Because I do what I do, I spend a LOT of time on Kitchen Instagram. Watching trends, taking stock of cool new products, and gathering ideas to share are part of the job. I see a LOT of incredible Instagram-worthy kitchens, and insta-perfect spaces. It’s enough to make an average person kitchen-conscious.
At Gateway Kitchen + Bath we build custom kitchens for everyone. From the smallest to the biggest, from the simplest to the most complicated, we love to create something new, tailored exactly for each of our customers. So, this article is for everyone who wants to build that perfect Insta-Kitchen™, but maybe needs to live there too.
Hidden. Butler’s. Pantries.
Like, do I need to say anything else? A hidden butler’s pantry is the creme-de-la-creme of the Insta-Kitchen™. While yes, some might fill them with perfectly full jars of dry goods and expertly curated soda cans (in rainbow order of course), it’s also a sneaky spot to hide all the actual food you might have in your kitchen. Half-empty chip bags and open boxes of cereal are perfectly hidden out of sight and no one needs to know that you usually just grab a bottle of water directly from the plastic shrink-wrapped packaging. This is where you can keep the flour container that always seems to end up with flour on the outside of it, and no one will ever see. A hidden pantry is also a wonderful place to store some of the extras you need to keep that beautifully stocked refrigerator (don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a second). If there’s only room for 7 cans of lime Bubly in the fridge, what do you do with the other 5 that come in a case? Hidden butler’s pantry for the win.
Panelled Fridge.
While we love the look of visually blending your fridge into your cabinetry with a panel-front, this type of fridge can also serve a dual purpose in the insta-kitchen. Picture this scenario… your fridge is a showpiece of perfection, filled with clear acrylic containers and as organized as a boutique grocery store. Each shelf is it’s own display of colourful prepped veggies, and all the grab-and-go snacks are lined up and ready to grab-and-go. But of course, you’re going to need somewhere to put the rest of that bag of carrots, and the rest of the pack of yogourt that doesn’t fit into the Tetris-stack of containers. Solution? Hide yourself a second fridge. It’s kind of a brilliant idea. Not only will it keep unsightly items like leftovers and half-finished bottles of BBQ sauce out of your visible refrigerator, it also gives everyone the impression that you only eat prepped veggies and the occasional bottle of water. If guests pop by, they will likely head directly to the fridge to be inspired by your health-conscious lifestyle and organizational prowess. No one even needs to know you have another fridge!
(Added note: This idea can also extend to dishwashers. You can keep a properly loaded visible dishwasher, and a second, hidden one filled with those plastic containers that never actually dry that was probably loaded by someone else in your household who hasn’t quite grasped the loading rules).
Double-Layered Cutlery Trays
While some of us use the built in double-layered cutlery trays to keep our cutlery organized and easy to find, they’re also a handy feature in the Insta-Kitchen™. All your beautiful spoons can be spooned to organized perfection, and yet hidden beneath the sliding top layer there’s a place to tuck those extra fast-food straws, random plastic cutlery you put in the kids’ lunches and that weird mismatched fork you must have accidentally taken home from work four years ago.
Pull-out Spice Racks
Countertop spice racks and their perfectly matched jars will have all your subscribers smashing that “like” button, but they’re generally terrible for your spices. Since spices hold their flavour best and last longest if they’re kept in a cool, dark place, if you like to cook and eat, you’d be better off keeping your display spices and your cooking spices separate. A pull-out spice rack is perfect to tuck away all your flavourful meal-makers in a clean and convenient way. As a bonus, you don’t even need to take them out of their mismatched plastic containers because no one will see them anyway! (Feel free to use the pretty spices in your Tiktoks and reels, though. Your audience doesn’t need to eat it to love it!).
Bigger Kitchens/More Cabinets
Now this one MIGHT seem like a sales pitch to get you to buy more cabinets, but hear us out… It’s really hard to fit a tripod and some lights into a small kitchen and still get some good pictures/video that don’t make everything distorted because you needed a wide-angle lens. With some extra room in your Insta-Kitchen™, you’ll not only have space for your gear (and your stash of specialty small appliances), but a lot more composition options. You can’t have all your shots looking the same, after all.
Well, that’s all the tips we can think of for now, but take a second and make sure you follow us for more life hacks. Quality content just keeps on coming! We’re also pretty good at renovating your space (realistically that’s probably higher on our list of skills), so if you’ve got questions or ideas for your own Instagram-worthy kitchen or other upcoming renovation, CONTACT US, or schedule a free consultation with one of our designers!