Nate Berkus Shares His Simple Way Of Hiding Kitchen Storage Space In Style

The kitchen is a smorgasbord of storage solutions, ranging from cabinets to drawers and even floating shelves. Every area is supposed to be a valuable space for storing items like utensils, ingredients, flatware, and cookware. However, some areas may seem of little importance, especially when they do not contribute to the overall aesthetic of the room. For instance, there's the space below the sink that is sometimes left exposed or open in the absence of cabinet doors. Fortunately, HGTV's Nate Berkus has a simple fix to this problem, and it is one that hides this specific storage space in style: a curtain.

While giving a tour of the Nate Berkus Associates offices in New York on his Instagram, Berkus indirectly showed off what he did to the under-sink of the open kitchen. As seen in the video, a curtain is used to cover the lower area, concealing possible under-sink storage solutions and random items that get stashed in this space. The beige curtain Berkus or any of the staff installed adds a stylish layer to an otherwise bland section of the work kitchen. Since it is fabric, it's much faster to open and shut when grabbing items from below the kitchen counter. Also, it eliminates the need for a door swing radius, so it frees up floor area compared to solid doors.

Using curtains as doors may seem like an outdated kitchen cabinet trend, but it is actually a smart way to enhance the space's style. Aside from being relatively cheap and easy to pull off as a DIY, the fabric adds warmth and a different texture to an area that is usually comprised of hard materials, like wood, stone, and metal. Nate Berkus' use of a beige cafe curtain for the storage space below the sink of the work kitchen is actually quite interesting, as the color did not match the surrounding elements. However, it's the right shade to balance out the gray cabinets, neutral walls, and metallic appliances.

If you are interested in following Berkus' hack, remember not to overdo this DIY. Keep it as simple as possible by using tension rods to install the curtains. This eliminates the need to drill holes and whatnot just to hang the curtains. You may also want to keep in mind some handy tips before adding curtains to your personal or work kitchen. These include measuring the area where you are installing the curtain beforehand and choosing the type and design of the fabric well to prevent any jarring visual conflicts.