7 smart storage trends for 2026

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7 smart storage trends for 2026

With spring cleaning on the horizon, many homeowners are looking for ways to clear clutter and make their kitchens and bathrooms work harder with smarter storage. And with more homeowners choosing to renovate instead of move, organized, space-maximizing designs have become a high priority, as seen in the designs recognized in this year’s Best of Houzz — Powered by Houzz Pro awards.

Presented annually, the Best of Houzz awards are people’s choice–style honors given to home construction and design professionals whose work has resonated most with Houzz’s community of more than 70 million homeowners and design enthusiasts during the previous year. 

The most-loved images in 2026 highlight seven clever storage ideas, shared below. Check them out for inspiration as you update and organize your kitchen and bathroom this spring.

1. Stretched to the Ceiling

Cabinets that touch or nearly touch the ceiling add valuable storage space without taking up precious real estate closer to the countertop. The uppermost shelves are a great place to store lesser-used items, such as seasonal cookware, keeping lower cabinets free for more frequently used pieces. Beyond increasing storage, ceiling-height cabinets also can create a more finished look and draw the eye upward, making the kitchen appear taller and more spacious.

2. Glass-Front Cabinet Doors

Helping break up solid walls of cabinetry for a lighter look, glass-front cabinet doors also add shine and visual interest. Want to show off a special dishware collection or easily see a cabinet’s contents? Many Best of Houzz winning designs show that glass-front doors are a great solution. You can even add interior cabinet lighting, such as LED strips or built-in spotlights, to showcase the contents, add sparkle or make items even easier to find. And while they’re more popular in kitchens, glass-front cabinets can work just as well to enhance bath designs.

3. Interior Cabinet Lighting

Speaking of in-cabinet lighting, its popularity has risen by 3 percentage points year over year, according to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. Whether it’s built-in recessed lighting or low-profile lighting such as puck lights or tape lights, the extra illumination both adds beauty to a kitchen design and makes it easier to see items. This is particularly helpful if a cabinet is especially large or too high or low to be lit by the main kitchen lights, or for homeowners with waning eyesight. 

4. Bifold or Retractable Cabinet Doors

Wavering between open and closed storage in your kitchen or bath? No need to decide, because bifold and retractable doors let you easily switch back and forth, creating a setup that changes with your needs. When you want a streamlined look, close them to keep everything inside hidden. When you want to show off items or provide ready access to them, simply fold the doors back or slide them into their slots.

5. Countertop Towers

Adding a tall vertical cabinet to a countertop is a space-savvy solution, particularly helpful in a compact kitchen or bath. You can find premade versions in a range of sizes and materials or have one custom-built to fit your exact space, needs and other cabinetry. For bathroom towers, ventilation holes are a nice touch to increase airflow and prevent moisture-related issues. And in both kitchens and baths, consider choosing a tower with electrical outlets to discreetly keep items such as toothbrushes charged and at hand, or with custom inserts to keep items such as baking pans or hairdryers neatly stowed.

6. Longer Vanities

Instead of having separate elements such as a vanity and a freestanding makeup station or furniture-style storage, many homeowners choose a longer vanity for a unified look and extra storage in the bath. In fact, 46% of renovating homeowners opt for a vanity that’s longer than 60 inches, and 13% go for one that’s longer than 72 inches, according to the 2025 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study. You can even incorporate a makeup station, but at a lower height and with space to tuck in a stool, whether in the center of the vanity or at one end. For maximum storage, consider including a mix of drawers and cabinets in the vanity, as well as specialty features such as pullouts and inserts for specific items, such as hairstyling tools. 

7. A Vanity Drawer Below the Plumbing

Instead of having one big cabinet below the sink, which works around plumbing pipes but wastes space, or having several too-small drawers, designers and homeowners are getting creative. Some winning designs have an undersink cabinet that’s smaller than usual, but with a drawer added below that cabinet. This full-size drawer can hold towels, hairstyling tools or toiletries with ease, helping keep countertops clutter-free and items within easy reach.

This story was produced by Houzz and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.