Maximizing A Corner Kitchen Cabinet with Pull Out Drawers

Struggling with a deep, dark kitchen corner? Discover the best blind corner cabinet solutions, from magic pull-outs to lazy Susans, including DIY tips and costs.

As with any space, the more you live in and use it, the more ideas you have about how to make it better. For me, the sweet spot is making it better functionally and aesthetically.

After living 6+ years with our budget-friendly kitchen renovation, we've slowly made a few improvements in regard to function. One of the things that really bothered me about the kitchen was the corner cabinet storage. Since we have open shelves on the top half of our kitchen, we really needed to use our base cabinets efficiently.

If you have older corner base cabinets (ours are from the 70's) then you are probably aware of how annoying the blind corner cabinet can be. Our corner kitchen cabinet was a deep abyss of pots and pans and you had to get a flashlight out to find something in the back of it. I hated it.

I started researching blind corner cabinet solutions that could be retrofitted into old cabinets. I was happy to find a few options. I thought I'd share what we landed on for our corner cabinet (we only have one). Plus, get other ideas including the popular lazy susan corner cabinet option that would have been much more cost efficient!

What is a Blind Corner Cabinet? 

A blind corner cabinet is a kitchen storage cabinet positioned where two rows of base cabinets meet at a 90-degree angle. Because one cabinet section is partially "blinded" by the frame and door of the adjacent unit, it creates a deep, dark void that is notoriously difficult to reach.

1: Magic Corner Pull-Out Organizers (Best for accessibility)

Our space was ideally suited for the corner cabinet pull out because it had a longer run instead of being wider. The pull out cabinet organizers come in different widths, shapes, and heights. You have to read the fine details to match the one that will work for your space.

Installing the pull out shelves weren't complicated but they were a bit time consuming. They are still definitely a DIY job though!

Something to consider when choosing the pull out corner cabinet situation though is to realize that any cabinet that you want to get in while your pull out is out, is not available. That's the downside to this system.

For us, the downside was worth it and it's hardly ever an issue.

"The magic corner cabinet turns a blind corner into a functional storage solution! When the door is opened the corner shelf unit fully extends out of the cabinet for complete access." - Woodcrest Cabinets.

As you can see, there are a few different styles of the magic pull out organizers, but they all work pretty much the same.

Ok, let's move on to another type of cabinet organizer!

2: Classic Lazy Susans (Best budget-friendly option)

I remember as a kid having one of these in our base cabinets. A positive to this style is that when you are in the cabinet, you don't necessarily block other cabinets from being opened.

A downside of this system is that it doesn't use quite all of the cabinet space that you have available. Still, it's definitely a solution to consider for a corner cabinet.

3: Custom Corner Drawers (Best for high-end remodels)

This is probably the most expensive type of corner cabinet solution because it will have to be custom made. I've seen some examples of diagonal cabinets that feel off and, when that happens, I think the cabinets are smaller. These examples are really well done, IMO.

Other organizers

I wanted to share two other organizers in case they help you solve a problem!

The use of small lazy susans can be great for upper corner cabinets, too! These can be bought off the shelf so will be super affordable.

I happened across this large lazy susan and just had to share. It looks like it's an unusual pantry space and it probably took someone thinking outside the box to come up with this floor-to-ceiling idea!

If you've been on the fence about upgrading your corner kitchen cabinet to make it more functional, you should go for it! Our's is definitely a 1000x better with the pull out cabinet installed!

Pro Tip: Measure your cabinet opening twice because magic corners require very specific clearance

The best choice depends on whether you are doing a full remodel or just trying to fix a cabinet you already have. Here's a quick look at what might work best for your situation:

Product	Best For...	Accessibility	Storage Capacity	Price Range
Magic Corner Pull-Out	Maximum accessibility and modern look.	Excellent (brings the back to the front)	High	$$$$
Cloud/Kidney Shelves	Retrofitting into existing tight spaces.	Great (swings out completely)	Medium	$$
Lazy Susan (Rotary)	Budget-friendly, standard organization.	Good (spins 360°)	Medium	$
Custom Corner Drawers	New remodels and a high-end, custom feel.	Excellent (full extension)	High	$$$$$
Stationary Shelves	Households on a strict budget.	Poor (the "Bermuda Triangle" effect)	High (but hard to access)	$

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