Regardless of your kitchen’s size, two complaints are always at the top of home owners’ lists: not having enough storage space, or not being able to utilize it effectively. But while these issues may have been a major source of frustration in the past, today’s your lucky day: we’re here to give you six insider tips for stretching your storage with everything from low-budget gadgets to high-quality kitchen cabinets. Read on to find out how to resolve your kitchen struggles in smart and simple ways, which may even leave you with space to spare!
1. Decide on Drawers
The move away from cabinets with doors and towards drawers is one of the hottest industry trends this year… and for good reason! While cabinets with doors and chaos go hand in hand, fully extending drawers are a far more practical and tidy solution, enabling you to see their entire descriptions without having to bend over or move items out of the way. All it takes to get a comprehensive overview of your drawers is one glance – provided that you’ve organized them, that is!
2. Opt for Organization
Our tip to keep your drawers neat brings us to our next point: how to systematize them in an effective manner. After all, your drawers are only as good as your organization – if they’re cluttered with a disarray of items, it won’t matter that they’re fully extending! By making use of organizers, such as racks, dividers, or trays, you’ll be able to locate items quickly and easily, ensuring that your high-quality kitchen cabinets live up to their full potential.
3. Capitalize on Corners
Sometimes we can’t have it all: no matter how much we want a seamless kitchen layout, the size and shape of your room and cabinetry may not align. But instead of letting awkward angles and corners stay empty, why not think outside the box? Perhaps you could fill the space with the pantry that you’ve always wanted, a shelf for cookbooks and nutritional guides, or with wall hooks, from which you can hang bulky pots and pans. Regardless of where your creative inklings lead, you’ll reap the benefits when you realize how much you’ve decluttered your countertops and cabinets!
4. Invest in the Kitchen Island
All too often, kitchen islands are viewed as primarily decorative, serving only as a casual dining area or as a place to dump (and then forget about) miscellaneous items. If these are the only functions of your own island, it’s time to dig a little deeper: couldn’t it also serve as the ideal storage space? The answer is a resounding yes – you could equip the base with high-quality kitchen cabinets. Once again, installing drawers is probably your best bet for optimizing space and organization. Oh, and while you’re at it, why not clean up the stuff sitting on your island’s countertop and store it away in your new drawers?
5. Clean Up Your Cabinets
Even if you switch over to drawers, your kitchen may still have upper rows of cabinets that could use a revamp. Instead of shoving items into their dark depths, it’s worth adding shelving to the interior space to enhance visibility and organization. What’s more, you could use over-the-door hangers for everything from pots and pans to aprons and cleaning towels. If you think about it, it’s amazing how much potential storage space usually goes unused!
6. Artful Additions
Now, if you’re on a budget – or you try all of these tips and space is still sparse, – don’t give up just yet: there is a range of simple, low-budget solutions that’ll make a world of difference. High-quality kitchen cabinets and islands are all very well and good, but investing in a few economical gadgets, such as a pegboard for utensils or a magnetic knife holder, may also do the trick. If you don’t have an island or simply need additional storage space, you could also buy a roll-away island, which will provide you with an additional countertop, as well as storage space. And the best part about all of these options is that none of them break the bank!
Whether you’re ready for a full-on remodel or are looking for a quick fix, these six storage suggestions promise not to disappoint. From installing high-quality kitchen cabinets and islands to maximizing your existing space’s storage potential, you’re certainly not at a loss for options – all you have to do is get creative!
Caroline Krogh-Jensen is a co-founder of BauBox, a manufacturer of affordable, high quality kitchen cabinets based in California. With over a decade of experience in the furniture industry, she has built up an outstanding reputation for helping her clients design quality kitchens that exceed their highest expectations, always striking the perfect balance between comfort and class.
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