Storage solutions in a modern kitchen is a serious business! We all have stuff an need place to keep this stuff while keeping it accessible (-ish). Just think about that kitchen aid mixer that you keep on the counter or don’t take out of the cabinet because it’s too heavy. Read on to discover some of the options available for your kitchen.

Base storage

When it comes to base storage, there is plenty to consider. Start by rummaging through your kitchen and determining what will be stored there and what can be moved elsewhere (trash can, perhaps, for that tomato sauce stained plastic Tupperware?). Then, explore your options! Note, I will not be going into the corner solutions in this post as it deserves a separate one, in my opinion.

Trash pull out

Those are practically a standard for kitchen nowadays. Nobody likes a trash can on the floor, no matter how pretty or polished it is. There are top and bottom mounted options, wood and metal, double and single and even a recycling center (with 4 way partition). No matter which option you are going with, the placement is the key here. Make sure that your trash pull out is either right next to the sink (not under it) or very close. Ideally, the trashcan would be placed somewhere along the work triangle between your sink and your stove.

Pots and pans pull out

Pots and pans pull out makes the most of your base cabinet space and makes fishing out that pot from the back a breeze. It usually has shelves for lids and/or trays and cookie sheets on the side.

You can also hang your pots and pans (and I adore this variation for small spaces). The pull out is top mounted and extends fully to give you access to everything inside. Doesn’t have space for lids, but those can be kept on the door with a couple of simple brackets. You don’t need a lot of space to take advantage of this storage options, and it does keep your cookware nice and neat.

Kitchen Aid lift

Those things weight a ton! Fret not, there is a solution. Glue your mixer to the shelf and forget the problem existed. The lift gets installed inside the cabinet and pulls up to near counter height with special mechanism. It is also soft-close, so your mixed will get tucked away nice and smooth when you are done with it. Put a pull out shelf at the bottom of the accessories, and you are done!

Pull outs

There is about a gazillion of those (that’s a number, right?). From your good old spice pull outs to tray divider pullouts to utensils pullout to knife pull outs (don’t use those if you have kids). Those are invaluable when it comes to organization! The sizes start at 3″ (filler pull out) for spice or towel rack pull out.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Drawer organization

Drawers seem to be a good storage solution as it is, so additional options are often overlooked.

Use the drawer fronts on you sink base for tip-out trays: those tuck away your sponges. I would not advise to use those for your every day use sponge (the wet and yuk, you know), but those are great for your specialty sponges, like steel wool and melamine, that don’t get used that often, but need to be kept handy.

For your deep drawers, consider peg board storage. It is probably the most versatile system of drawer storage. The pegs hold whatever you store there in place and don’t let it slide. If you have a cooktop, putting dishes there makes serving very convenient! Just make sure that your drawer slides and bottom can take the weight of your dinnerware.

And, finally, the double tier drawer insert. Those are amazing! Combined with a drawer organizer, you double the storage capacity with this simple addition. Just slide it in out of the way when you need to reach the bottom tier.

Pantry storage

Here, things are pretty simple. There are pull outs and swing outs. Pull outs are just that: you have several shelves that can be pulled out one by one or all at a time. Those come in wood and wire, and are usually heavy duty. They provide assess to the back of the pantry without having to take half of the stuff off the shelf. Tres convenient!

A step up from above would be pull/swing combination. This nifty little insert allows you to swing the pull out portion sideways to make reaching the back even easier, especially if you need to take that 5 gallon canister of cooking oil from the bottom shelf.

And, there are swings out. Those are set inside the cabinet and simply break down the storage pattern. The front portion with shelves opens up to reveal the back portion with more shelves, and there are more shelves installed on the doors. Welcome to the kingdom of shelves.

I have to mention that the storage organization for pantries usually applies to the bottom portion of it. Installing the pull out on the top would make it very difficult to use without a step stool and a hard hat.

Wall storage solutions

Wall storage does not have nearly as many options as the base storage, but there are some that deserve our attention.

Pullouts

Those are your standard spice pull outs that pull out and hold spices… start at 3″ wide and can be hidden behind a filler, maybe a little column even! One thing to keep in mind, if you don’t want to put hardware in your filler or column, look for a non-soft close option and some push to open hardware. Makes for a cool cooking trick (smack the column to get to oregano)

Next up is a spice rack, wall mounted in this case. Puts your spices on display in a pretty way, all on the back of the cabinet door. Note, extra hinges might need to be added to hold the door with the extra weight on it. Check with the cabinet manufacturer. I would throw an extra one just in case.

And, finally, there is a pull down for your (you guessed it) spices. Gets installed inside the cabinet and pulls out and down when you need it. not the most space-saving thing, but looks kind of cool and does help with organizing those containers and bottles.

For now, that is all. Whatever storage solution you are going for, you need to make sure that it is suited to your needs and your space. Too much is just as bad as not enough. Check out more of my posts on this blog for all things kitchen, go to my website or get in touch with me if you need help.