A Kitchen with an Awkward Layout Gets More Storage and a Huge Pantry

Every kitchen needs good storage, but not every kitchen has good storage. Some are small and need a lot of hacks to find a spot for everything. Some can be the right size but with not enough cabinet or drawer space. And others are just not using their storage potential fully, like this kitchen in San Rafael, California.

Thomas Kuoh

“The layout of the original kitchen severely underutilized the opportunity for storage,” says interior designer Corine Maggio, founder of CM Natural Designs. “It was also a little awkward in the corner where the stove was angled and the corner of the island jutted towards it. The finishes were also a bit dated and underwhelming. It’s a good enough sized space but felt small. And there was a lack of a proper pantry. Or at least a pantry that would fit my client’s standards.”

Corine’s client wanted the kitchen to be highly functional, purposeful, high quality, and beautiful. “This is a client who loves to entertain, travel, and generally enjoy the finer things in life. They love to cook and have an appreciation for all things related to foods and the arts. Designing for them was fun and collaborative,” she adds.

Thomas Kuoh

The biggest part of the renovation was fixing that awkward stove corner. Corine and team squared that area off and moved the stove down. “This allowed for a beautiful feature cabinet with the glass and black framed doors with the walnut interior,” Corine explains. “It also allowed for more space for the person prepping near the prep sink in the island and the person cooking at the stove. It also gave us space to be able to increase the size of the island. We moved down the double ovens so they served as a visual bookend to the kitchen but also, in doing so, gave space for the