10 Pro Tips to Maximize Your Kitchen Storage
Storage is the key to a well-functioning kitchen that’s a joy to work in. Try these expert ideas to optimize your space
When everything in a kitchen has its place, it creates a pleasurable space in which to cook, unpack shopping, tidy up or just hang out. The key to good storage is not always to create more space — it’s often about being smarter. No one knows this better than kitchen designers, so we asked three for their best and most useful storage design tips. Read their ideas below, then add your own in the Comments.
Carve Out Space for a Pantry
Pantries are the best way to store canned goods, jars and bottles, as they keep everything in one organized space, says Simon Lennox of Adornas Kitchens & Interiors.
Of course, not all of us have the luxury of being able to incorporate a huge pantry, but even a small one can be a real bonus. “A well-organized larder cupboard will add a lot of storage space to a kitchen without necessarily taking up [too much] space, as they can be made to any shape and size,” Odile Kipling of SoKipling says
Kipling has some advice on how to get the most out of your pantry. “Do an inventory of what you want to store … and measure the tallest, widest, smallest and heaviest items to make sure everything has a place and is easily accessible,” she says.
“Pullout shelves or shallow drawers are ideal at the lower levels, especially if the cupboard is deep, so you don’t have to kneel down and reach for the items at the back,” Kipling says.
She suggests that pantry pullouts above the countertop are less practical because you may not be able to see inside them. Here she recommends shallower shelves and a rack on the back of the door for condiments, spices or — if you have enough cupboard depth — larger items such as pasta boxes.
Pantries are the best way to store canned goods, jars and bottles, as they keep everything in one organized space, says Simon Lennox of Adornas Kitchens & Interiors.
Of course, not all of us have the luxury of being able to incorporate a huge pantry, but even a small one can be a real bonus. “A well-organized larder cupboard will add a lot of storage space to a kitchen without necessarily taking up [too much] space, as they can be made to any shape and size,” Odile Kipling of SoKipling says
Kipling has some advice on how to get the most out of your pantry. “Do an inventory of what you want to store … and measure the tallest, widest, smallest and heaviest items to make sure everything has a place and is easily accessible,” she says.
“Pullout shelves or shallow drawers are ideal at the lower levels, especially if the cupboard is deep, so you don’t have to kneel down and reach for the items at the back,” Kipling says.
She suggests that pantry pullouts above the countertop are less practical because you may not be able to see inside them. Here she recommends shallower shelves and a rack on the back of the door for condiments, spices or — if you have enough cupboard depth — larger items such as pasta boxes.
Include Concealed Drawers
“Internal drawers are very common now, but it still surprises me how often a client is impressed by finding a drawer within a drawer,” Byers says.
“This solution works really well for designs where clean lines are required,” he says. “Full slab doors when opened reveal a set of internal drawers. And we all know that drawers are more practical for storage than cupboards.”
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“Internal drawers are very common now, but it still surprises me how often a client is impressed by finding a drawer within a drawer,” Byers says.
“This solution works really well for designs where clean lines are required,” he says. “Full slab doors when opened reveal a set of internal drawers. And we all know that drawers are more practical for storage than cupboards.”
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Swap Bottom Cabinets for Drawers
Base drawers another way to optimize your storage, Lennox says. “Drawers are so versatile and are almost always soft close these days. They’ll take a lot of weight — [more than 150 pounds] with some brands — so you can store everything from potatoes to entire dinner sets in them.”
Both Kipling and Lennox point out that drawers and other pull-out storage can help to reduce food waste, as you can easily see what you have. “Drawers are fully telescopic — everything in the back of the cupboard comes right out to the front, so you can have a bird’s eye view of the contents,” Lennox says. “This minimizes duplication and food waste.”
Base drawers another way to optimize your storage, Lennox says. “Drawers are so versatile and are almost always soft close these days. They’ll take a lot of weight — [more than 150 pounds] with some brands — so you can store everything from potatoes to entire dinner sets in them.”
Both Kipling and Lennox point out that drawers and other pull-out storage can help to reduce food waste, as you can easily see what you have. “Drawers are fully telescopic — everything in the back of the cupboard comes right out to the front, so you can have a bird’s eye view of the contents,” Lennox says. “This minimizes duplication and food waste.”
Simplify Recycling
Byers is a fan of adding a recycling center to a kitchen — usually a cabinet with pull-out units containing different bins. “We typically position one under a sink,” he says.
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Byers is a fan of adding a recycling center to a kitchen — usually a cabinet with pull-out units containing different bins. “We typically position one under a sink,” he says.
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Some units allow food waste to be directly scraped from the countertop into a caddy below.
Incorporate a Part-Time Countertop
In smaller kitchens, where countertops are also used to store the microwave and other bulky items, extra pull-out countertops can add a valuable food preparation surface when needed, Kipling says.
In smaller kitchens, where countertops are also used to store the microwave and other bulky items, extra pull-out countertops can add a valuable food preparation surface when needed, Kipling says.
Build On Your Base
Kipling and Byers point out the value of the toe-kick area — that space at the bottom of your cupboards generally filled by a decorative strip.
Rather than just blocking this off, Kipling suggests fitting toe-kick drawers under some cabinets. In one of the cabinet brands Byers supplies, the toe-kick drawer doubles up as a step to help you to reach tall shelves or for children to stand on and assist with food prep.
Kipling and Byers point out the value of the toe-kick area — that space at the bottom of your cupboards generally filled by a decorative strip.
Rather than just blocking this off, Kipling suggests fitting toe-kick drawers under some cabinets. In one of the cabinet brands Byers supplies, the toe-kick drawer doubles up as a step to help you to reach tall shelves or for children to stand on and assist with food prep.
Exploit Skinny Spaces
Another area ripe for exploitation in the name of storage is the gap between a tall fridge and the wall.
In this example, a skinny pull-out forms the outer edge of a storage cube” with an integrated fridge-freezer on the right (you can see more in the next photo).
“A bespoke kitchen designer will know what’s possible and what isn’t and will often find several solutions to problems you didn’t know could be solved,” she says.
Another area ripe for exploitation in the name of storage is the gap between a tall fridge and the wall.
In this example, a skinny pull-out forms the outer edge of a storage cube” with an integrated fridge-freezer on the right (you can see more in the next photo).
“A bespoke kitchen designer will know what’s possible and what isn’t and will often find several solutions to problems you didn’t know could be solved,” she says.
With the pull-out tucked away, you can see better how the storage has been configured.
Add Wheels
“Storage units on wheels, which can be pulled out when access is required, can be made to look as if they’re part of the fitted kitchen and also double up as island units or serving tables when needed,” Kipling says.
They add a valuable amount of storage space as they can have drawers and pull-out shelves and include a pull-out countertop, with the advantage of being movable, she says.
“Storage units on wheels, which can be pulled out when access is required, can be made to look as if they’re part of the fitted kitchen and also double up as island units or serving tables when needed,” Kipling says.
They add a valuable amount of storage space as they can have drawers and pull-out shelves and include a pull-out countertop, with the advantage of being movable, she says.
Supersize your Fridge and Freezer
“Never underestimate the amount of fridge and freezer space you might need,” Lennox says. “One of the most important storage areas in a kitchen is the fridge, yet most people settle for a 70/30 fridge-freezer. This amount of fridge space is generally never enough for more than two people in a household. A full-height fridge will cope with fluctuations in shopping, such as at Christmas, but also hold beer, wine and so on all year round, as well as ‘the big shop.’
“If the Covid-19 lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that there’s still a demand to freeze,” he says. “A full-height freezer enables homeowners to store batch cooking, but also to be very organized — you can even label the contents of your drawers with whiteboard markers.”
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“Never underestimate the amount of fridge and freezer space you might need,” Lennox says. “One of the most important storage areas in a kitchen is the fridge, yet most people settle for a 70/30 fridge-freezer. This amount of fridge space is generally never enough for more than two people in a household. A full-height fridge will cope with fluctuations in shopping, such as at Christmas, but also hold beer, wine and so on all year round, as well as ‘the big shop.’
“If the Covid-19 lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that there’s still a demand to freeze,” he says. “A full-height freezer enables homeowners to store batch cooking, but also to be very organized — you can even label the contents of your drawers with whiteboard markers.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Even if you have a dishwasher, there will usually be some things that get washed by hand. In addition, depending on how good your machine’s drying function is, certain items may need a quick air dry to finish them off. The result is that the countertop area around the sink can easily get — and remain — messy.
Mark Byers of Oliver Green Kitchens has the perfect solution. “An over-sink draining cupboard declutters the [countertop] area around the sink,” Byers says. “It’s a solution that comes as a standard option with some kitchens, and we’ve also adapted the idea and can incorporate it in the conventional kitchens we design.” In case you’re wondering, the cabinets are made with water-resilient or waterproof materials.
In the example pictured, the cabinet is transparent, but if you don’t even want to see the dishes drying, you could opt for a solid door front.
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