storage as design

Storage is design too.

When I was planning my kitchen, my architect pushed me to spend less time thinking about cabinets and more time thinking about behavior. How do I actually cook? What do I reach for every day? What needs to be visible and what do I want to disappear? The result is a kitchen built around floor-to-ceiling storage rather than traditional upper and lower cabinets. Most of the heavy lifting happens in the island, which quietly holds the things that take up the most space: pots, pans, mixing bowls, baking trays, cutting boards, and cooking utensils. By the stove, I have only what I need within reach: a drawer for cooking tools, a custom pullout for garbage and recycling, a built-in spice drawer, and a few open shelves for oils, salts, adobo and the ingredients I use most often.

Not going with upper cabinets was one of the first decisions I made. And it’s been a defining one for this kitchen. Instead of filling the walls with storage I wouldn’t use fully, I created breathing room. Cleaning supplies live under the sink. Everyday items live where they are used. And above the countertop, a 30-inch backsplash doubles as a display shelf for antiques and collected objects that make the room feel personal. The 6x6 foot island at the center of the room does more than store things; it creates space for life to happen. When friends are here, they can gather without ever being in each other’s way. Someone can be heating food, reaching into the wine cooler, or seated at the island charging their phone while dinner comes together. One afternoon, my florist used the space as a worktable to build arrangements for a party. On another, my mother prepped oxtail on the island while my sister and I watched and learned. Nothing is stored with the logic that it might be useful someday. Everything has a place because it serves a purpose. Everything’s reachable, everyday.

The kitchen serves multiple purposes in this way, but it also feels calmer and more cohesive. A place for everything. Space to breathe. Room to gather.

More soon,

L