Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

A kitchen design must balance style and function.  Customized storage solutions allow you to keep everything where you need it without disrupting the design.  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 more that pose storage challenges.  Keep this space clutter free and let your style shine by incorporating specialized storage solutions!  Here are a few of our favorites:

Pantries and Spices:

A custom pantry is the perfect place to keep food items neatly stored and ready for use.  A walk-in pantry is ideal, but other options include tall pull-out racks, or a cabinet with pocket doors and shelves.  Matching cabinetry or a stylish door like the reclaimed barn door for the pantry in the kitchen design in Doylestown, PA below left keeps everything well concealed. Similarly, purpose-built spice storage keeps those little bottles of seasonings lined up and easily accessible to the cooking area, like the pull-out spice storage shown in the kitchen remodeling project below right.

Utensils and Dishes:

Do you find yourself searching through a cluttered drawer for cooking utensils or struggling to remove heavy dishes stacked in wall-mounted cabinets? Every kitchen cabinet can be fitted with specialized storage inserts to keep your cutlery and crockery well-organized and easy to reach. 

Cutlery drawer inserts can be customized beyond the standard drawer dividers, and inserts like the ones shown below left added to drawers or pull out racks will keep cooking utensils handy.  Moving dishes out of wall cabinets and into pull-out drawers in base cabinets like the one below right allows you to more easily access them.  These can be fitted with movable pegs to fit your dishes and keep them well-organized.  Consider including glass front cabinets or open shelves to store and display items you want to show off.

Appliances and Gadgets:

Small appliances, like toasters, food processors, stand mixers, and juicers have a way of eating up valuable counter space or of getting lost in the recesses of a deep cabinet.  If they do not have an accessible place to be stored, their contribution to the kitchen is outweighed by the nuisance of housing them.  Start with a built-in microwave and then add customized storage for your toaster and other appliances you use regularly, like the pull out shelf for a stand mixer below left.  Items not used as frequently can be kept in another cabinet or the island, with pull out shelves or racks for easy access.  Corner cabinets can be ideal for this purpose when fitted with a magic corner pull-out rack like the one below right to make the most of an otherwise wasted space. 

Waste Disposal:

Are you struggling to find a neat way to separate your trash from recycling and keep it all out of sight? A waste and recycling drawer can easily accomplish this task, and even include space to store trash bags.  Add a foot pedal, allowing you to open the trash drawer without having to touch the handle.

Trays, Cutting Boards, and Racks:

Heavy, awkward baking trays, cutting boards, and cooling racks do not stack easily and tend to tip over when propped up vertically, making them a nightmare to store.  Add dividers to a drawer or cabinet to keep these items neatly filed and ready for use, or consider including a narrow pull out cabinet near the stove. 

Pets, Office Space, and More:

Kitchens serve a much wider purpose today than just cooking, and storage should take into account all the activities in this room.  If pets are a big part of your life, consider adding a pet feeding station that will keep you from stepping in their food and water bowls while still allowing your pets to be in the center of the social scene.  Many people also opt to incorporate a built-in desk in their kitchen design, like the one shown below.  This is the perfect place to organize important papers, plan meals, or help with homework while cooking.  It can even provide a space to organize phones and other electronic devices.

Which kitchen storage solutions would you include in a kitchen renovation?  Let us know in the comments here or share your views on our facebook page.  Contact us today to find out how to make the most of your kitchen storage.