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One secret to designing a great kitchen is to account for your storage needs and desires in the initial planning phase. A storage plan will address how often you cook, entertain and hold gatherings. A great kitchen must not only look out of this world, it also must incorporate the best functionality that meets your needs.
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An almost endless array of options is available to store cookware, food, utensils, countertop appliances (blenders, mixers, etc.), recycling containers and so on. The first step in maximizing storage is to assess what currently exists in your kitchen. Inventory your cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools, storage containers, cutlery, knives, utensils, gadgets, and countertop appliances and estimate frequency of use. This is a great time to purge items that you never use too. Space permitting, items that you use infrequently or even as little as once a year (the large roasting pan for Thanksgiving turkey) can be relegated to upper cabinets or to other rooms in the home to open up prime real estate for the utensils and equipment that you use most frequently.
When you identify your most-used items, you’ll empower your kitchen designer to make your kitchen function so much more effectively than it would with standard sized drawer widths and depths. A combination of drawer cabinets and shelf cabinets can be customized to your individual preferences. For example, a drawer at the top of the cabinet combined with shelving underneath allows for storage of smaller, frequently used items in the more reachable drawer, while the shelf storage accommodates larger and less frequently used items, such as food processors and stand mixers. Not only does this approach save time in preparing meals, it also is easier on your back.
Many homeowners first think of storing their kitchen utensils in a horizontal position. Vertical storage compartments for whisks, spatulas, slotted spoons, etc., make it easier for you to see and retrieve those tools. A vertical storage cabinet can often make use of small spaces that might otherwise go unused, such as spaces next to the range or kitchen sink. Vertical storage is also appropriate for cutlery. It’s not difficult to divide a drawer into small deep individual compartments for knives, forks, teaspoons, soup spoons and salad forks.
Creating drawers within drawers can maximize space in deep drawers. A top layer may be used for cutlery, below is a second drawer for dishes and below that is another drawer for pots and pans. These drawers within drawers slide individually with the top-drawer housing items used most often.
A kitchen designer can custom design trays to exacting specifications that account for the actual dimensions of your kitchen equipment. Specifying trays for drawers to hold cutlery and kitchen gadgets to match the drawer helps avoid any movement.
Utensils can be stored as part of an open shelving system, housing them in jars or open vessels, which is an ideal venue for the items you use most often. Hanging rails are another option for storing and displaying utensils that not only make an aesthetic statement, but also keep items used most often easily accessible.
When you inventory your kitchen, make a list of items that you currently store and those that you would like to store. Remember, storage capacity affects usable counter space. Many existing kitchens include mixers, blenders, food processors, coffee pots, et. al. sitting on the counter because there is insufficient cabinet space. Cluttered countertops eliminate the possibility of having a clean look.
An easy solution to a shortage of storage space is double- stacked kitchen cabinets. They not only have the ability to greatly increase your storage space, they also can provide a blank canvas to create dramatic and striking displays and a completely finished look. There are several factors associated with specifying double-stacked cabinets.
First, you need the physical space to accommodate twin sets of wall cabinets. In many kitchens, wall-hung cabinets do not reach the ceiling. The typical rule of thumb is that if there is a foot of open space between the top of your existing wall-hung cabinets and the ceiling, there is a good chance that your new kitchen can accommodate double- stacked cabinets. The following are the advantages and considerations of specifying double-stacked cabinets.
Advantages
Storage space: store seldom used countertop appliances (waffle irons, griddles, sandwich presses, pasta makers and so on). If you have a lot of cookware, the extra space makes a nice home for seldom used pots and pans as well.
Personal design statements: Specifying glass front cabinets in combination with panels and/or open cabinets allows you to showcase your favorite things whether they be a vase that you picked up during your travels, a serving platter, decorative accents, silver or gold items, candle sticks or that special trinket that makes you smile every time you see it.
Enhanced lighting: Combining glass front cabinets with interior cabinet lighting produces a spotlight effect for any item that is stored in the cabinet. Interior cabinet lighting also serves to complement pendant, recessed or other lighting. Bottom line: a brighter space.
Clean lines and a finished look: Some of our clients do not like the flow of the kitchen interrupted if the cabinets on the wall do not reach the ceiling. When cabinets do reach the ceiling, the look is more seamless and cleaner.
Considerations
Accessibility: The upper tier of the cabinets that reach the ceiling may not be easily accessible without the assistance of a ladder or step stool.
Budget: If you double the amount of wall-hung cabinets by a having double stacked configuration, your budget will need to increase accordingly.
Maintenance: You have 33 percent more surface area to clean and maintain.
Space: If you have a limited footprint, double stacked may make your kitchen feel cramped. There can be too much of a good thing.
Storage and organizational tools are not an afterthought but an integral component of designing a beautiful, statement- making and thoroughly functional kitchen.
If you would like assistance for creating a clutter-free kitchen, call us at 805- 203-3988 or visit our showroom at 1164 Newbury Road, Suite B, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320.
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