If you want this to be the year you finally get control of kitchen clutter, put checking out the latest kitchen storage trends at the very top of your to-do list. Well-organised kitchen storage ideas that ensure everything has a place, and is exactly where it needs to be, can make cooking and other kitchen chores faster, easier and far more pleasurable.
When considering how to design a kitchen, tapping into the latest kitchen storage trends is essential, and can also help solve spatial issues when dealing with small kitchen ideas. To set you on the road to success, we’ve quizzed kitchen and design experts to find out what’s headlining the kitchen storage world and uncovered the very best kitchen ideas featuring savvy storage solutions.
What are the kitchen storage trends in 2024?
‘Recently, social media has been abuzz with perfectly organised storage and space-saving ideas for a neat kitchen, with kitchen pantries and dressers topping the trends,’ reports Cassie Jones, brand manager at Masterclass Kitchens.
1. Open pantries
If you're looking to achieve a boutique hotel vibe for your kitchen, then an open pantry is the way to go. It has the perfect balance of a lived-in and well-styled look, so it becomes a design feature as well as a practical spot to store crockery, small appliances and dried goods.
To make sure it adds an on-trend flair to your kitchen, it's important to focus on the internal design. 'Think shelves, drawers, and a stone splashback, it can be whatever you want and need it to be,' recommends William Durrant, owner of Herringbone. 'A functional and beautiful internal appearance can make all the difference to the way you use your pantry.'
2. Money-saving storage
As reducing food waste and saving money continues to be a top priority in 2024, the popularity of kitchen storage that helps with this is set to soar. Vacuum-sealable food storage containers that extend the life of fresh are a great way of keeping the kitchen super organised while being more cost-efficient and less wasteful.
‘Compared to regular, non-vacuum sealable food storage containers, the advantage of vacuum sealing is that it significantly reduces the amount of air surrounding the food. This lowers the oxygen content and delays oxidisation and the aerobic process,’ explains Lydia Mallinson of Zwilling UK. ‘What’s more, food’s flavour, taste, vitamins and nutrients are all preserved for longer - perfect for everything from meat and fish to dairy, herbs, soups, sauces and dried foods.’
Keen chefs might also consider a built-in vacuum sealing appliance, like this one from AEG, which vacuums and seals fresh food before slow sous-vide style cooking. Sealing food in bags is great for maximising space in your freezer, too.
3. Glass cabinets
Switch solid doors for glass and let cabinet interiors become a key part of your kitchen’s design story. This top trend sees the resurgence of glazed cabinets, but not as you may remember them from the kitchens of your childhood. In this latest glass cabinet revival, there are plenty of opportunities to flex your creative side, for example with wallpaper or bold paint colours inside, integrated lighting and mirrored back panels.
For glass kitchen cabinet ideas where packing in the kitchenalia is a top priority, go for reeded or ribbed glass. You can get a lot more stashed away, without having to worry about whether it looks good.
4. Built-in home bars
Since the kitchen is where everyone loves to hang out when entertaining, it’s no surprise demand for integrated home bars is on the rise. Primed and ready for cocktail hour, a home bar in the kitchen can be simply shelved out for glassware and spirits, or more professionally equipped with a built-in sink, wine fridge and ice buckets.
‘I have designed a few hidden bars recently,’ says interior designer Alexandra Langdon. ‘When designing, I like to give everything its own space in the home, and hidden bars are a much more functional design feature than a drinks’ trolley.
Built-in home bars can be open to the room for a permanent design feature, often incorporating glamorous materials like antiqued mirrored glass and marble or closed away when not in use. ‘We used pocket doors on this bar. It is a great practical storage solution when closed, becoming a fun feature when open and lit in the evening,’ adds Alexandra.
5. Statement shelving
We’ve all upped our #shelfie game and got onboard with the more relaxed and character-filled benefits of beautifully curated shelving in the kitchen. Now the kitchen shelving ideas themselves are getting in on the design action, with stand-out materials and stylish shelving configurations shaping up to steal the show.
‘We are certainly moving away from a reliance on overhead storage in the kitchen, and instead looking to open the space up with strong shelving designs that can form a key focal point,’ says interior designer Sophie Chapman, of The Vawdrey House.
The black framed shelving unit here lends an industrial edge to the kitchen, with ribbed glass cleverly used to conceal the cooker hood. ‘Just a few decorative styling accessories is all that’s required to give the kitchen an abundance of personality and individuality,’ adds Sophie.
6. The back kitchen
The back kitchen is a premium kitchen storage trend that's being filtered down to everyday homes in the format of a walk-in pantry ideas and larder. ‘A walk-in larder like this one is actually one of the most effective ways to access the full storage potential of a corner in an L-shape or U-shape kitchen layout,’ says Kasia Piorko, founder of kitchen studio, Kate Feather.
The latest walk-in storage includes fitted worktops and electric sockets. Tuck small appliances like the blender and toaster out of sight around the corner, and enjoy the easy accessibility of shelving, with the ‘shut it all away’ joy of a sliding door. If you have the space, adding an extra sink will also be beneficial for keeping mess out of sight.
‘Do have fun with the interior – pops of colour in the kitchen not only look beautiful but can also help to give a walk-in larder its own entity. The playful pale aquamarine here brings the charm of a traditional pantry to an otherwise modern, neutral kitchen design,’ adds Kate.
7. Library ladders
We can’t get enough of the library ladder trend, which makes reaching the unreachable a breeze. Perfect for maximising the vertical storage potential of kitchens with high ceilings, a library ladder means top cupboards can be instantly accessed so are no longer relegated to dusty serving platters and the Christmas decs.
This sophisticated kitchen storage trend also comes with decorative advantages, in terms of both the material and finish of the actual ladder (which can be colour coordinated or contrasting with the cabinetry), as well as the rail onto which it clips. ‘We love to use metal supporting rails to introduce a punchy design detail that draws attention upwards,’ adds Keith Myers, founder of The Myers Touch.
8. Countertop cupboards
Filling the void between base units and wall hung cabinets, quite literally, countertop cupboards sit directly on the worktop in a modern take on the kitchen dresser. You’ve probably noticed them cropping up on Pinterest and Instagram recently. If you haven’t you will soon, countertop cupboards are definitely trending.
Sometimes called Counter Standing Cabinets, the best examples of this trend feature some form of fold-away door, be it a slide-up tambour door, bi-folding doors, or pocket doors. ‘With the doors neatly hidden away, these new countertop cabinets are not only practical, as you can access them without having to work around swinging doors, but make a pretty beautiful design statement too,’ says Cassie Jones, brand manager of Masterclass Kitchens.
Storage-wise, countertop cupboards are lower than wall-hung units making them more accessible to everyone in the family. They can be used for virtually anything, but most people choose to dedicate them to a specific role, for example, breakfast supplies, including kettle and toaster, to make prepping the first meal of the day a one-stop trip. We also love them worked as mini dressers, filled with pretty crockery and glassware.
9. Designer decanting
Is there anything more satisfying than decanting dried foods into stylish canisters, all neatly labelled of course? Probably, but a beautifully curated pantry is a joy to behold. Up your organisation game with personalised labels – use Canva for the best fonts – or go for a more homespun chalk pen approach if your handwriting is on par.
‘Open shelving in the kitchen is a trend I am seeing more and more of this year. It's a look I love but something that needs styling and organisation,’ says interior designer Katharine Pooley. ‘To achieve this, try 'shelf-styling' by labelling your jars in a uniform manner so as to create a clean look, something that can save you time when you're cooking! Add cookbooks and greenery to break up the space and leave it looking fresh and stylish.’
What’s next for kitchen storage?
When considering the future of kitchens, it's important to focus on trends that will remain popular for years to come. With regards to storage, Brani Hadzhi, co-founder of Multiliving by Scavolini, has identified two current trends she expects to see much more of in the future.
‘The first of these trends is relatively new with people opting for storage units that rest on the worktop instead of being installed on the wall. This trend is gaining popularity due to the convenience and accessibility it offers. With storage cabinets on the counter, everything is within reach, making it easier to organize the kitchen,’ she says. ‘The latest modern versions of this feature perforated sheet metal sliding doors, which when lit from behind, beautifully showcase the contents inside.’
Another well-established kitchen trend Brani has spotted is the use of fluting, which can be seen on everything from drawer and door fronts to the base of the island and applied to many different materials. ‘We don't expect fluting to be going anywhere soon. It adds texture and interest to kitchen design while also serving a functional purpose. For example, ribbed glass can help to diffuse light and prevent fingerprints from showing.’
What type of storage is going out of style?
Regular base units are plummeting down the popularity ranks in favour of deep pan drawers. Switching to fully extending, deep drawers means all contents are easier to see, easier to retrieve and there’s no bending down on hands and knees to reach items lost at the back.
When using drawers, bigger is better. According to storage experts Blum, extra wide 120cm drawers provide 15% more storage space than two standard 60cm-wide drawers. Choose drawers on soft-close runners to eliminate the bang and crash of opening and shutting and use peg and dowel style dividers to keep crockery and plates in place.
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