Many homeowners find that their kitchen storage space becomes extremely limited over time. There seems to never be enough space to store everything you need! But having adequate storage in your kitchen helps to create a clean, clear, and sleek space. This ensures that not only is there enough countertop space for food preparation, but it also makes sure that the overall space is inviting for guests.

The kitchen is well known for becoming the entertaining focal point and “the heart of the home”. The kitchen is also often where families gather after a long day at work and school to catch up.

The kitchen is such a pivotal room of the home, serving many purposes and practicalities for us all, the integration of storage is absolutely key. For many of us, installing a large pantry isn’t always an option! Instead, we must find ways to use our current kitchen spaces more effectively. 

Today we will take you through the key five ways you can maximize your storage space in your kitchen. These tools should help you to minimize things being kept out on the countertops and ensure most foods and utensils are neatly stored away, yet easily accessible.

Let’s take a closer look.

Integrated Storage

 

When we design kitchens, we always ensure there is as much integrated storage allowed for as possible. It is incredibly useful to use as much space that’s available as possible, and to do this effectively we use a range of tools. 

 

Here are some of our favorite storage integrations:

• Roll-Out Shelves: These can either be used just in the base units or as a tall tower unit, with metal shelves within. Roll-out shelves make a great substitute to a walk-in pantry room! 
• Corner Storage: Corner kitchen units can be tricky areas to get to, but with specific corner integrations like a lazy Susan or pull-out storage shelves, this otherwise wasted space can be used well for additional kitchen storage.
• Under Sink Cupboards / Drawers: The “under sink cupboard” typically brings up images of a messy, unorganized space. However, if you use specific shelving that is shaped to be installed around the sink, you can very easily use this area well. 

 

There are many different space-saving kitchen storage integrations on the market that can easily be installed to ease the flow of moving around the kitchen and accessing needed items. 

Doors Vs. Drawers

 

Recently with the extremely modern, contemporary, and sleek kitchens, there has been an increase in the debate over whether cupboards with doors or drawers are the best way forward. This is all dependent on how you like to store your food, condiments, utensils, and crockery.

It is important to decide what you need to store away and how best it is to do this based on the specific item. It’s also critical to think about how you would like to use the kitchen yourself; how would you like or prefer to be getting these items from their cupboards? Do you find cupboards awkward lower down? Or perhaps you prefer this to have shelving or drawers. 

Some people prefer to be able to look at everything in a cupboard from the first glance and from above, which would suggest that having drawers installed at a low level is the best way forward for them specifically.

Installing deep drawers at a low level (below the countertop) can be particularly useful for storing plates, bowls, pans, and cooking trays. This is due to the fact that you’ll be looking down at them and lifting them up onto the countertop, rather than kneeling down on the kitchen floor and rummaging around cupboards!

There’s no real right or wrong answer here, it all comes down to personal preference.

Lazy Susan

Lazy Susans are extremely helpful when organizing the storage in a kitchen. For those who may not know exactly what they are, a Lazy Susan is a circular rotating plate that can come with storage compartments or there are plain rotating surfaces commonly known for use on dining tables. 

However for use in a kitchen, Lazy Susans can be used within cupboards, such as corner cupboards to organize dried or canned food. Or on the countertop, island or table themselves to store sauces, salt and pepper and other spices commonly used during meals.

 

Integrated Spice Racks

 

During the process of designing a kitchen, we love to incorporate spice racks into the design! Spices and herbs are a key element of cooking any meal, and so it’s vital that they are easily accessible, but stored away effectively so they don’t overcrowd a cupboard or the countertop.

Integrated spice racks are great for filling in slim gaps between units (if there’s space left over in a run of cabinetry) as an easy pull out system. Or you could have a spice rack installed within shallow drawers beneath the countertop. By installing a spice rack to a slim drawer, you can have the spice bottles facing upwards towards you so there’s never any doubt about what you’re picking out!

Alternatively, there are some easy to install spice racks you can purchase to go inside a cupboard door. This is perfect for keeping the spices and herbs organized, while out of the way, and keeps the countertop clear.

 

 

 

Additional Options

 

Most of the storage solutions we have mentioned above require planning before installing a new kitchen. But what if you don’t plan to remodel anytime soon? We wanted to explore some of the additional options which can be added after a new kitchen has been installed, or if you’re looking for helpful storage solutions you can implement in your existing kitchen.

 

The first important additional kitchen storage solution is drawer dividers. These are such a life saver! Particularly if you have a busy family life, we know that a lot of utensils can be dumped into one drawer and ends up being super messy, so this is perfect for organizing your kitchen drawers better.

 

Drawer dividers are great because there are so many different types to choose from to meet your needs. Some of them are adjustable with a spring mechanism on the back so they stay in the drawer using tension. These are great if you’re looking for a quick and easy solution to an otherwise messy drawer! Plus, they help you to create a personalized drawer with spacing however big or small you require.

 

Other options are solid wood or plastic trays that sit inside the drawer, that already have pre-made dividers integrated. Many are adjustable, meaning you can pull one side to make it larger to fill your drawer width. These are good quick fixes, particularly for cutlery drawers. However, for a utensil heavy drawer, (ladles, spatulas, tongs) these are unlikely to provide spacing large enough.

 

Top Tip: Always check the measurements against your drawers before ordering!

 

We love adding storage baskets to cupboards and cabinets throughout the home (such as bathroom vanities), and the kitchen is no different! Particularly for storing cleaning supplies, there are expandable under-the-sink shelving available (pictured on the right).

 

Lastly, is canisters. Are you sick and tired of staring at cardboard cereal boxes? Plastic containers and packaging? Not to mention the amount of cupboard space they all take up? There’s nothing better than opening a kitchen cupboard or drawer where all the dried food is neatly organized within canisters. It creates a much simpler and easier time in the kitchen!

 

Top Tip: Always add a small label to the base of your storage containers with the Use By date if there is one! You don’t want to forget this information and cause any unnecessary upset stomachs.

 

We hope you have enjoyed reading this post on how you can maximize your kitchen storage! There are so many creative ways you can add extra space, and save on the space you do have, to create a better environment for everyone in the kitchen. We would love to hear your thoughts and whether you’ve implemented any of the ideas shared above in the comments below!