thinking about the kitchen part 4

elizabeth martin design

Time for another post dedicated to kitchen dreaming! After last week, I've still got cabinetry on my mind, and I'm thinking about all those nooks and crannies that custom, or even semi-custom, cabinets can create to take advantage of otherwise lost space. I love seeing microwaves tucked into cubbies under counters and wine racks above fridges. With my tiny kitchen, I'm hoping to take advantage of every inch of space and hoping to get some creative, interesting solutions into the room like these.

midwest living

Getting the microwave off the countertop is key. I like it up above. But I dislike seeing it so much...

cottage living

...that I think I prefer it even more down low.

pinterest

And then, if you really dislike seeing it, you can hide it behind a cabinet door. This is tempting!

southern living

I do love seeing a built-out space for open storage above the fridge. Baskets look nice...

design*sponge

...and a wine rack, or cookbook storage, looks even better!

cottage living

I do adore this solution: setting the microwave over the fridge (although then I guess you need to find space to keep a stepstool nearby!) combined with wine storage.

And just because I can't get enough wine storage, a floor-to-ceiling solution in one of my absolute favorite kitchens. All that storage, all those custom built-ins, all that wine! And I'm not even going to get into the finishes and the decor. You all know how I feel ;-)

tommy smythe

If you've missed the other installments in this series, I hope you'll check them out here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

7 comments

Meg @ Nutmeg and Co. said...

You forgot the 'microwave in the island' solution. I wish I had a photo to show you but it is a really functional solution.
Tommy's kitchen is one of my absolute favourites too! love the herringbone floor.

casey at loft and cottage said...

Ah, Meg! I know! I think I must have ignored the microwave in the island idea because my kitchen is soooo small that an island is out of the question. That's a great place for it though, if you have an island. I'd also put the dishwasher there, if I had one--either dishwasher or island ;-)!

Giulia Doyle said...

wow! Those are some nice pics you found. I still have my microwave on the counter and am trying to find a place to store it. I was thinking of one of the microwave/range fans, but because I have gas I think I don't have enough clearance.
I like the below counter, but keep in mind that kids can get their hands on it.
Love the one above the fridge, but step stool indeed.
Love the floor to ceiling wine rack, I have one that goes floor to counter (empty right now b/c of the kids ;))

René said...

You are smart to consider microwave placement. I hate the location of ours and am now stuck with it. I'm pinning some of these right away!

The Vintique Object said...

I think where you put your microwave should depend on how often you use it. Very infrequent use can go above the fridge. Semi-frequent, under the counter (my mom has hers placed there and I find myself crouching down all of the time to see if what I am cooking is finished.) If you use it a lot, at eye level?

As for wine storage, I say floor to ceiling all the way!

Camille

tableandtop.com said...

I like the idea of having the microwave below as opposed to above. These images are great and very inspirational. Thanks for the great post!


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Ashley said...

Oh, Casey, I'm completely with you--move everything utilitarian out of sight. After all, microwaves just aren't cute.

Love the inspiration, too, especially Tommy Smythe's! It's been a fave of mine for a longtime now.