5 Storage Ideas to Optimize Your Kitchen
The kitchen might be the most used room in your house, but is it the most organized? A cluttered kitchen can be a huge source of frustration. Pair it with an inefficient layout, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster! While our team can’t help you find all your missing tupperware lids, we can provide you with a custom kitchen design that encourages a more efficient workflow. In addition to custom cabinetry design, we also offer a wide array of custom storage solutions that provide a place for all your kitchen utensils and gadgets. The options and combinations are endless, but we’ve compiled a list of 5 storage ideas that are guaranteed to optimize your kitchen space.
A neutral kitchen that utilizes custom storage solutions to keep counters and cabinets clutter-free
White and Oak Kitchen Gallery
Islands: The Kitchen's Command Center
The island isn’t just a focal point, it's the linchpin of your kitchen's storage and functionality; dictating workflow, seating, and appliance placement. A custom island is a versatile addition that can be tailored to your specific needs.
Why Choose a Custom Island?
Custom islands are a fantastic way to maximize storage in your kitchen. A custom island can be designed to meet your unique storage requirements. Whether you need extra cabinet space, shelving, or specialized storage for appliances, a custom island can accommodate it all. Likewise, a custom island can serve various purposes, such as a prep area, a dining space, or even a home office. It's a hub for various kitchen activities, so optimizing its multifunctionality can make your kitchen more efficient. A custom island can be designed to complement your kitchen's style and color scheme. This ensures a cohesive look and adds to the overall aesthetics of your space. We see clients choosing blues, natural wood, and even black as paint selections for their custom island designs.
Our Clients’ Custom Island
Our clients’ custom, nine-foot long, white oak island offers enough seating for three. The natural wood island juxtaposes with the kitchen’s neutral cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. This island is equipped with a combination of cabinets and drawers. The custom island is not only a focal point to this custom, neutral kitchen, it’s also serves as a visual partition between the kitchen and sitting area.
Popular Custom Island Modifications
To make the most of your custom island, consider incorporating the following storage solutions:
Cabinetry: Install deep drawers for pots, pans, and dishes. This provides easy access and a bird’s eye view of your most used cookware.
Open Shelves: Open shelves can be used for displaying decorative items or for storing frequently used dishes and utensils. They add a touch of personality to your kitchen.
Inset Appliances: Want to keep the microwave off of the counter, or install a dishwasher next to the sink? A custom island can be built to accommodate your daily workflow by keeping the appliances you use most within reach.
Pull-Out Paper Towel Holder: Tired of the paper towel holder falling over, or taking up valuable countertop real estate? A built-in paper towel drawer keeps the roll out of sight, but within reach and ready to keep spills at bay .
Appliance Garages: Declutter Your Countertops
Countertops often become a dumping ground for small kitchen appliances, from toasters to mixers and everything in between. Appliance garages offer a stylish and functional solution to keep these items out of sight while still easily accessible.
Appliance garages aren’t just convenient, they help maintain a clean and organized look in your kitchen. Simply close the garage door to hide the appliances when they're not in use to free up valuable counter space. Consider adding outlets to the back of your appliance garage so that your gadgets are ready to go whenever you are!
When implementing appliance garages in your kitchen, keep in mind the size and placement of the appliances that you’ll be housing there as well as their function. Having a custom place to keep the blender out of sight doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit!
Built-Ins: Seamlessly Integrated Storage
Built-in storage solutions are designed to blend seamlessly with your kitchen's design, providing a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing storage option. They are designed to maximize every inch of available space, ensuring that no area is wasted, while seamlessly merging with your kitchen's overall design, creating a clean and uncluttered appearance. Built-ins can be customized to accommodate various kitchen items, from spices and wine bottles to dishes and utensils.
Our clients chose to incorporate built-ins into their sitting area. The custom design balances the room and incorporates the fireplace, while simultaneously providing wine storage. Perfect for entertaining guests, or relaxing by the fire! Built-ins instantly elevate the look of any room, and have endless options for personalization- all while also offering practical storage!
Looking for more built-in inspiration? Here’s a few projects we love!
Lazy Susan: The Rotating Wonder
The Lazy Susan is a classic storage solution that's been a kitchen favorite for decades. Its spinning design allows you to access items stored in the back of your cabinets with ease. This makes it an excellent option for corner cabinet spaces, ensuring that every inch is accessible. Which means items stored on the Lazy Susan are easily visible and within reach, reducing the need to rummage through cluttered cabinets, or buy more of an item you already own. While this kitchen remodel features a large lazy susan as a customization option, the practical design can be implemented on a smaller scale like under the sink for cleaning supplies, or as an organizer for spices, condiments, and baking supplies.
Sliding Shelves and Drawers: Effortless Cabinet Access
Sliding shelves, also known as roll-out, or pull-out shelves, bring convenience and accessibility to your cabinets. The ability to reach the contents of your cabinets without having to unload the entire shelf makes them a popular choice for kitchens and bathrooms alike! Not only are they user friendly, they are an efficient way to organize your home. The options are truly endless! Here are some ways clients have implemented sliding shelves:
Libation Station:
Our clients got creative with their space and utilized sliding shelves to stow away their favorite wines in the sitting area between the kitchen and dining room. Deep shelves are a great place to hide bottles and bar accessories out of site until they’re ready to be used for entertaining.
Pantry Pals:
Pull-out shelves are a common solution for pantry storage. Owners can easily access boxes and cans that get pushed to the back of the drawers. This doesn;t just help keep the kitchen organized- it cuts down on waste. The lower pull-out drawers are great for stowing away lesser-used countertop appliances without having to take up counter space or unload the entire cabinet for the blender they use a few times a year. ( Coones)
Bathroom Buddy:
Pull-out shelves are a must for bathroom organization! It's a fact of life- whatever you need will be in the back of the cabinet. No matter what. With pull-out shelves, there’s no more raking through piles of toiletries, or straining to grab the kids’ bath toys. Everything is easily within reach! (Freeman Bath)
Going Vertical:
We have many clients who choose to implement vertical rollout drawers on either side of their cook range to store spices, oils and utensils. While most clients choose to install them in the lower cabinets, they’re also functional in the upper cabinets as well! They offer several customization options depending on the clients’ preferences. Here are few popular combinations:
Kitchen Remodel Before and After
A well-organized kitchen isn't just about aesthetics; it's about creating an efficient and enjoyable space for meal preparation and family gatherings. By incorporating these five storage solutions: custom islands, appliance garages, built-ins, Lazy Susans, and Pull-out shelves - you can transform your kitchen into a haven of organization and functionality. When every item has its place, getting dinner on the table becomes a *little* less hectic. With these innovative storage ideas, your home could become a seamless blend of style and practicality.
Selections
Paint
Cabinets and built-ins painted White Dove from Benjamin Moore (OC-17).
Surfaces
2”x9” tile backsplash by Ragno in Bianco Glossy from Clayton Tile in brick lay pattern.
Countertops are Barrington Quartz, selected from Upstate granite Solutions.
Plumbing Fixtures
Farmhouse Undermount Single Basin Sink by Kohler, Whitehaven Collection.
Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet from Signature Hardware, Greyfield Collection.
Lighting and Accessories
Small Cabinet Pulls: 5 Inch Center to Center Handle by Atlas Homewares, Oskar Collection in Matte black finish.
Knobs: 1-1/4 Inch Mushroom Cabinet Knob by Atlas Homewares, Oskar Collection in Matte Black.
Large Cabinet Pulls: 7-9/16 Inch Center to Center Handle by Atlas Homewares, Oskar Collection in Matte Black.
Thea 4-Light island pendants in matte black finish by Capital Lighting purchased through Greer Lighting Center.
Glenn 1-Light Adjustable Wall Sconce in Matte Black by Savoy House purchased through Greer Lighting Center.
