I'd bet there is no simple way to calculate because it is dependent on so many variables. How much stuff do you have? What are the sizes and shapes of your stuff? How much do you use the kitchen? How do you use the kitchen? How often do you shop? How full do you want the cabinets? How deep and tall is each cabinet?

True minimalists might not need any cabinets while some people "need" 50+ linear feet of cabinetry.

Are you reconfiguring the layout of your kitchen? If not, I'd bet you'll need roughly the same number of cabinets that you're taking out.

Your best bet is to measure and draw up your space ... plug in your doorways, windows, and appliances ... then start adding cabinets around those "must haves". Start with basic 24" and 36" cabinets and fill in as necessary.

Keep in mind that a pantry is way cheaper than cabinetry, so -- since you say you're planning a modest kitchen -- I'd suggest you include one in your plans. But, of course, it depends upon your available space.

I agree with above. Also some people opt to have no upper cabinets at all. Or the opposite is cabinets up to the ceiling perhaps stacked depending on ceiling height. You need to think about these things and what you would like

What are the goals of your kitchen remodel?

In my case, my goals were to improve function (especially prep space); increase storage space; eliminate clutter on the counters; add a range hood that vented outside.

I did this by moving appliances a small amount, running upper cabinets to the ceiling, utilizing a space formerly occupied by a desk, and carefully planning out what would go where, to optimize storage space.

We are reconfiguring the area (taking down a wall- probably moving appliances around. ) ideally, I'd like to eliminate or limit uppers to one wall. However, I'm not sure I can "afford it". It's a small kitchen to begin with. Taking down a wall, will likely give us even fewer cabinets.

It's hard to state my goals. This house is new to us, and because of the poor condition of the kitchen, we've only unpacked the bare essentials, and haven't been using it beyond the most basic meal prep. Ideally, I want the following: an open feeling; aesthetically pleasing (we are opening it to the Dining room, which is at the front of the house); a place to multitask (help kids with homework, etc); clutter free. We are simple people. I have one set of dishes, we dont collect lots of clutter/ kitchen gadgets. In the past we had our pots and pans out on a rack. I think I'd like to have the hidden in a cabinet this time.

Do you have enough room for your things in your current cabinets? Do you have things scattered around the house that you would like to have in the kitchen? (we had shelves in the basement that served as "pantry" for bulk purchases before we remodeled - effective, but not at all efficient). Do you have a lot of things in the kitchen that you rarely or never use, that you could get rid of?

The answers to those questions, and the efficiency of your layout, will help you determine how much space you need. Maybe you have 4 sauce pans, but only really use 2, for example.

Here's a rough list of things you may want to plan for - keeping in mind that things used often should be kept as close as possible to their point of use:

Everyday dishes, serving dishes, glasses and cups, flatware, knives, pots and pans, baking dishes, cookie sheets, cutting boards, cooking utensils, potholders, mixing bowls, small appliances, rolling pin, broom, leftover containers, spices, roasting pans, soup kettles, canning equipment, cook books. If you don't have a pantry, you'll need to allow for food storage.

I dedicated a space in my new kitchen as "desk" - a cabinet for office supplies, with outlets inside so chargers aren't out on the counters; 2 drawers for pens, pencils, stamps, tape, scissors, etc. I also have a "junk" drawer in my kitchen, though it's well organized, so not junky - it contains a few tools, glue, rubber bands, matches, etc.

NKBA has guidelines on web site... small kitchen-1400 inches measure across fronts of shelves /drawers .....medium kitchen-1700 inches...large kitchen 2000 inches . Also discussed --- storage at cleanup/sink areas as well as corner storage. Have a look at their discussions for a reference point. The more of this type of info search one can do makes it more efficient working with designers/planners.

If you post a layout as suggested above, there are folks here who are very good at creating suggested layouts and generous with their time and recommendations. They will help you get the most functionality out of your space.

Take your measurements and go to a kitchen designer at Lowe's or HD. They can give you an idea of what the layout would look like and how many boxes you'll need. Here's the thing, though: It has nothing to do with the number of boxes but what size they are and what they do.

Here's the way it would go if this were your kitchen:

Measure from the end of the countertop (in the photo on the left) to the corner. Measure from the corner to the end of the countertop at the left of the stove. Measure from the right of the stove to the other side of the small base cabinet next to the stove.

Next, measure from the corner to the center of the faucet. Also measure the height of the ceiling and the space the fridge takes up. This layout will in no way let you get an accurate price of the cabinets you need, but it will give you an idea of what goes where. HTH

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Karenseb- my floor plan may have been misleading. The living room is long and narrow, so I doubt I'll want to borrow from that room. What I would consider is borrowing from an area in the family room for a pantry. I will upload a diagram. We have a spot that is wasted space right now. I guess my only issue is would it be weird to have to go into the family room to get all our dry food?

Where does the fridge, range and sink go?

Carolina, that has been the issue. We are opening up a wall between kitchen and Dining room. That wall currently houses the range and fridge. The sink is under the window on the left wall. Here is a floor plan:

Carolina - to follow up. The plans I like visually (such as those without uppers), or the plans that provide for a larger island (such as an island galley kitchen) usually don't have a lot of cabinet space.

The first thing I thought of is whether there's another door to the backyard near the kitchen? If not, rethink the plan. If so:
How far down past the window where the sink is do you plan to run your cabinets?
How far will it be from the corner, past the door you're eliminating to the end of the cabinets?
How long do you want the island to be?
Where do you want the fridge?
Are you planning on a range or cooktop and double oven?
Where will they be located?
Where will you put the microwave?
Do you want glass doors, a plate rack or wine storage?
Do you have a certain area you want to be a focal point?

Also, what special things do you want in there? Do you need a place to sit down and pay bills? Maybe a space under the counter for a dog crate? Each homeowner I've ever sat down with has at least one need that isn't usually included in the scope of a "normal" kitchen."

I'm sorry for all the questions hjk, but I can't give you a good idea of how many cabinets you need until most of those are answered. Let me know and I'll do a little figuring so I can answer your question.

I think your most productive time would be spent with a good local KD and contractor on site. You need in person help regarding your site issues and how your ideas impact your budget. There is no point in planning anything without a rough estimate of what it will take to remove that wall.

Carolina - I am more than happy to answer your questions. let me answer your easy questions first . There is a back door off of the family room (directly behind the kitchen); at a maximum the end of run could be 72 inches from the end of the window, but 60 would be better. I would like cabinets to run all the way along the back wall 88 +78= 166 inches; ideally I would like an island that is atleast 5'x3; I planned on putting the mircoway in the island; no plate rack or wine storage; I am not planing on glass doors (I would only include if it fit the plan afterwards); focal point- I am flexible, but I like kitchens were the range is the focal point; special things- place (i.e., island) to help kids with homework, do light office work, drawer for some paperwork, a location on the floor plan for the dog's food and water bowls; because the kitchen is open to the dining room, which is at the front of the house, it needs to be aesthetically pleasing as possible. The hard questions are where to place fridge and range (I guess I will make it easy and assume that the sink is staying put under the window on the left). I have yet to find a location for the fridge that isn't a compromise. I guess my current idea is along the 78 " wall. The range to the left. (Alternatively, the fridge to the left of the sink.). Thank you for any help you can give!

A pantry is not necessary less expensive than cabinets. My quote for a pantry room came out to $2k just for the framing and drywall. That doesn't include shelves or anything else like painting. My 30" Ikea tall cabinet functions as a pantry and is still not full. That only cost me $300 including doors/drawer fronts.

I suggest drawing up a floor plan and post a separate topic to get help on design from the forum.

I agree with what Cook's Kitchen says but I also know that there's a lot of thinking, scribbling, figuring and re-arranging that goes on before a customer walks in the door of any cabinet company. I've also seen folks leave a wall in place because they didn't think the cabinets they want to make room for would cost so much.

You asked for the number of cabinets so here goes:

On the sink wall starting at the corner you need a 36" corner cabinet, a 36" sink base, the dishwasher, a 9" tray base and then the fridge.

On the range wall you can figure on the 36" corner cabinet, a 24" 4-drawer base for utensils and maybe plastic bags and wraps; a 36" 3-drawer base for pots and pans; a 24" desk space and a 21" drawer base for office-type storage. A pendant light over the desk area would be nice.

In the island I'd put a 30" drawer base or cabinet with pull-out trays and the cabinet for the microwave. Pendants over this, too.

On the pantry: select your cabinet style and price the pantry options in that style. Since this is an open floorplan, you want everything to match. Compare that to the price for a pantry closet your contractor would build, including shelves and specific storage places for things like potatoes etc.

Having said all that, it's not going to help you figure out your price. Like Cook's Kitchen said, get with a local kitchen designer, even if you have to start at Lowe's. You'll get a basic kitchen design and some pictures that will reveal what the limitations and possibilities are. Don't go with the first quote you get, shop around. Most KDs won't go by another designer's measurements; they'll want to get in the house and take their own. Comparing different designs will be like comparing apples to oranges. Select the one that gives you what you want for a price you can afford. I've been in your shoes before and I'm planning my own kitchen remodel right now, even though it's a year off at least. Good luck!

Thanks Carolina! My concern isn't so much with price, but how much storage I'll need. I could design a beautiful kitchen if I didn't have to actually store anything in it Your plan sounds good - but I don't want an actual desk - I'd use the island for that.

The standard formula for storage is Volume+1= -10. You count your dtuff snd plan for homes for everything. And it is not enough. More stuff happens. The direct volume of owned stuff expands 10x beyond the available storage space in every instance. Just look at your garage or spare room to understand that formula.

Drawers especially, and pull-out trays to some extent, maximize your storage. If your kitchen is really small, lose the pull-out trash can and other specialty base cabinets. Get a design done, no matter how preliminary, then start assigning your stuff to spaces. "I can put my pots and pans here; my plates, cups and bowls over here; my trays and cookie sheets over there." This is also a good time to decide what type of equipment you need and what you can throw out or put in more long term storage.

Right now my kitchen is a small U, and will probably become a L plus island or peninsula. I like the look of the peninsula because it visually separates the dining room from the kitchen, but I worry that 2 corners is such a small kitchen is a waste.

In corners you can use lazy susan base cabinets for pots, pans, canned goods, just about anything. Get yourself to a kitchen cabinet dealership and start looking at the possibilities!

Hi I wanted to follow up on this post. Kitchen designer suggested a U shaped kitchen with one leg a peninsula. People on here have recommended an L shaped kitchen with a small 3x5 island. The L shape would go into my dining area, which I really don't want. (I want to open up the two rooms, but I don't also want to keep some very pretty crown molding in the dining room. Would it be crazy to do a galley kitchen with one wall being a peninsula. It would mean very few cabinets, but they would be mostly large drawer base cabinets.

One of the simple things I'd note is while you're not unpacked, see how long the crap, er, stuff remains in the boxes. This will tell you what you really need and use. Then, if you must keep the stuff in boxes, think about cabinets (or pantry) for it.

For example, I had an entire 18" upper of spices, baking stuff, and just stuff-stuff.
Several sets of dishes (I love dishes)
Several sets of pots and pans (I love interesting pots)
A million different glasses.
Enough condiments and seasonings for the U.S. Army
You get the idea.

After a fire and living without a kitchen, just 1/2 a fridge, mice and a microwave, I learned that I needed
1) a pot. Big enough for pasta or soup. And that pasta claw utensil thing.
2) a colander to drain pasta,
3) salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary & dill,
4) at least 2 place settings of dishes and silverware, and wine. Lots of wine, which I still drink out of a coffee cup.
5) coffee cup.

So I had boxes and boxes of baking dishes I didn't use, those several million pots and pans, plasticware (which I now do use to freeze when I actually cook something) and spices and condiments I never touched.

Hello GoodWill! :)

But, because I'm an OCD collector, I have now millions of cabinets with nothing in them. But oh, do I love my cabinets!