine. However, it still feels nice to have a nice hardcover book, and you might be an avid collector of niche cookbooks from your favorite chefs and experts.

You might even have inherited a whole bunch of classic cookbooks from your elders, and either way, cookbooks will need a place to go. You could relegate them to your bookcase, but that will make them a bit harder to get to when you’re working in the kitchen. Instead, get a cookbook stand so your favorite cookbooks are always at hand on your worktop.