The Built-In Feature Kitchen Renovators Are Asking For Above All Others

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Sign Up for Domino’s Newsletter

By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to ourTerms of Useand acknowledge the data practices in ourPrivacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Storage is almost always top of mind when homeowners set out to reimagine a kitchen. But how do you actually get it right? There’s no need to play an endless game of cabinetry Tetris—one particular built-in configuration has emerged as the clear favorite.

Per the 2026 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, 76 percent of homeowners have already integrated—or intend to add—a built-in feature to their project. The standout request is one that punches well above its footprint: pantry cabinets. Forty-seven percent of respondents named pantry cabinets a must-have, far outpacing beverage stations (24 percent) and a tie at 17 percent for built-in seating and wine refrigerators.

Honestly, you don’t need a survey to grasp the appeal of pantry cabinets: their tall, deep shelving swallows small appliances, dry goods, and snacks without demanding a dedicated walk-in room—a feature that can quickly inflate a renovation budget. To show off what pantry cabinets do best, here are five smart examples.

Architect Mel Bax set out to create a “cozy, warm, and fun” kitchen in her East London home, achieving it through saturated color and carefully considered storage. Opposite the custom island stands a freestanding pantry that hides dry goods and sundries behind reeded glass and a run of closed drawers.

Designer Amy Vroom of The Residency Bureau was tasked with reworking the kitchen in a 1,200-square-foot Seattle condo for a family of three—a brief that hinged on carving out more storage. To the right of the refrigerator, she tucked what she calls a “super pantry” behind panels matched seamlessly to the surrounding cabinetry. Swing it open and you’ll find a coffee station, canned goods, and snacks.

Designer Abby Hetherington was also working within 1,200 square feet, this time in a Bozeman, Montana, apartment. She adjusted the new-build’s existing footprint to slip a floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet behind oak doors, while a paneled refrigerator on the opposite wall brings the room into balance.

Alexandra Gourlay-Craig, founder of Vellum Interiors, faced a genuine constraint in a Sydney, Australia, apartment with almost no square footage to spare. “There wasn’t even room for a full-size refrigerator—only a bar model,” she recalls. Her workaround: a pantry cabinet mounted above the sink, set 55 inches off the floor, to stash everyday essentials.

To squeeze the most from both storage and prep space, look to this pantry cabinet from British Standard. It pairs open shelving for dry goods with deep drawers beneath a dedicated slicing-and-dicing counter for stashing fruits and vegetables. Concealed vents let air circulate through the cabinet, keeping produce fresher for longer.

Learn more about Domino.comEditorial Standards