When most people start planning a remodel, storage isn’t exactly the exciting part.

You’re thinking about the gorgeous countertops. The perfect cabinet color. That backsplash you’ve had saved on Pinterest for six months. Maybe the giant kitchen island you’ve already mentally claimed as your new coffee-drinking spot.

Meanwhile, storage is sitting quietly in the corner like, “You’re going to regret ignoring me.”

Because a beautiful kitchen is great.

A beautiful kitchen where you can actually find the lid to the Tupperware container? Even better.

At TJR Improvements, we think some of the best parts of a remodel are the things you barely notice—and smart, custom storage is a perfect example.

Your Cabinets Should Fit You. Not the Other Way Around.

One of our favorite things about creating a new space is figuring out exactly how our homeowners use it.

Where do you keep your pots and pans? Do you bake all the time? Are you a spice collector? Is your air fryer basically a permanent member of the family? Do you have approximately 47 water bottles and nowhere reasonable to put them?

Tell us.

TJR works with Amish craftsmen who custom-build our cabinetry, which gives us the ability to create cabinets around your space and your needs instead of trying to force everything into standard cabinet sizes.

That weird little area that seems useless?

We might be able to turn it into storage.

That narrow space beside the stove?

Hello, spice pull-out.

That giant pile of pans currently performing an avalanche every time you need the one on the bottom?

We can fix that, too.

Pots & Pans Deserve Better

You shouldn't have to perform a balancing act every time you make dinner.

Deep drawers and custom dividers can give pots, pans, lids, baking sheets, and cutting boards their own designated spaces.

Vertical storage is especially handy for baking sheets and cutting boards because you can grab exactly what you need without removing seven other things first.

It sounds like a small detail.

Until you've lived with it.

Then you'll wonder why you spent years throwing everything into one cabinet and hoping for the best.

Spice Storage That Actually Makes Sense

If finding the paprika requires removing the oregano, cinnamon, garlic powder, taco seasoning, and three bottles you're pretty sure expired in 2022...

We need to talk.

A custom spice pull-out can fit into a surprisingly narrow space and keep everything organized, visible, and close to where you actually cook.

No digging. No spice avalanche. No buying another bottle of garlic powder because you couldn't find the other three.

Hide the Appliances

We love our countertop appliances.

We do not necessarily love looking at all of them.

Coffee maker. Toaster. Blender. Air fryer. Stand mixer.

Suddenly your beautiful new countertops have six square inches of actual countertop left.

That's where appliance garages and custom cabinetry come in.

You can create a dedicated space for the appliances you use regularly and hide them away when you don't. Depending on the design, outlets can even be incorporated into the space.

Open it when you need it.

Close it when company comes over.

Look at you pretending your kitchen is always that clean.

We won't tell.

Your Island Has Secrets

One of our favorite opportunities for sneaky storage is the kitchen island.

Homeowners naturally think about the drawers and cabinets on the working side—but depending on the design, there may be opportunities for storage on the back or ends of the island too.

Those cabinets can blend right into the finished design, giving you a place for things you don't need every day.

Holiday dishes? Serving trays? Small appliances? The kitchen gadgets you swore you'd use every week?

Into the secret cabinet they go.

Don't Forget the Trash

Is it glamorous?

Absolutely not.

Is a well-placed pull-out trash and recycling cabinet one of those things you'll appreciate approximately 900 times more than you expected?

Yep.

Especially when it's positioned near the area where you actually prep food.

Smart remodeling isn't just about asking, “Where can we put this?”

It's asking, “Where would this make the most sense?”

There's a difference.

And Storage Doesn't Stop in the Kitchen

Custom storage can make a huge difference throughout your home.

Bathrooms can have built-in linen storage, vanity organizers, recessed medicine cabinets, hidden outlets, and shower niches.

Mudrooms can have lockers, benches, shoe storage, hooks, cabinets, and designated spaces for everyone's stuff.

Laundry rooms can have pull-out hampers, drying racks, broom closets, folding areas, and cabinetry that uses space all the way to the ceiling.

Sometimes the best storage solution is hiding in a space you never realized you could use.

Here's the Trick: Tell Us What Drives You Crazy

Before a remodel, we want to know what doesn't work about your current space.

Seriously.

Tell us the annoying stuff.

Tell us that every pan falls out when you open the cabinet.

Tell us there's nowhere to put your KitchenAid.

Tell us your kids throw their backpacks in the middle of the floor every afternoon.

Tell us you have a drawer containing 74 kitchen utensils and somehow can never find the one you're looking for.

Those complaints help us understand how your home actually functions—and give us an opportunity to design something better.

Because when we're working with custom Amish-built cabinetry, we're not limited to finding a cabinet and figuring out what you can put inside it.

We can start with what you need and create the cabinetry around it.

Pretty Is Great. Pretty and Practical Wins.

Countertops and finishes might get all the attention in the before-and-after photos, but thoughtful storage is one of those remodeling decisions you'll appreciate long after the project is finished.

The spice cabinet beside the stove.

The perfectly organized pan drawer.

The appliance garage keeping your counters clear.

The hidden cabinet nobody even realizes is there.

Those details might not be the first thing you dream about when planning your remodel.

But they might just become your favorite part of it.

At TJR Improvements, we're here to create more than a beautiful space. We want to create a home that works better for the people actually living in it.

So tell us: what's the one thing in your house that never seems to have a place?

Chances are, we can build one.



Ready to start planning? Contact TJR Improvements today for a free estimate.

The remodeling team you can trust.