Kitchens can often be difficult to keep tidy, but this lookbook demonstrates how floor-to-ceiling cabinets are an effective way to streamline and create clutter-free backdrops for food prep.
Traditionally, kitchens are designed with floor and wall cabinets dropped below the ceiling to ensure they are reachable. However, today many architects and interior designers are opting for full-height solutions instead to maximise storage space.
The examples in this lookbook show that floor-to-ceiling storage solutions are suited to kitchens of any size and style, and can be used to conceal clutter, appliances and even doorways.
A bonus is that these cupboards also minimise areas for dust to gather, requiring less time spent on cleaning and leaving more for cooking.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with net floors, mid-century modern furniture and perforated brick walls.
TS-H_01, Switzerland, by Tom Strala
This minimalist kitchen, belonging to a home near Bern, features floor-to-ceiling storage concealing not only clutter but also a doorway to a garage.
The white wall of cabinets is dotted by circular handles lined with smooth timber and forms a slick backdrop to the chunky prep counter, raw plaster walls and pale wooden floorboards.
Churchtown, Ireland, by Scullion Architects
Oak-panelled cabinetry runs through the light-filled kitchen of Churchtown, a residential extension in Dublin informed by Victorian conservatories.
While maximising storage, the cupboards are designed to conceal appliances and a pantry. The warmth of the oak is complemented by cool-toned white terrazzo on the floor and worktops.
Find out more about Churchtown ›
Sacha, France, by SABO Project
Full-height birch plywood joinery is used to store the contents of this kitchen, designed by SABO Project within a Parisian apartment.
The cupboards are almost disguised as a solid block, with small arched cut-outs subtly demarcating each door. One of the panels features a larger arched opening, which opens into a cosy nook for the owner's cat.
The Amagansett Beach House, USA, by Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design
The floor-to-ceiling units in this kitchen help draw attention to more playful design details in the room, including a sculptural custom island animated by exaggerated forms.
Finished with wood and a lack of handles, the cabinets also blend into the floors and ceilings, disguising them as walls and creating a pared-back aesthetic for the room.
Find out more about The Amagansett Beach House ›
Barbican Apartment, UK, by John Pawson
Designer John Pawson used full-height storage in the compact kitchen of this London apartment to help achieve his signature minimalist aesthetic.
The abundance of storage ensures the space is uncluttered, while a lack of handles on the cabinetry allows them to blend into the background. The rest of the home, which is located in the brutalist Barbican Estate in London, is designed with the same pared-back aesthetic.
Find out more about Barbican Apartment ›
The Parchment Works, UK, by Will Gamble Architects
Matte-black cabinets with brass handles define the kitchen of The Parchment Works, which Will Gamble Architects created from the shell of an old cattle shed in Northamptonshire.
Stretching from floor to ceiling, the kitchen units slot in beneath rows of timber joists belonging to the original structure. Their dark colour ensures focus retains on the tactile wooden surfaces above, as well as the adjacent whitewashed masonry walls.
Find out more about The Parchment Works ›
Botaniczna Apartment, Poland, by Agnieszka Owsiany Studio
Polish studio Agnieszka Owsiany Studio married wood and marble throughout the interior of this apartment in Poznań.
In the kitchen, full-height oak cabinetry lines one wall, punctured by a marble-lined recess containing a stove. The cabinets are finished with long handles in matching oak.
Find out more about Botaniczna Apartment ›
Portage Bay Float Home, USA, by Studio DIAA
These storage units follow the gabled roofscape of The Portage Bay Float Home, which Studio DIAA co-founder Suzanne Stefan created for herself in Seattle.
The wooden cabinetry sits flush with a cooker hood above the stove, which is finished with juxtaposing stainless steel that has a brushed look.
Find out more about Portage Bay Float Home ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with net floors, mid-century modern furniture and perforated brick walls.