"A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE."
One of the bonuses you receive when designing a custom kitchen is the opportunity to maximize storage space and organize everything to reflect the needs of your family. Specialized storage that is well designed helps eliminate wasted space in the kitchen and assists you in keeping your kitchen organized. The way you configure the “inside the cabinet” storage is as uniquely individual as the overall kitchen design. The key is having a great designer who listens and understands your unique needs.
Creative Spaces Remodeling now offers their new Kitchen Design Center. CSR also welcomes Ric Guy, CSR’s Head Cabinet Designer. Ric specializes in the design, planning and execution of residential kitchens and bathrooms. He excels at listening and understanding clients’ needs and wish lists.
Whether you are an avid home chef or run a busy household with kids and pets, the kitchen is home to a wide array of gadgets, food, and small appliances which pose storage challenges. Assess what you own in the kitchen and decide where you would ideally like to store it for convenience. Remember, “A place for everything and everything in its place”.
Suggestions for keeping kitchen clutter at bay:
Spice Storage. There are many options to choose in storing spices. Spice shelves can be hung on the inside of cabinet doors or stored in pull out shelving drawers. Or request a shelf be built above the stove for the few spices you use all the time.
Everyday Flatware, Cooking Utensils, Trash and Knives. Place flatware, cooking utensils and knives at a midpoint between the sink and refrigerator so you can easily access items from the refrigerator, cut and chop as necessary, and dispose of the remnants near the sink. Place trash and recycling containers strategically so that tidy disposal happens effortlessly.
Cutlery drawer inserts can be customized beyond the standard drawer dividers and inserts like the ones shown added to drawers or pull out racks will keep cooking utensils and knives handy.
Stuck on where to store your useful but awkward sheet trays, cutting boards and cooling racks? An organized tray divider cabinet gives you easy access and visibility.
Your sink is one of the most utilized areas in your kitchen. Under-sink base cabinet organizers feature tilt-out trays for sponge and brush storage, pull-out baskets, and towel bars to efficiently store cleaning products and dish towels.
Add A Crockery Drawer. Moving dishes out of wall cabinets and into pull-out drawers in base cabinets like the one below allows you to access them more easily. These can be fitted with movable pegs to fit your dishes and keep them well organized.
Glassware. Most people store glassware in wall cabinets near the sink and dishwasher, which works well. But drawers designed to hold glassware offer another solution and can make access more convenient. When organizing your kitchen, look for ways to store items related to each other, such as mugs near the coffee station.
Cookware Storage. Consider dedicating a cabinet for cookware frequently used on the stovetop, and another cabinet with cookware more commonly used in the oven.
Small Appliance Garages. Instead of keeping your appliances, like a toaster or mixer, out in plain sight, work with your designer to come up with cool ways to hide them. Appliance garages such as these helps eliminate countertop clutter. A coffee station in an appliance garage cabinet brings a unique look with a pull-out tray shelf.
Corner Storage. One of the most awkward and inefficient spaces in most kitchens is the corner cabinet, where two cabinets meet. The corners are difficult to access. Lazy Susan cabinets used to have a basic design where items were difficult to access and tended fall off the shelf. They are now designed with rotating trays which allow you to store much larger items. A swing-out drawer can be a kidney bean shaped tray supported by poles that swing out of the cabinet for easy access. There are also corner drawers which can conveniently store kitchen gadgets.
Paper Towel Storage. Instead of the usual paper towel rack or holder, incorporate the paper towels within the kitchen cabinets.
Walk-in pantry. For clients with extra space, a walk-in pantry is often the solution. This is an especially good option for those who are not naturally organized and would like to just close the door.
Tall cabinet with roll-out shelves. Another great way to add storage is a tall cabinet with adjustable rollouts. You do not have to guess what is behind the first row of supplies — simply roll out the shelf to see.
Reconfigure a closet. If your kitchen plans do not include space for a new walk-in pantry, you might consider repurposing a nearby closet to act as your pantry. Add shelves — or, even better, roll-outs — to the interior of the closet. Also consider adding a new door with glass to delineate the new pantry from other closets.
Desk in the Kitchen. Kitchens serve a much wider purpose today than just cooking, and storage should consider all the activities in this room. Many people also love to incorporate a built-in desk in their kitchen design. This is the perfect place to organize important papers, plan meals, or help with homework while cooking. It can even provide a space for a charging station for phones and other electronic devices.
The key to keeping your counters neat is to add organizational systems in the design phase. Accessories such as cutlery dividers, roll-out shelves, lid organizers, spice storage and appliance garages are the kinds of “inside the cabinet” details you will enjoy for years to come. Think of how you live and work in your kitchen and then find the right accessories that will make this hardworking space more enjoyable. Creative Spacers Remodeling’s main cabinet designer, Ric, can help you turn your cluttered kitchen into the functional workspace of your dreams.
