You don’t have to trade style for functionality. Choose a cabinet door that reflects your aesthetic, knowing that you can customize the interior of your cabinets to meet your needs. A bold, modern kitchen or bathroom can still be family-friendly. It’s about making the best use of storage to hide, organize, and create kid-friendly areas. 

For example:

• Under-cabinet systems in kitchens and bathrooms hold a surprising amount. Pull open a drawer only to find a smaller drawer tucked into it.
• Pantry door swing-out kits are like having an extra pantry.
• Roll-out trays help you stay organized when it’s time to cook and little feet are running around
• Create window and bench seats and child-size desks in family spaces and kids rooms.
• Add a wall of shelves in the playroom, and use roll-out trays to store art supplies.

Teenagers and young adults increasingly want their own spaces. They also have more activities, more gear, more homework—more of everything! At the same time, you still want some adult spaces that feel distinctly grown-up. Consider adapting some of your storage spaces and slightly reconfiguring family common areas. 

For example: 

• Revisit the role of the mudroom. It’s the perfect place for shelves, cubbies, and benches full of storage for sports equipment.
• You can easily outfit a nook or corner in a common space (or in a teen’s bedroom) with cabinetry and shelving, making it the perfect place for them to complete assignments.
• When your teens have friends over, make it easy for them to find snacks by adding smart and accessible pull-out storage in your cabinets. 
• Need a place to call your own? A calming respite from the loudness and commotion? It might be time to create the master bathroom of your dreams.

You want your space to work for the life and the interests you have now, but also for the transitions you know are on the horizon. If you’re doing what you believe to be the last remodel of a kitchen, bathroom, or other room, it’s so important to take longevity into account when making product selections and design decisions.

For example:

• Find ways to carve out those “if only” spaces. The small things you dreamed about having all those years, but didn’t seem practical. Like a hidden coffee bar in the kitchen.
• If you are doing more work from home, and anticipate that trend continuing, now is the time to claim a newly-empty bedroom for your home office.
• If you plan to do more grown-up entertaining, consider how you can rethink your space—such as making use of a small island for everyday eating, and opening up the kitchen space to incorporate more living space and space for entertaining.
• Take ergonomics into account in any remodeling decision you make. Consider wider doorways, more pull-out storage to avoid having to bend over as much, and even lowered countertops.

Are you welcoming grandchildren to your home? Hosting extended family get-togethers? If so, consider ways to open up your space to be friendly to the next generation, while still making sure you have the space to continue to enjoy your hobbies, and even pursue new ones.

For example:

• Think carefully about how to make spaces like the garage work harder for you. When you outfit this space with cabinetry, it saves space. You can have your workshop and, quite possibly, a car in the garage.
• Love to enjoy a glass of wine? Revitalize any room with a wine storage unit that can hold towels or toiletries just as easily as bottles of your favorite merlot.
• Create an entertainment center with plenty of cabinets and built-in storage. That way, when the grandkids come over, the games and toys are ready to be pulled out. (This is also a great trick for a bench seat.)