Kitchen Storage Tips To Make The Most From Your Space
The complaint you hear most about kitchens is that there is just not enough space for everything. Of course, that might just mean that you have too much stuff. But in many cases, it’s because your kitchen storage just isn’t working for your needs. Getting smart storage solutions doesn’t have to mean ripping out the entire kitchen and starting again as many of the ideas can be applied or retro-fitted to existing kitchen cabinets.
Take a Trip to a Kitchen Showroom
Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, a trip to a kitchen showroom will allow you to see all the latest innovations in kitchen design and storage solutions. Take notes or pictures with your phone of anything you think would work well in your home, and then use that as a reference to try to source racks, bins or other items to fit into your existing kitchen. Look at the overall design of kitchens too and how things are organised in the units. Often where we keep things in the kitchen hasn’t really been planned, and taking a step back and considering whether you’re actually keeping everything in the wrong place can solve your storage solutions quickly and easily.
Improving Kitchen Storage
One of the main complaints about kitchens is that there’s never enough space to put everything. Completely removing your kitchen then redesigning isn’t an option for everyone, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with inefficient storage. There are lots of quick, cheap and easy ways of updating your kitchen storage.
Use the Wall and Ceiling Space for Storage
Chefs in professional kitchens will often have knives on magnetic panels by the hob, or pans suspended on hooks. Storing items in this way makes them easy to grab – no more rummaging in the drawer for something which is right at hand. Also, storing utensils and pans in this way frees up space in the drawers and cupboards for other things. Having everything out on display isn’t the look everyone wants to go for in the kitchen, but adding a couple of open shelves can provide a space to store pretty pieces of china or other items which are too nice to spend their lives hidden away in cupboards.
Use the Walls Well
Visit any commercial kitchen and you’ll notice that everything is immediately to hand. Take inspiration from the top chefs and think about installing hanging racks for pans or utensils on the wall. It will look stylish, and also free up space in drawers. A good option for kitchen knives is a magnetic strip attached to tiles which can then be used to store your knives well out of the way of smaller members of the family too.
Extra Storage inside Cupboards
Most kitchen cabinets are designed to a standard height, and that often means that there is a lot of wasted space inside if you are storing smaller items. Maximise storage by getting extra shelves fitted, or look for baskets or trays designed to stack one on top of another. Clear plastic is the best choice as you’ll be able to see quickly what’s inside each one. Wire racks are a great option for cupboards where you store tins and packets, as these can be used to raise items at the back of the cupboard, making it easy to see at a glance what you have.
Freestanding Storage
Most of the large DIY and homeware stores sell as range of freestanding storage, such as butchers’ blocks which can be wheeled from kitchen to dining room or anywhere else in the house as required. These clever little units provide the ideal space to keep cutlery, placemats, table linen or anything else which you need to access on a regular basis but don’t want to keep out on display all of the time. If you have enough space in your kitchen you could even add a whole new freestanding kitchen island.
Buy a Freestanding Storage Unit for the Kitchen
If you’ve rearranged your kitchen cupboards multiple times, decluttered and invested in off the shelf storage solutions, then could a freestanding unit be the answer? We’re all about fitted kitchens in the UK but these are a relative modern invention. In the past, cupboards, dressers and other freestanding units were a kitchen staple. Alternatively, look for a sideboard or other cupboard for your lounge or dining area, allowing you to move your glasses or serving dishes and plates out of the kitchen cupboard, freeing up space for essentials.
Go Old-School with a Sideboard
Sideboards might sound like something you grew up with in the 70s or 80s, but they’re back in a big way. Sideboards are readily available at rock-bottom prices in second hand stores or at auction, and all it takes is a pot of paint and some effort to transform their appearance. Sideboards are the perfect storage solution for keeping plates, glasses, and everything else you’ll need for the family meals.
Shelving
Shelves are one of the most basic storage solutions around, but open shelving has fallen out of fashion in kitchens recently. A simple bookcase can be used to store not only cookbooks but glasses or mugs as well. Larger shelves with chunky brackets can be used for pots and pans. A great shelving option is getting modular shelving which allows you to move shelves up and down, or add more shelves as your needs change. Any large kitchen showroom will have a range of shelving options which should help you get to grips with what you really need.
Pan Drawers in Kitchen Cabinets
One of the best ways of maximising storage in the kitchen is to try to swap a cupboard for a pan drawer. These deep drawers provide lots more storage than cupboards, and as everything is on display when you pull the drawer out, it’s easy to see what you’re looking for. Although designed for pots and pans, these drawers are equally useful for mugs, food, and other kitchen items which you’d rather keep hidden away.
