Recently, a reader inquired about the specific details of our beach house kitchen organization, a topic we had captured in photos and videos last summer with the intention of sharing. To my surprise, when I went to provide the link, I realized we had never actually published the post! So, these images remained on our camera for months, much like my summer tan, fading along with the cherished memories of warm days and sand between my toes (a stark contrast to my current reality of Ugg slippers in freezing weather!).
Transforming Your Kitchen: Smart Storage Solutions for a Beach House & Beyond
Years ago, many of you enjoyed a detailed peek inside our Richmond kitchen cabinets, inspiring John and me to capture extensive organizing photos for this beach house project last August. We also filmed what is undeniably one of the most eccentric videos of our lives – I highly recommend watching it, as words simply cannot convey the spontaneous chaos that unfolded (John, however, finds it endlessly amusing!). Last summer marked the first time this kitchen truly faced the test of more than just a long weekend. It was our opportunity to ensure its efficiency and organization met the demands of daily life. When the pantry is fully stocked, and dishes and appliances are in constant use, it provides the perfect scenario to evaluate a kitchen’s functionality. This intensive use revealed areas for improvement, leading to smart changes that could undoubtedly benefit your kitchen too. We’re excited to share all our practical tips and insights right here.
A Comprehensive Tour: Every Drawer, Every Detail
For an unfiltered look into literally every drawer and cabinet in this kitchen, the video below offers a complete tour. Full disclosure: filming this took us three attempts because it consistently ran over 20 minutes, causing the camera to shut off. We found ourselves becoming increasingly silly with each take, resulting in what we affectionately call our “unfiltered” cabinet tour. You might even consider it a fun drinking game: take a sip every time I make John gasp, yell, or interject!
Note: If the video player is not displaying above, you can watch it directly on YouTube.
For those unable to watch the video immediately, let me provide some key highlights. However, I truly encourage you to circle back and watch it. Tips demonstrated in motion, accompanied by “live” commentary, are generally far more insightful than static images and descriptions. In the main section of our kitchen, all cabinets (except the sink cabinet) feature three drawers. Our most frequently used cabinet is positioned to the left of the stove. The top drawer efficiently houses our flatware and knives, the middle drawer below it stores our plates and bowls, and the deepest bottom drawer is dedicated to pots and pans – a clever storage solution we’ll detail in a moment.
Efficient Dishwasher Unloading: The Drawer Strategy
Our decision to store flatware and dishware in these specific drawers was a strategic move focused on simplifying dishwasher unloading. With the dishwasher door fully open, one person can stand in a single spot and unload virtually everything without having to trek back and forth across the kitchen or repeatedly bend and stretch to reach wall cabinets. The common concern about the dishwasher door impeding the walking aisle becomes a non-issue with this method, as your feet remain planted. This ergonomic approach saves time and effort, especially in a busy beach house kitchen that sees frequent use.
While some find the concept of stacking dishes or bowls in a drawer unconventional, we have embraced this method for years and absolutely love it. We adopted this brilliant idea from John’s sister, who has been organizing her kitchen this way for over a decade without a single incident. A deep, soft-close drawer filled with dishes is, in our experience, sheer perfection. We’ve implemented this system in our Richmond home, here at the beach house, and in both of our duplex kitchens. If you’re concerned about items shifting or colliding, a grippy drawer liner can offer extra peace of mind. To date, we have never experienced a single broken dish or chipped bowl, a testament to the effectiveness and safety of this storage solution.
Unlocking Hidden Storage: IKEA’s Ingenious Drawers
A truly innovative feature we capitalized on for our pots and pans in that bottom drawer is IKEA’s “hidden” drawer system, a clever component of their standard kitchen line. This shallow, 5-inch drawer, identical in depth to the flatware drawer above, is designed to tuck neatly inside a larger drawer, occupying the top quadrant of the drawer space. It’s a fantastic way to maximize vertical storage within a deep drawer.
You can see two of these ingenious hidden drawers in action within our video, which provides a much clearer demonstration of their functionality. We’ve also utilized a second one in another kitchen zone to store cutting boards in a similar fashion. These hidden drawers are an exceptional way to gain extra storage space and eliminate the frustration of having to dig for items buried beneath others. Imagine how much more cumbersome that bottom drawer full of pots would be if these two pans were simply stacked on top of them – you’d constantly be removing multiple items just to reach what you needed at the bottom. This system keeps smaller, frequently used items easily accessible, transforming cluttered deep drawers into highly organized, efficient spaces.
The Disguised Workhorse: Our DIY Pullout Trash Can
Across from our main cooking area, the island houses another hard-working drawer: our custom pullout trash can. We faced a challenge because our island didn’t have the wider base cabinet required for IKEA’s standard trash can pull-outs (we only had 15 inches of space). So, we devised our own hack. It consists of a single tall drawer front that cleverly conceals a tall trash can we sourced from a local hardware store. To prevent any wobbling or banging, we securely screwed the bottom of the can into the drawer base. Despite being fastened, it can still be easily unscrewed for removal if necessary, though in the past 2.5 years, we’ve found it simple to clean in place without needing to take it out. On a lighter note, I’m now considering adding “trash can model” to my resume!
The Inviting Drink Station: A Hub for Hydration
One of my absolute favorite drawers is the compact “drink station” we created adjacent to the sink in the island. This drawer serves multiple purposes: it stores our collection of cups and mugs (some were in the dishwasher during filming, but all eight mugs and glasses fit comfortably when stacked two high). Beyond glassware, this space is also perfect for organizing tea bags and various drink mixes, including my beloved dehydrated lemon packets, ensuring everything needed for a refreshing beverage is readily at hand.
As a practical sidenote, I’m not overly concerned with having perfectly matching bins, boxes, and trays when they are hidden away inside a drawer. Our drink station perfectly exemplifies this “mish-mash” approach: it includes a leftover plastic bin from Target, a rectangular dish perfectly sized for my lemon packets, and an old velvet jewelry organizer repurposed for tea essentials. The primary takeaway here is that containers can significantly elevate your cabinet organization, but there’s no need to rush to a specialty store and spend a fortune. Instead, look around your home and try to utilize any suitable leftover items you already have on hand. Creative repurposing is often the most cost-effective and sustainable solution for brilliant organization.
Under-Sink Essentials: Cleaning and Convenience
Beneath the drink station drawer, you’ll find what might appear to be an absurd quantity of cloths and towels. However, the top layer comprises both kitchen and bath hand towels for the entire house, while the lower section is dedicated to our microfiber cleaning cloths, stored conveniently alongside the cleaning supplies housed under the sink. This drawer also holds our Ziploc baggies and plastic shopping bags designated for reuse. For an incredibly helpful (and perhaps slightly unhinged?) demonstration of this drawer’s organizational method, be sure to watch the video!
Sidenote: Discover how simple it is to clean a stainless steel sink!
The Unexpected Tool & DIY Drawer
On the opposite side, back near the stove, lies one of our more unusual but consistently implemented storage solutions: a dedicated tool drawer. We’ve created this type of storage in every kitchen we’ve owned. The top section functions as our “junk drawer,” holding essentials like pens, batteries, and bandages. Below that, however, are various tools and DIY supplies that we frequently need or that are specific to the beach house but might otherwise get misplaced in a shed. The middle drawer contains miscellaneous items such as shims, wood glue, and weather stripping, while the bottom drawer is entirely devoted to our painting supplies: brushes, rollers, trays, and more. This central location ensures quick access for minor repairs and projects, preventing wasted time searching in an outdoor shed.
This covers the majority of the “main” kitchen area, encompassing the stove zone and the island. While I’ve provided a written overview, the video delves into each drawer and system, articulating my entire thought process behind why we placed specific items in certain spots. For more granular details or answers to specific questions, watching the video will undoubtedly provide extra clarity. You’ll even witness me intentionally transform two drawers into momentary chaos in a matter of seconds, purely to emphasize a point – because I am undeniably passionate about drawer organization!
Beyond the Kitchen: Versatile Back Wall Cabinetry
Now, let’s turn our attention to the back wall of cabinetry, located by the door leading outside (visible in the background of the image above). This area was initially envisioned as our primary pantry. We had purchased all our cabinets before realizing that a small room off to the side of the kitchen would make a significantly better walk-in pantry than the breakfast nook we had originally planned. Consequently, each cabinet back here is 15 inches deep instead of the standard 24 inches and features only two drawers (rather than three). This design was chosen with the idea of storing large boxes of food or bags of chips, aligning with our initial pantry concept.
However, these cabinets have since proven incredibly useful for other general household storage, disguised seamlessly as kitchen cabinetry—a complete win-win! We’ve stashed everything from extra vases and candles to dog food and even hot tub supplies in this versatile zone. For a truly unique (and incredibly random, yet joy-inducing for me) item I keep in the candle/vase drawer, make sure to watch the video; you’ll see me hold it and playfully swish it through the air!
The story is much the same for the cabinets on the other side of the back door, though I want to reassure everyone that these are indeed fully functional drawers. In some photos and videos, people have expressed concern that they might not open properly due to the door molding to their left. However, as the photo below clearly illustrates, the drawer opens completely without issue. A strategically placed filler piece on the side ensures that the doorway trim never obstructs its movement, allowing for smooth operation every time.
While the bottom drawer does make contact with the thicker plinth block on the doorframe a few inches before being 100% pulled out, this minor detail hasn’t compromised its functionality for us. As I gracefully demonstrate in the video (oh my gosh, insert the monkey covering his eyes emoji here, please!), we can still easily access everything within the drawer. We understood this corner cabinet would be a tight fit, but IKEA offers a limited number of standard drawer sizes. This is a 30-inch base, and the next size down was 24 inches. We wanted to avoid needing a 6-inch filler piece, so the fact that I can still pull this drawer out to the plinth block and effortlessly reach all the way to the back is perfectly acceptable to us. Remember, these drawers are shallow, so even with the slight bump from the plinth block, you are essentially seeing the entire bottom drawer exposed, making everything fully accessible.
The Thoughtfully Designed Pantry: Food & Beyond
Now, let’s step into the pantry, where we’ve continued the same shallow wall of cabinets along the back. As you might anticipate, these drawers are primarily dedicated to storing food items. The countertop above them serves as a convenient prep space for simple tasks like sandwich-making, pouring cereal, or efficiently unpacking groceries. This design maximizes both storage and immediate usability, making daily routines much smoother.
You can get a closer look at these pantry drawers in the video, where you’ll again notice a delightful hodge-podge of baskets and bins. We use these containers to efficiently wrangle various snacks, breads, and other dry goods. We generally prefer to “unbox” items like snack packs of peanuts or granola bars, as it makes grabbing them from an open bin much faster and more intuitive. I also maintain one drawer as my special “Mommy Drawer,” where I keep vitamins, coconut oil, and other morning routine essentials all in one designated spot. Given that I have a similar upper cabinet in our Richmond kitchen, it was only natural to create one at the beach house too! Grouping items you use together in a single location is a fantastic way to create an autopilot morning routine that’s easier to remember and consistently follow.
The stack of drawers on the far side of the pantry isn’t for food; it actually stores more DIY supplies. Here, you’ll find items like light bulbs, spackle, caulk, and small paint cans and stains. While this might seem like an unconventional spot for these particular items, even at our busiest times in the summer (with guests and an abundance of food), we’ve never experienced enough food overflow to necessitate using these three drawers for edibles. This flexible approach to storage ensures that all our household essentials, whether culinary or DIY, have an accessible and organized home.
Maximizing Vertical Space: Pantry Shelving Hacks
Part of this storage flexibility is thanks to the additional storage available on the other side of the pantry. We DIYed these pantry shelves around our fridge, and over the summer, we invested in a few more bins to maximize the utility of each shelf, especially the lower ones that see daily use. This strategic addition of bins has significantly enhanced our vertical storage capabilities.
Originally, we only had one white bin per shelf. However, we quickly realized that by rotating them 90 degrees, we could fully leverage the depth of the shelves, effectively squeezing in a second bin on each shelf. This simple maneuver literally doubled our storage capacity! These bins primarily accommodate larger items that wouldn’t comfortably fit in the drawers, such as paper towels, bulky chip bags, cereal boxes, and our large bottle of white vinegar for cleaning. This innovative “spin move” transformed our pantry, allowing us to store an impressive amount of essentials efficiently.
For an even deeper dive into our kitchen, including a “Cribs-style” tour of what’s inside our fridge, be sure to watch the comprehensive video at the very beginning of this post. We sincerely hope this detailed tour provides you with a clear understanding of how we’ve optimized this beach house kitchen space to work seamlessly for us and our guests!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to scour our camera for any other hidden photos and videos still lingering in “purgatory,” content I mistakenly believed we had already shared…
P.S. To trace the evolution of this kitchen, this post covers a lot of the progress, while this one delves into brainstorming the backsplash. For an honest look at our challenges, this podcast discusses what we initially got wrong in the beach house kitchen (and how we rectified it). Oh, and here’s how we saved $1350 on kitchen appliances!
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