Skip Traditional Corner Cabinets: Dave & Jenny Marrs' Alternative Is Far More Functional

Optimizing corner storage is an essential step toward increasing a kitchen's functionality, but it's often easier said than done. Deep, narrow corner cabinets can make it hard to see or reach items in the back. Even dated Lazy Susans have their downsides, as many kitchen items don't fit well on circular shelves. One of the best solutions to kitchen corner storage that doesn't come with any of these concerns is on display in Season 5, Episode 4 of "Fixer to Fabulous." Stars of the show Dave and Jenny Marrs tuned up a lake house kitchen with corner drawers that open at a 45-degree angle and have two fronts, so that their exteriors fit into the corner at a right angle and look like two cabinets when closed.

When writing about the lake house's original kitchen on the couple's website, Jenny Marrs says, "It was such a challenge with the fridge and the cabinet doors hitting each other. We moved the refrigerator all the way to the end and installed special cabinet drawers designed for difficult corners." These cabinets may have unusually shaped drawers, but they're highly functional because they let you quickly look at and access without needlessly banging your cabinet doors together or pulling a muscle reaching into the back of the cabinet. 

Easy access to the corner drawer's contents is one of its main draws. You don't have to crouch or bend down so far to see what's inside these cabinets, and that's simply because you can easily pull them out. Also, there's not necessarily a break in cabinetry aesthetic when you're working with these drawers, unlike some corner models that noticeably stick out.

The supplier of the corner drawers used in the episode isn't listed, but that doesn't mean you'll be unable to find similar models for your renovation project. In fact, lots of kitchen brands carry these corner drawers, including Kraft Maid and Diamond Cabinetry at Lowe's. Dave and Jenny opted for large drawers, offering plenty of depth and visual height, which makes them a great storage solution for hiding kitchen appliance eyesores. Keep the measurements of the items you'd like to store in the kitchen corner in mind when determining the proper drawer dimensions.

The major downsides of these drawers are that they're often expensive, often requiring customization, and they're not the most efficient in terms of space usage. Since the box has to slide out of the cabinet frame at an angle, there are triangular dead zones to either side of it. This means it may not be an optimal design choice for a small kitchen where storage space is at more of a premium. If you decide they're not for you, there are plenty of other kitchen cabinet ideas that maximize storage without sacrificing style.