How a Mom of 3 Created the Most Efficient Kitchen Ever

Updated on 6/16/2018 at 7:15 AM

Despite having two young daughters and a newborn baby girl, Lay Baby Lay blogger Joni Lay's kitchen is serenity personified. That wasn't always the case, though. Like many people who loathe their kitchens, Joni's biggest gripe with her pre-renovation kitchen was the lack of storage and inefficient use of space.

The chaos of her cramped kitchen only felt heightened by the dated design features she and husband Chip inherited when they bought the house — think black-and-white checkerboard floors and particleboard countertops. When an opportunity to work with Home Depot on a kitchen renovation arose, Joni and Chip jumped at the chance to wipe the kitchen slate clean, and the result is pretty breathtaking.

Aside from knocking down the wall between the kitchen and den, Joni and Chip chose gray-washed porcelain wood tile flooring, reflective backsplash tiles, and a mix of floating open shelves and upper cabinets to create an airy ambience. Yet the real triumph of the kitchen's makeover lies in the creative storage solutions sprinkled throughout. These cleverly concealed nooks and organization tricks are what make seemingly less practical design features — hello, floating shelves — actually functional. The best part? You don't need a total kitchen overhaul to adopt them!

Utilize Cabinet Doors

You'll kick yourself for not taking advantage of your cabinet doors sooner once you see how Joni utilized them to store cooking oils and spices.

Sneak in a Slim Cabinet

Even if you don't have one built in, you can easily find slim cabinets on wheels that slip into empty crevices, like the space between your fridge and counters. Joni used her slim cabinet to keep cooking utensils and measuring cups handy without having to crowd her countertops.

Embrace Multi-Tiered Pull-Out Shelves

Installing a multi-tiered, pull-out shelving system helps keep everything accessible and in its place, making even small cabinets much more efficient.

Try Toe Kick Drawers

Toe kicks (aka the useless boards that seal the space between bottom cabinets and the floor) can be transformed into useful storage if you add drawers. A touch-and-release system makes opening bottom drawers with your toe a breeze. Joni uses her toe kick drawers to store the girls' art supplies and artwork and items for parties like placemats and linen napkins.

Want even more kitchen revamp inspiration? Shop the beautiful pieces from Joni's kitchen renovation, and take in the rest of the tour at Lay Baby Lay!