Blind corner cabinets can be tricky spaces to utilize in your kitchen. Often tucked away in corners and lacking accessibility, these cabinets often go unused and become wasted space. However, there are several clever options to increase the functionality of your blind corner cabinet and transform it into a practical storage solution.
Assess the Space
Before implementing any storage solutions, take time to assess the blind corner cabinet space.
- Measure the width, depth and height of the interior space. This will help determine what size organizers or racks can fit inside.
- Look at the position and location of the cabinet doors and hinges. The door and hinge placement may impact how and where you can add storage accessories.
- Inspect the back wall of the cabinet. Having a partial back wall versus a full back will change what you can install.
Once you understand the parameters of the space, you can select the best options to maximize use of the available storage space.
Pro Tip: Take photos of the empty cabinet interior from multiple angles. Refer back to these photos when shopping for organizers to make sure items will fit the space.
Install Pull-Out Racks
One of the most popular and effective solutions for blind corner cabinets is to install pull-out racks. Pull-out racks mount to the interior cabinet walls and allow full access to the contents in that space.
There are a few types of pull-out racks that work well:
- Tiered pull-out racks – These have multiple shelf levels that pull out together, providing storage for items of different heights. Great for storing cooking pots, pans and lids.
- Wicker storage racks – Pull-out racks with wire or wicker basket shelves give you flexible storage for food items. The open baskets make contents visible.
- Spice racks – Designed for spice jars, these slim pull-out racks maximize vertical storage space.
- Towel racks – Pull-out racks with towel bars make this wasted cabinet space ideal for linen storage.
Be sure to measure the interior cabinet depth and height when selecting a pull-out rack. Consider the weight the racks need to hold without pulling out the hardware or distorting the wire shelves. High quality racks have smooth gliding mechanisms and strong frames to hold heavy cookware or foods.
Install Sliding Shelves
Another space-saving solution is to install sliding shelves that mount onto the cabinet floor. Sliding shelves work on drawer glides or tracks that allow the shelf to smoothly slide out of the cabinet to access items at the back.
This system helps you fully utilize the entire cabinet depth for storage. Look for sliding shelves designed for base cabinets with side walls to prevent contents from sliding off the shelf.
For blind corner cabinets, an L-shaped sliding shelf adapts perfectly to the 90 degree layout. Other options include:
- Diagonal corner shelves that sit at an angle for ergonomic access to the rear cabinet space.
- Circular lazy susan shelves that spin food items or spices in a blind corner cabinet.
- Vertical lift mechanisms that allow a sliding shelf to be adjusted to different heights when pulled out.
Select durable, ball-bearing mounted sliding shelves able to support heavier cookware and foods without jamming or derailing. Waterproof finishes help protect wood shelves from spills or moisture.
Pro Tip: Look for sliding shelves with removable partitions to customize storage for different item sizes.
Install Innovative Corner Storage
Blind corner cabinets can benefit from some truly innovative storage solutions:
- Swivel blind corner storage – This uses baskets or trays mounted on a swivelling platform installed in the corner. When you pull open the cabinet, the entire storage swivel platform rotates up to 180 degrees for easy access.
- Vertical blind cabinet storage – Designed for floor-to-ceiling installation, this uses vertical tracks for wire baskets that slide up and down to store items at different heights. Great for hard-to-reach spaces.
- Upper cabinet lazy susans – Interior corner carousels designed for upper cabinets let you fully access items in the rear cabinet area.
- Pivot tiered shelves – With an upper and lower shelf that pivot independently, these clever shelves allow easy access to items in the back of base cabinets.
The key to these innovative organizers is that they all move, swivel or pivot to let you access stored items rather than reaching deep into the dark corner area.
Add Pull-Out Drawers
For blind corner cabinets with removeable backs or extended depth, try installing pull-out drawers to optimize the space. Pull-out cabinet drawers offer full access to contents and come in a variety of sizes. Consider these options:
- Full extension drawers that pull out the drawer box completely. This allows access to the very back of the drawer space.
- Soft-close drawer slides for a controlled, quiet closing motion. Great if drawers will get heavy use.
- Spice drawer organizers to store and easily locate spice jars.
- Cutlery organizers that store utensils efficiently in divided compartments.
- Divided drawer organizers to separate and organize food items like baking pans, cutting boards, foil, etc.
Pull-out drawers are a sleek built-in way to fully access and efficiently use the entire blind cabinet area.
Use Tiered Storage Solutions
One challenge with blind corner cabinets is that the space is vertically challenging to access. Tiered storage solutions address this problem by providing different storage levels:
- Tiered shelves – Stationary shelving with multiple levels lets you store items by height. Reach top shelves when the door is open.
- Step shelves – Shelves are set back progressively making items on each shelf easy to access. Angled front edges prevent tipping.
- Vertical rollouts – Retractable vertical storage levels allow access to items stacked vertically using a pull-out mechanism.
- Wall-mounted vertical storage – Thin vertical storage strips or baskets mounted on the cabinet wall provide additional storage options.
Look for solidly constructed materials like powder-coated metal or treated wood that won’t warp or sag under weight. Tiered shelving makes the very most of every inch of wasted space.
Pro Tip: Look for tiered storage solutions with adjustable or removable shelves to accommodate various item sizes
Optimize Space With Organizers
Adding different kinds of organizers is an easy DIY solution to maximize blind corner cabinet storage and access. Consider these handy options:
Cabinet door racks
- Over-the-door racks provide extra vertical storage space for cutting boards, baking pans or utensils. Look for non-slip racks.
- Hang-on hooks allow you to hang mugs, towels or utensils from the cabinet door. Opt for hooks that slide onto cabinet hinges for stability.
Pull-out cabinets organizers
- Rotating corner carousels provide easy access to stored items in the back corner.
- Chrome organizer racks slide out smoothly providing storage for spices, cans or cleaning supplies.
- Baskets or storage bins on pull-out tracks are great for organizing food items while still being able to easily see contents.
Interior cabinet storage solutions
- Corner lazy susans allow optimized storage and accessibility to the back blind corners.
- Mini vertical shelving units or stacking bins utilize all cabinet height. Great for canned goods or smaller items.
- Interior cabinet door racks provide a handy storage spot for cutting boards right inside the cabinet door.
Select organizers made of quality materials like powder coated steel, wood composites or strong polymers that won’t warp or collapse when weighted.
Take Advantage of Wasted Space
Don’t forget those often overlooked spaces when trying to maximize your blind corner cabinet storage. Take advantage of wasted spaces with these savvy solutions:
- Use the top – Install storage bins or rails on the underside of the upper cabinet. Great for lightweight items or small goods in pop-top cans.
- Use the back – Install thin shelving or mesh racks on the cabinet back wall. Perfect for storing baking sheets upright or large cutting boards.
- Use the bottom – Add a sliding basket under the bottom shelf to store items low. Ideal for heavy pots and pans.
- Use the door – Affix sturdy over-the-door storage racks suitable for relatively lightweight items. Magnetic racks allow storing knives or utensils.
- Use the corners – Insert angled corner shelving or racks to fully utilize interior corners wasted spaces.
Getting creative with cabinet organization means you can often double your usable storage space in tricky blind corner cabinets.
Maximize Space With Simple Adjustments
Beyond adding storage accessories and organizers, look for ways to make simple adjustments to maximize use of your blind corner cabinet:
- Remove excess interior shelving or hardware if it is limiting access or storage capacity.
- Adjust existing shelves heights to accommodate taller or larger items on lower shelves.
- Replace cabinet hinges with models that allow doors to open wider improving interior access.
- Upgrade interior lighting so you can actually see all areas of the cabinet.
- Add interior hooks for hanging kitchen tools or paper towel rolls vertically.
Taking advantage of all usable space in your blind corner cabinet results in a highly organized and functional kitchen. A few inexpensive tweaks can make stored items far more accessible in this often underutilized kitchen space.
FAQs About Improving Blind Corner Cabinet Storage
How deep are most blind corner cabinets?
The depth of blind corner cabinets can vary, but typically range between 24 to 48 inches deep. This makes them prime candidates for pull-out racks, drawers and sliding shelves that maximize the full depth.
What storage solutions are best for upper blind corners?
Good options for difficult to access upper blind corner cabinets include swivelling pull-outs, interior lazy susans, vertical stack racks or tiered pull-out drawers that make use of all vertical space.
What can I do if the cabinet walls are uneven or damaged?
You can still install pull-out racks and sliding shelves in cabinets with slightly uneven walls using adjustable or filler-type hardware. For damaged walls, use pocket hole screws or shims to securely mount storage accessories.
What is the best way to organize a blind corner sink cabinet?
Installing pull-out shelves at different height levels to store cleaning supplies and a sliding hamper for trash bags will allow you to fully utilize the space around the plumbing.
How much weight can pull-out racks and sliding shelves hold?
Look for hardware tested to hold a minimum of 100 lbs although quality ball-bearing mounted options are rated for over 150 lbs or more. Heavier weight capacity is ideal for pots, pans and food storage.
Make the Most of Your Blind Corner Cabinet Storage
While blind corner cabinets may seem like problematic spaces, there are many innovative storage solutions to help maximize these areas. Assess your cabinet layout, measure the interior space and select storage organizers and racks that transform the unused area into highly functional kitchen storage.
With clever pull-outs, drawer organizers, sliding shelves and tiered storage options, you can successfully increase the accessibility and functionality of blind corner cabinets. Use the above ideas and recommended products to convert wasted space into accessible and optimized storage that fits perfectly into the footprint of your existing blind corner cabinet.
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