In most of our kitchens, storage space is a precious commodity. And quite often, all it takes is just one marathon cooking session to turn your kitchen from beautifully organised, to something resembling a battle zone! The key to restoring order and preserving your sanity? A well-thought-out kitchen storage design. Because, let’s face it, maintaining a sparkling clean kitchen shouldn’t feel like an impossible task!
With the right modular kitchen storage organisers, you can keep the chaos away. From analysing your layout to creating the most clever storage solutions, here’s how you can make your kitchen super efficient!
Analysing Your Kitchen Layout for Optimal Storage Units
Whether your kitchen is spacious or smaller than you’d like, by optimising the layout and workflow you can make cooking a breeze.
Let’s start your analysis by surveying the existing space. Take note of the natural flow – from the stove to the sink, the refrigerator to the prep area. Are there any obstacles in the path of your workflow? Assess the distance between these key stations, ensuring that there’s nothing in the way of a smooth cooking experience. Use the kitchen work triangle concept to ensure that the layout is planned for maximum efficiency.
Consider the height of your cabinets in relation to the ceiling. If you have enough space above the upper run of cabinets, consider expanding the vertical kitchen storage. Taller cabinets or a loft can be incorporated to store items that are infrequently used, keeping them within reach, yet out of the immediate workspace.
Drawer placement is another critical aspect. Analyse the workflow – are your utensils close to the prep area? Are pots and pans conveniently located near the stove? Strategically placing drawers near cooking zones ensures that the items you need are accessible as and when you need them most.
Clever Kitchen Cabinet Solutions: Making the Most of Every Inch
Once you’ve finished your analysis of the layout, it’s time to plan kitchen storage cabinets that make the most of every inch of space. Listed below are the storage needs in each kitchen zone:
- Meal prep: Storage space close to your primary workspace can be used to store meal prep essentials. Install pull-out shelves or deep drawers to house cutting boards, mixing bowls, and other prep tools. This ensures everything you need is within arm’s reach, making meal prep effortless.
- Near the stove: Keep frequently used pots, pans, and cooking utensils within easy reach of the stove. An overhead spice rack is a great idea, as also a bottle pull-out for sauces and condiments that are used during cooking. Plan to have drawer organisers to organise your cookware efficiently, and keep things neatly in their place.
- Grocery storage: Unless you have a dedicated store room next to the kitchen, you’ll need to add a pantry unit for grocery storage. Think of installing pull-out shelves to maximise accessibility, and adjust the heights to easily accommodate cartons and canisters of various sizes.
- Storage of perishables: Your refrigerator should be located at one corner of the kitchen work triangle. If you have a large family or entertain often, consider getting a side-by-side refrigerator with more storage volume.
- Under sink cabinets: Quite often, the under-sink area is not utilised well enough. You can add functionality to this space with pull-out trays or storage racks for dishwash liquid and cleaning solutions.
Pull-Out Pantries and Sliding Shelves: Streamlining Storage
A pull-out kitchen pantry unit is a must-have in every kitchen. You can store everything from snacks to your monthly cooking staples, and even make room for smaller appliances and cleaning supplies.
Consider installing pull-out trays on heavy duty sliding channels to make it easy to access even the items stored at the very back. Always keep the heights of your tallest storage canisters in mind, and plan to have at least 4 inches of space left free above this height, for ease of use.
Smart Solutions for Corner Cabinets: Say Goodbye to Wasted Space
In an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen, the blind corners where two ends meet always pose a problem. How can you make the best use of the hard-to-reach corner space below the counter? Space-saving corner cabinets are the answer!
Here are some smart ideas for maximising the functionality of kitchen corners:
- LeMan’s Corner: If the corner is accessible from one side only, you can install a LeMan’s Corner; a flexible unit that swings out to ensure that stored items are clearly seen and readily accessible. Each shelf can typically hold up to 25 kg, making this a suitable storage option for heavy items.
- Magic Corner: A Magic Corner solution features front and back baskets that rotate independently of each other and allow neat display of items stored.
- Carousel Units: Carousel corner units are available as 270-degree circular baskets that are fitted on a central stem. Each shelf can be rotated to move stored items to the front for ready access.
- V-shaped Corner Drawers: A customised V-shaped wooden drawer that neatly fits into the available corner space is a game-changer for maximising functionality in your kitchen.
Utilising Vertical Space: Wall-Mounted Storage and Shelves
Using the vertical space in your kitchen is a great way to store essential items and keep your countertops free of clutter. Here are some of our favourite ideas for vertical kitchen storage:
- Closed cabinets: The most obvious and popular storage solution, closed cabinets can be used to stash anything and everything out of sight. You can plan to have upper closed cabinets in one run or two rows that go all the way to the ceiling. To increase transparency and make your kitchen appear lighter, think of adding cabinets with glass shutters which have less visual weight.
- Peg boards: A peg board offers a versatile and smart solution for hanging mugs, pots and pans, kitchen tools and anything else you can think of! Peg boards make life simple, keeping often-needed items off the countertops yet very easily accessible.
- Floating shelves: Take your design game up a notch with floating shelves—a cost-effective, space-savvy way of adding storage and utility to any kitchen! Floating shelves have great visual appeal and can be used to great advantage to display pretty crockery and pottery. You can choose to replace closed cabinets entirely with open shelves, or have a mix of both to create an interesting composition.
- Hanging rods: Mount a hanging rod right on the backsplash and hang saucepans, cups and ladles with hooks. You can also add a magnetic strip to keep kitchen knives organised.
Drawer Organisers: Dividers and Inserts
Stop wasting time searching for that elusive utensil that’s inevitably never where it’s meant to be! Find your kitchen tools instantly by using handy drawer organisers—nifty space-saving drawer inserts that compartmentalise cutlery and crockery, pots and pans in the most efficient way.
Here are some popular drawer organisers that will help save you precious time and effort:
- Cutlery organisers: Perfect for keeping your knives, forks, and spoons in order, cutlery trays come in various sizes to fit different drawer dimensions. They are available in metal, plastic, bamboo or wood.
- Utensil Dividers: Keep utensils neatly separated with dividers. Choose adjustable dividers that give you the flexibility to accommodate utensils of various sizes.
- Spice Drawer Inserts: Keep your spices in check with spice jar inserts in the drawer just below your cooktop. Spice drawer organisers make it very easy to find the right seasoning, even while you’re in the midst of cooking!
- Tray Organisers: Organise baking sheets, trays, and cutting boards neatly with tray organisers that help to prevent stacking and make these items easy to grab.
- Adjustable Drawer Organisers: Not sure just what you’ll be storing in a deep drawer? Tailor your drawer space to accommodate various-sized items, from pots and pans to utensils, by using adjustable dividers that can be moved around.
Under-the-Sink Cabinet Solutions: Tackling Tricky Spaces Effectively
The space below the sink in most homes is often overlooked, wasting its potential! With the right accessories, keeping the space below the sink well organised is very easy. Make the most of under-sink cabinets with these ingenious ideas:
- Pull-out drawers: Custom U-shaped drawer pull-outs that leave a space in between for plumbing help to maximise the storage potential of the space below the sink. Stash cleaning supplies, dishwashing liquid and other essentials out of sight and neatly organised.
- Waste bins: You can fit covered trash bins with separate compartments for wet and dry waste on the cabinet doors below the sink. Choose a design that makes the most use of available space.
- Soap caddy: A small tiered caddy fitted on the door offers a whole lot of convenience, and can be used to store soap, sponges, brushes and scrubbers right where they’re supposed to be, and easily within reach!
Do remember, though, that it’s important to keep this space free of any leaks, or things could get very messy indeed!
Multi-Functional Furniture: Storage with Style
Multi-functional storage can offer a world of convenience in your kitchen, especially if it’s on the smaller side! Transform your kitchen into a hub of efficiency with these multi-functional furniture ideas that are nothing short of sheer genius.
- Kitchen cart on wheels: A kitchen cart that has the same top height as your counters can serve as extra counter space, storage units, or even makeshift bars, adapting to your kitchen needs. You can roll them into the dining room too, for use as a dish caddy.
- Wall-mounted dining table: Short on floor space? A dining counter that can be folded away against the wall when not in use is a clever idea.
- Breakfast nook with storage below: Create a cosy breakfast counter with built-in storage below. Consider adding drawers underneath, offering a functional solution for cutlery, napkins and table mats.
- Kitchen island with storage: Opt for kitchen island designs that integrate storage shelves, drawers, or even built-in wine racks below, and have hooks above to hang pans and pots.
- Slide-out counters: A pull-out counter that’s neatly tucked in below your main countertop can offer additional space for meal prep or work as a dining counter when guests arrive.
Ready to Organise Your Kitchen Better?
When it comes to your kitchen, well-designed storage is key to keeping things neat and organised. Whether you’re remodelling your existing kitchen or building a brand new one from scratch, we hope we’ve given you plenty of ideas to make the most of the storage space you have!
If you want more custom solutions for your home interior visit a HomeLane Experience Centre today! Or get started right now by setting up a free call with one of our design experts. We’ve got plenty more modular kitchen storage hacks to help you work smart and stay efficient!
