Ideas for a Small Kitchen Remodel Near Me — Big Style for Small Spaces
By / May 6, 2025 May 6, 2025If you’re searching for “ideas for a small kitchen remodel near me,” you’re likely hoping for inspiration that maximizes space without sacrificing style. When square footage is limited, creativity becomes your most valuable asset. You need ideas that make every inch of your kitchen work smarter, look better, and feel more open. And that’s exactly what our design experts delivered. Keep reading to discover our best ideas for a small kitchen remodel.
Start with a Light & Bright Foundation
Color plays a powerful role in shaping perception. Lighter hues such as soft whites, pale grays, or warm taupes reflect more light and visually expand the space. Consider pairing neutral cabinetry with a matching backsplash and light-toned flooring to create a cohesive, airy feel. High-gloss finishes or glass accents can further amplify the effect, bouncing natural light around the room and making it feel open and inviting.
Choose a Curved Island for Softer Flow
Traditional islands often introduce sharp corners that disrupt the flow in compact kitchens. A curved island offers a more fluid design, easing navigation and enhancing ergonomics. Even a small-radius curve on one side can soften the look and improve functionality. To maximize utility, include closed storage within the island—deep drawers or cabinet compartments can tuck away cookware, small appliances, or pantry items, keeping your counters blissfully clear.
Disguise Storage
One of the smartest solutions in a small kitchen remodel is disguised storage, offering smart solutions like toe-kick drawers, pull-out spice racks, and panel-front appliances to keep essentials hidden yet accessible. Deep drawers, pull-out organizers, and appliance garages reduce visual clutter and preserve clean lines. Hidden compartments in islands or beneath countertops add functionality without compromising style, making even the smallest kitchen feel more spacious, efficient, and effortlessly streamlined.
Eliminate Upper Cabinets if Layout Allows
For those who can manage it, removing upper cabinetry can dramatically open up a small kitchen. If your lower cabinets and island provide enough storage, consider opting for open shelving, a minimalist backsplash, or wall-mounted lighting in their place. This approach lightens the visual load and makes the ceiling appear higher, which instantly enhances the sense of space. Keep shelves styled with essentials or decor to prevent them from becoming chaotic.
Plan for Clutter-Free Counters
A thoughtful small kitchen remodel anticipates daily use. Think beyond the initial look and design with maintenance and tidiness in mind. Integrate built-in trash and recycling bins. Choose under-cabinet lighting to brighten work zones without taking up space. Include dividers, tiered shelves, and drawer inserts to keep every item in its place. When your kitchen is designed to support a clutter-free lifestyle, it’s easier to keep it looking clean and functional every day.
Conclusion
If you’re inspired to start your own renovation, a quick search for a small kitchen remodel near me can connect you with one of our award-winning designers who understand how to tailor ideas to your exact space and style. Find a Kountry Kraft dealer near me to get started.
Custom Pantry Solutions
By / April 1, 2025 May 6, 2025Custom pantry solutions are an integral part of any well-organized kitchen. Tailoring them to your unique cooking habits and storage needs ensures efficient and stress-free meal prep, even on the busiest of nights. Let’s take a look at several custom pantry solutions that will help enhance functionality, maximize space, and elevate the overall aesthetic of your kitchen.
Assessing Storage Needs
Before diving into design choices, it’s essential to evaluate what the pantry will house. Dry goods, canned foods, baking essentials, small appliances, and specialty items all demand dedicated spaces. An effective approach involves grouping items based on frequency of use. Everyday staples should remain within arm’s reach, while rarely used seasonal items can occupy higher or concealed shelves.
Choosing a Pantry Layout
The layout of a pantry is heavily influenced by available space and user preferences. A walk-in pantry provides ample room for expansive shelving and categorized sections, making it ideal for large households or avid cooks. Butler’s pantries bridge the gap between storage and prep areas, often incorporating countertops and secondary sinks for added functionality. Cabinet pantries, on the other hand, maximize vertical space, seamlessly integrating with kitchen cabinetry to create a streamlined aesthetic.
Maximize Space with Adjustable Shelving
Static shelving often leads to wasted space and impractical arrangements. Adjustable shelving allows for customization based on changing needs, whether accommodating bulk purchases or varying container sizes. Pull-out racks provide easy access to deep shelves, while Lazy Susans eliminate the frustration of forgotten items tucked away in corners, making every product easily retrievable.
Organization Strategies
A chaotic pantry can lead to food waste and frustration. Strategic categorization prevents this by designating specific zones for baking supplies, snacks, grains, and cooking essentials. Clear, labeled containers reduce visual clutter while making it easy to track inventory. Vertical storage solutions, such as hanging racks or tiered shelving, prevent small items from getting lost in the mix.
Custom Pantry Solutions
Customization extends beyond shelves and compartments. Dedicated spice drawers ensure easy access to seasonings without the hassle of searching through cluttered shelves. Built-in wine racks offer elegant storage for collectors, while appliance garages provide concealed storage for bulky kitchen gadgets, maintaining a sleek and uncluttered aesthetic.
Conclusion
Custom pantry solutions create a more organized, efficient, and visually appealing kitchen by tailoring storage to individual needs. Investing in a well-designed pantry enhances daily convenience and adds long-term value to your home.
Kountry Kraft offers a wide range of custom pantry solutions. Contact one of our design experts today to begin crafting your custom pantry!
Kitchen Cabinet Interior
By / July 7, 2021 March 20, 2023Kitchen Cabinet Interior
Ever hear the expression: “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” The same is true for cabinetry. While many are beautiful on the outside, it’s what’s inside that can make or break their functionality. Let’s take a look at all of the different ways you can organize your Kitchen Cabinet Interior
Pull Out Cabinets
Pull out cabinets extend out of the base so that you have easy access to everything you have stored, eliminating the need to dig around in the back to find that elusive item. With all of the items in full view, you’ll know what needs to be restocked and (hopefully) won’t double up on supplies by mistake.
Whatever your organization need, we have a pull out cabinet for it. One of my favorites is the pull out spice rack; its cousin, the pull out pantry, is also a crowd favorite. We also carry specialized pull outs for waste containers, cleaning supplies, and corner cabinets. For more generalized needs, consider our cabinet drawer pull outs.
Drawer Inserts
Drawer inserts are an organization blessing that divide one large space into multiple smaller spaces, preventing items from jumbling around when the drawer is opened/closed. Many people know about the utensil insert, but few think to repurpose it to help organize their junk drawer. For larger items, consider using our peg inserts.
Don’t Forget the Bathroom
These customizations aren’t just for kitchen cabinets! The cleaning supplies pull out is easily applicable to bathrooms, but let’s think more outside the box. Repurpose utensil inserts to organize makeup and grooming items. Instead of a pull out waste container, what about a pull out laundry basket?
What Are YOUR Needs?
While our custom cabinetry has a solution for every organization need, not everyone’s needs are the same. What do you struggle with most? What would make your life easier? Let us know and our experts will happily help you picture all of the different ways you can organize your cabinets. Click here to find a Kountry Kraft dealer near you!
Designing a Kitchen that Instagram Loves
By / January 18, 2021 February 24, 2023Furniture, Lighting and Décor recently wrote an article that explores the trends of a kitchen that garner the most likes on Instagram. Here are the most important trends to feature in your kitchen if you want Instagram users to hit that like button:
- Shaker kitchen cupboards
- Wooden floors
- White cupboards & flowers/plants
- Kitchen island
- Brass door handles & marble countertops
Now, don’t think you have to cram every trend into your kitchen design in order to get a lot of likes. It’s never worth it to force something that doesn’t fit. But, the most popular kitchens on Instagram did all contain various combinations of these trends, with the number one kitchen featuring all but two of these elements. The more of these trends that you can cohesively blend, the more likes you’ll probably get.
A Starting Point
Shaker kitchen cupboards are a great base to build your design around because out of all the top kitchen posts, they were featured a whopping *92.6% of the time. While they’re a highly traditional style, shaker cupboards are only growing in popularity. It’s clear that people love this look.
Supporting Trends
Wooden floors are the second biggest trend, in 74% of the top posts analyzed. White cupboards and flowers/plants are both in third place, with each of them being in 70.4% of the top posts. White walls were also a big hit, suggesting that people love white kitchens in general. Kitchen islands were featured in 51.9% of the top posts, while brass door handles and marble countertops were both featured in 44.4% of the top posts.
No matter how you combine these trends, they’re sure to help your kitchen design become “Insta-worthy!”
*All percentages rounded to the nearest tenth.
#KountryKraft #CustomCabinets #CustomCabinetry
2021 Kitchen Cabinet Trends
By / December 28, 2020 December 28, 2020Nothing defines the look and feel of your cooking space quite like your cabinets, which is why many of trends for the new year focus on kitchen cabinets. From pops of color to floor-to-ceiling storage to the triumphant return of warm-tone woods, here are 2021 kitchen cabinet trends.
Colorful Cabinets
2021 is bound to be bright with the colorful cabinet trend. Balance the boldness of the bright color of your choice with a neutral backsplash, countertop, or wall color. Also, a major color trend this year are warmer color palettes, like creamy yellows and sage greens.
Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets
In 2020, many of us embraced our inner chef while spending more time at home. During this time, you may have noticed keeping tools and gadgets organized is key to a functional kitchen. Thus, the trend for floor-to-ceiling cabinets, where storage feels endless, and organization is celebrated.
Glass Front Cabinet Doors
Glass front cabinet doors create an airy feel in a kitchen and a stage to show off your favorite items. From coffee mugs to your grandmother’s heirloom china, glass front doors can be incorporated into nearly any kitchen design.
Warm Wood Cabinets
Warm wood finished cabinets return this year, but with a twist. Keep the look up to date by incorporating contemporary finishes within a sleek, clean design. Another popular way to incorporate warm woods is by adding wood accents, like a range hood or floating shelves.
Integrated Appliances
Integrated appliances with fronts that match the surrounding cabinets create an all-in-one look that we are loving this year. The appliances most often integrated are the refrigerator and dishwasher.
For more 2021 kitchen cabinet trends, follow @kountrykraftcabinetry on Instagram.
Interested in updating your kitchen cabinets? Click here to find a Kountry Kraft dealer near you!
#KountryKraft #CustomCabinetry #CustomCabinets #2021KitchenCabinetTrends #2021CabinetTrends
Custom Pantry Ideas
By / October 8, 2020 March 17, 2023While the kitchen is the heart of the home, the pantry is the storehouse of the kitchen. Pantries are the backbone to the preparation of any meal and gives ingredients a place to live. Like all hardworking spaces, it can be challenging to keep your pantry organized, especially while spending more time at home. However, we have found that when the pantry is built for your family’s needs and to fit the design of your space, it is easier to keep it organized. Gather inspiration from our custom pantry ideas.
Decorative Pantry
Decorative pantries are a dream. Not only are they beautiful and appealing to the kitchen design surrounding them, they are completely functional. Thomas R. Kelly of TRK Design Company designed a pantry in this kitchen to feature a grand barn door. Whenever the pantry is not in use, ingredients and other items in the pantry can be covered with the beautiful door that enhances the aesthetic of the kitchen it lives in.
PKsurroundings designed this pantry featuring by-pass doors with metal mesh inserts. When closed, the metal detailing on the doors adds texture to the kitchen design. The by-passing doors make it easy to quickly grab the ingredients you need and put them right back after using them, keeping the space completely organized and therefore, making meals a lot easier.
Built-In Pantry
Built-in pantries are fantastic because they rarely take up room in the kitchen. They are typically designed to cleverly make use of a wall that would otherwise be bare. Kountry Kraft designed this pantry to be built into the hallway next to the kitchen in this home. The pantry doors were crafted to match the rest of the cabinetry in the kitchen to create a holistic feel.
Walk-In Pantry
Some may be more excited about a walk-in pantry versus a walk-in closet, and we don’t blame them! If you desire to minimize your cabinetry footprint, walk-in pantries are the biggest storage space you can incorporate. The opportunity for organization is endless. Kountry Kraft designed this walk-in pantry to feature two large doors that match the kitchen cabinets.
Corner Pantry
You may be thinking, “My kitchen doesn’t have room for a pantry,” but think again! The beauty of custom cabinetry is that it can be designed and crafted specifically for your home’s corners, nooks, and crannies. Stonington Cabinetry & Designs took the corner of this kitchen and made it a snack pantry, as well as a beverage center. The cabinetry matches the rest of the kitchen, so when closed, you don’t even know the pantry is there. Deep, wood pull out drawers make it easy to organize snacks, spices and more.
Are you interested in incorporating any of these custom pantry ideas into your home? Find a Kountry Kraft dealer near you and get started designing today! Follow @kountrykraftcabinetry on Instagram for daily inspiration.
#KountryKraft #CustomCabinetry #CustomCabinets #CustomPantryIdeas #PantryIdeas
2020 Kitchen Island Trends
By / February 5, 2020 February 2, 2020Islands in kitchens are still on trend for 2020. Besides the obvious reason to add an island in a kitchen renovation, such as extra counter space and storage, a kitchen island can become a unique centerpiece while still being highly functional. This kitchen design by Dovetailed Kitchens Inc. in collaboration with Lisa Teague of Upcoast Design incorporates an island with a plethora of clever design details that create a functional and beautiful space.
One of the rising kitchen island trends is to create contrast with the island being a different color than the rest of the cabinetry in the kitchen. Here, the kitchen cabinets themselves are #239 Wimborne White by Farrow and Ball while the island is painted with #1536 Northern Cliffs by Benjamin Moore to create a contrast that still accents the entire theme of the kitchen. Wimborne White is one shade off from traditional white, with a small amount of yellow to create warm undertones. Northern Cliffs is a gray color that will make the island a focal point for all who enter.
Another rising trend is adding functional pieces to the island to not only make it an extra area for seating, but can be a workspace as well. The inclusion of a butcher block is perfect for those who like to cook. The butcher block allows for additional workspace that can easily be cleaned. Incorporated into the butcher block is storage for knives, a lip to catch any liquid run off, and a scrap bin that allows for easy clean up. Underneath this area in the island can be the storage for trash and recycling so when the scrap bin is used it goes right into the trash instead of needing to be emptied. Also the addition of a small wet bar sink gives a place for cleaning fruits and vegetables or even filling pots for cooking.
Finally, the overall design of the island is a one of the biggest trends. For many, a kitchen island serves as additional seating, however, that can be a problem when other appliances might be in the way. Here, the addition of the smaller wet bar sink allowed for the space of the island in front of the fridge to be functional. The remainder of the space on that side is used for seating and has a small overhang to accommodate the seating. Each end of the island is different, one having an overhang for additional seating, while the other is flush with the island base because of the oven and stove being on that end. Read more about this kitchen design by clicking here.
Want to learn more about the 2020 kitchen island trends? Follow us on Instagram @kountrykraftcabinetry. Interested in cabinetry for your home? Find a dealer near you by clicking here.
#KountryKraft #CustomCabinetry #2020KitchenIslandTrends #KitchenIsland #KitchenTrends
Kitchen Island with Seating
By / December 4, 2019 March 20, 2023On today’s blog, we are revealing the components that create the perfect kitchen islands for holiday entertaining!
Seating
As so many holidays revolve around big meals, plenty of seating is the top holiday-hosting must-have. Kitchen islands are typically where everyone gathers to mingle with those who are cooking.
Easily Accessible Outlets
It is a great idea to design easily accessible outlets into your kitchen if you plan to host holiday meals. Why? Because islands are often used as a serving station for holiday dishes, so you’ll want to be able to keep your warming dishes and slow cookers plugged in.
Food Serving Space
In addition to having accessible outlets, you also need to have space to place your warming dishes, slow cookers, and other serving trays. When designed with serving space in mind, islands are easy to set up to create the perfect traffic flow for guests to navigate through the kitchen without getting in each other’s way.
Storage Space
In order to keep counters free of clutter, it is important to have well designed storage space as the foundation of your island. One of the best parts about custom cabinets is that the storage area can be crafted completely custom to fit your needs. If you need a place to fit all your pots, pans and lids, special drawers and shelves can be designed for your island.
By designing a kitchen island with these in mind, everyone will love coming to your home for the holidays! Interested in learning more? Find a Kountry Kraft dealer near you by clicking here, or give us a call at 610.589.4575.
Follow @kountrykraftcabinetry on Instagram for cabinet design inspiration!
#KountryKraft #CustomCabinetry #KitchenIslands #HolidayEntertaining
A Diamond Dealer Conference Celebrating 60 Years of Excellence
By / October 4, 2019 October 4, 2019On September 26th and 27th, dealers from across the nation, near and far, came to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Kountry Kraft, a custom cabinet manufacturer located in Newmanstown, Pennsylvania. Kountry Kraft was founded in 1959 by Elvin Hurst, Sr. and Helen Hurst, after Helen gave him the gift of a Sears Craftsman table saw for Christmas in 1958. 60 years and three generations later, the company celebrated their diamond anniversary with a diamond dealer conference.
The conference consisted of two fun-filled days of activities. The designers took a tour of the 96,000 square foot facility and were able to see where and how their cabinet designs come to life. They also made some of the products themselves – metal fusion finish, banded a door front, dovetailed a drawer box, paint colors and more.
The different activities awarded the dealers “diamonds” that could be used to enter to win different prizes. Prizes ranged from cabinet door samples, to cabinet displays, to the grand prize which was an option of a diamond with a $6,000 value, $6,000 net off one cabinet order of choice, $6,000 net co-op dollars or 60% off one display. The lucky grand prize winners were Janice Page, CKD, and Debbie Karpiak of PKsurroundings.
Two special guest speakers presented – Richard T. Anuszkiewicz and Matthew Ferrarini – renowned leaders of the kitchen and bath design industry.
Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, also known as Richard A2Z, presented about Fashion Forward Thinking.
Matthew Ferrarini presented about the flow, function and feeling of a space.
Other kitchen and bath design leaders participated in a discussion forum leaded by Denise Grothouse, discussing major topics of the industry, including how to successfully brand your company and how to qualify leads. The leaders on the panel include Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, Justin Sachs of Stonington Cabinetry & Designs, Beth Veillette of Hanford Cabinet & Woodworking, August Reichert of Sunnyfields Cabinetry, and Janice Page of PKsurroundings.
Kountry Kraft is honored to have such great partnerships and employees. It is thanks to them that we can celebrate 60 years. Visit our Facebook page to see more photos from the diamond dealer conference!
#KountryKraft #KKTurns60 #CustomCabinetry #60thAnniversary #DiamondAnniversary
Kitchen Desk Cabinets
By / July 10, 2019 July 25, 2019Kitchens are the center of activity in the home – from cooking dinner to paying bills to sorting mail and more. Integrating kitchen desk cabinets into your design creates a centralized place for all of these activities. Getting your storage just right can help you stay on top of your busy schedule, as it can reduce time wasted finding items.
Including a desk into your kitchen isn’t just about finding the space for it. It’s also about finding a way to make the desk seamlessly blend into your kitchen design. With any kitchen office, use cabinets that match or complement the kitchen cabinets. Kitchen desks are also great for using otherwise wasted space in the kitchen.
Designs with Kitchen Desk Cabinets
Whether you want to put the home office in the kitchen or just set up a small desk area, find inspiration from these hardworking kitchen desk cabinets.
A custom-built desk area anchors one end of this white kitchen. Mounted cabinetry blends the office in with the rest of the kitchen, providing bountiful storage space that easily accommodates filing, schoolwork, and other needs.
Crisp white cabinetry connects this workstation with the rest of the kitchen. The space next to the block of kitchen cabinets was thought to be unusable, but a desk served as a perfect and practical addition.
Using the same style cabinetry as the rest of the kitchen, this office blends seamlessly into a previously unused space. Generous storage makes it easy to stash mail, homework, cookbooks, and important documents.
Wall-mounted cabinets hold office supplies, while drawers on either side of the built-in desk cabinets stash files and important documents.
Want more inspiration? Visit our website to see more designs with kitchen desk cabinets!
#KountryKraft #CustomCabinetry #KitchenDeskCabinets #KitchenOffice #KitchenDesk #DeskCabinets