Kitchen Storage

From the simplicity of drawers to electronic pantry pullouts, there are always ways to incorporate the storage that we need into our kitchen. With the advancements in technology nowadays, it has definitely become easier to provide clients the exact appliance and gadget that they had in mind, and, as we all know, kitchens are constantly the areas where the utilization of these luxuries come in handy. One of the main reasons why kitchen and bath design is such a specialized field in the interior design career is because we are referring to the most suitable and striking spaces of a home. The kitchen and bathroom(s) of a house determines the actual system of existing in these living spaces, in addition to how comfortable you and your guests feel while at your house. Since the kitchen of a home could probably be considered one of the most active areas in a residence, it is our job as interior designers to make it as adequate as possible according to the clients’ needs. This is when the word “storage” takes place in this discussion.

Although there is an infinite of manners that we are able to present a well-thought-out storage system for a customer’s kitchen, it is also important to remember that not everything that we see in our favorite interior architectural magazines is 100% accurate, especially when trying to solve the majority of our problems with drawers. Yes, drawer organizers are perfectly fine to have while taking into consideration that having to pull out monumental drawers is not as “fun” nor safe as it seems. Drawer slides are usually able to handle between 75 and 150 pounds, without mentioning that there are special slides that can hold up to 200 and 220 pounds. However, the previous information (as logical as it might sound) is not common knowledge for many home improvement aficionados out there, and if your interior “decorator” colleague is telling you that having twenty different baskets inside the same drawer is a great idea, you should definitely at least consult with a professional to be certain of the type of slide, rails and drawer box you would need for this idea (if possible). However, as long as you have the time and space to research you should be able to find at least one functional concept for a drawer organizer that you completely love.

Secondly—and this one is precisely for those who are not quite ready to remodel their entire kitchen but are still looking for innovative ways to create storage in their home—, I personally think peg boards are great items to have on a conventional space like a kitchen! My main reasoning for this is the customization that we can elaborate on these boards, since we can go from wall shelves to boxes, to regular pegs, while offering our kitchen a wide variety in styles and materials for the panels. The best part of this one is that it is the ideal DIY to try on a crafty-Sunday at your house, as long as you find a resistant plywood panel and your desired additions for the pegboard.

Third of all…Did someone say trashcan pull-out? I present to you one of the most requested and currently in-fashion storage items that everyone is dying to possess in their kitchens. Studies have shown that the best and most beneficial space to begin adding all of these cool “high-tech” gadgets to your house is your kitchen, especially when thinking of selling the house. People are LOVING kitchen accessories, but the trashcan pull-out and its derivations is definitely on top of the list. In name of the company, 911 Home Design & Construction, I have to say that from every five kitchens where cabinetry is being remodeled in any way, three of the times clients ask us to add a trashcan pull-out to their kitchens, and the reasons are frequently along the same lines: “It would just be so much simpler to be able to pull the trash out instead of having to open the door and grab the trashcan ourselves…”, and in certain ways, it is true. Having the trashcan under the sink is not the most elegant or conventional approach for it, and it is far better to be able to pull it out in order to grab the trash bag and take it outside. I guess it’s just one of those things!

(Also, who said that, 1) the “pull-out” method could not be replaced by a “tilt-out” one, or that, 2) the only place to have this was in the main kitchen area?)

Finally (and according to many other interior designers and design companies), these “canned food” storage cabinets are definitely a great innovation and space-efficient concept, especially when we start thinking of the different purposes that we could possibly arrange our actual pantry for. Because of this rolled-away spice rack, now you can begin to accumulate more storage space in your pantry, which might mean, no more cleaning supplies under the sink! (Now, wouldn’t that be nice?)

Even though these are just a few elements to think about at the moment of deciding to add more space-efficient appliances and gadgets to our kitchen, our possibilities are endless, and if none of these accessories truly captivated your taste, don’t you worry, because there is definitely more! It is all about dedication towards a high-quality search that must be taken with patience and collaboration from both, the customer(s) and the interior designer/contractor. The best piece of advice that we could give you is to not be afraid of experimenting and combining your favorite storage items into your kitchen, since at the end, it will all look like and function exactly how you want it to, and if there is something that I have learned in my short but extensive career as an intern with 911 Home Design, is that there is absolutely no extravagant preference that cannot fit into a well-crafted and professional cabinet and countertop work; and that, we can promise you.