The amount of kitchen cabinets you need can be determined based on your answers to a few simple questions. It seems we can never get enough kitchen cabinets, rarely do you meet someone claiming to have too many kitchen cabinets. Yet, every cabinet costs money and takes up X amount of space, of which you only have so much. It’s important to make every cabinet count. Certain design and organization tricks can help make the most out of your kitchen cabinets, no matter how many you’re working with.
Find Out How Many Kitchen Cabinets You Need
#1. How many kitchen cabinets do you currently have?
Is it enough? How many more would you need to comfortably fit all of your pots, pans, utensils, etc.?
But wait! Before you settle on that number, you must empty your kitchen cabinets of everything you don’t need.
#2. After giving away old and unused odds and ends, do you still need more cabinet space than you currently have?
#3. If your cabinets were more functional (see the next section of this article), do you think you’d need as many of them?
#4. Measure your available wall space for cabinetry, including where base cabinets, wall cabinets, and tall cabinets will go.
No matter how many cabinets you think you need, you only have so much kitchen wall space to work with. Keep in mind that cabinets also take up width, and so you don’t want to place them in too compact of spaces or they’ll make your kitchen feel claustrophobic. You might not even have room to open cabinet doors all of the way.
Here are the standard cabinet sizes so that you can determine how many will feasibly fit in your space.
Base Cabinet Size
34.5 inches in height with counters
25 to 26 inches in width with counters
*Width measurements vary based upon things like the presence of filler cabinets, single basin sink or double-basin sink.
Wall Cabinet Size
12 to 48 inches tall
12 to 24 inches deep
12 to 36 inches wide
Tall Cabinet Size
Tall thin cabinets are great for tight in-between spaces that might otherwise go to waste. Plus, even the narrowest variations can hold a surprising amount of food and cookware.
84 and 96 inches in height
12 and 24 inches in depth
12 and 36 inches in width
How To Add More Cabinets With Functionality
There are so many things you can do to improve the functionality of cabinets and ultimately reduce the number of cabinets you need. Such as:
-Add adjustable shelving.
-Attach magnets to the backs of shelving doors, and use this space to store spices, utensils, or other small goods.
-Add pull out drawers so that things don’t get lost in the dark shadows of your cabinets.
-Install a lazy Susan so that you can access everything in the back of the cabinet without first having to remove everything in front.
By creating cabinets that work for you, you eliminate the need for so many cabinets. And that’s a great thing because you only have so much wall space for cabinets in your kitchen. Which brings us to…
How To Get More Cabinet Space In Your Kitchen
#1. Buy Wholesale Cabinets
You can buy the same high quality kitchen cabinets from us or a retailer. When you buy from us you enjoy much more affordable wholesale pricing. Why pay the extra premium when you don’t have to? If adding more cabinets is an issue because of budget, this will help eliminate that issue.
#2. Build Cabinets All The Way Up The Wall
Cabinets usually stop before reaching the top of the ceiling, leaving a gap where people often store decorative knick knacks, clocks and so forth. If you don’t mind climbing on a ladder to reach things stowed at the tip-top, adding floor to ceiling cabinets is a great way to gain more storage space.
#3. Add Furniture With Cabinets
A cozy piece of furniture with cabinet space can make the perfect addition to your kitchen, all while adding an affordable way to score more storage space. Some ideas include a pretty glass cabinet to store all of your tea cups and fine China, or a rollaway island cart.
#4. Custom Cabinetry
You can get around standard cabinet dimensions by ordering custom cabinetry. Custom cabinets can be made in any size, shape or depth you want. This type of personalization is going to cost more, which is often why people shy away from this option. You don’t necessary need all custom cabinets though. It might be in your budget to add one or two custom cabinets to take advantage of otherwise wasted space.