Whether your kitchen is a teeny tiny one or jumbo-sized, one thing is for sure….there’s no such thing as too much storage space! But by incorporating efficient modular kitchen accessories, you can make the most of the space you have and organise your kitchen beautifully. Keep your kitchen items easily accessible and within reach exactly where you need them, and save time and effort while cooking!
If you’ve ever found yourself digging through cluttered cabinets, looking for elusive Tupperware lids or searching for spices and sauces that seem to always be missing, you’re in the right place. What are some must-have accessories that no kitchen can do without? Read on to find out!
Baskets for Modular Kitchen: Storage Reimagined
Pull-out wire baskets are perfect for storing not only pantry items, but also utensils, kitchen tools and more. These versatile steel or wire baskets can hold anything and everything, and are available in various sizes and depths to accommodate all your storage needs. These baskets are usually fitted on telescopic channels that slide out completely, allowing you to easily access even items stored right at the back without too much effort.
Do note that each basket is designed for a specific capacity, and if overloaded will not perform at its best! Always tell your designer if you plan to use the basket to store heavy items, so that they can factor this in and use heavy-duty channels to bear the extra load.
Opt for soft-close channels, which are designed to provide a smooth and controlled closing motion, gliding shut easily and noiselessly. These channels will prevent the drawers from slamming shut if pushed with too much force, and will reduce wear and tear on the drawers, extending the overall lifespan of the furniture.
There are many different types of pull-out baskets available, and some of them are listed below:
- Bottle pull-outs are designed to store bottles of various sizes, such as oils, sauces, or condiments. They are typically narrow—between 4 to 8 inches in width—and feature tiers to keep bottles organised and easily accessible.
- Below-the-sink pull-outs are designed for the space below the sink. These pull-outs are ideal for storing cleaning supplies, dishwasher liquid, sponges, and other cleaning essentials.
- Trash bin pull-outs are crafted specifically for waste management, and can hold wet and dry trash bins. This allows for easy disposal without cluttering the kitchen space.
- Pantry pull-outs are fitted with multiple tiers or shelves, providing easy-to-access storage for various grocery items.
- Pot and pan tandem boxes are used for storing pots, pans, and lids and come with dividers to keep cookware in place and easily accessible.
Drawer Dividers Redefined: Crafting Order in Every Nook
Kitchen drawer organisers come in various widths and depths, and help you to keep utensils, cutlery, and other kitchen items neatly arranged. Some of the most popular drawer dividers include the following:
- Cutlery trays have compartments specifically designed to separate out and store different types of cutlery, such as knives, forks, and spoons.
- Utensil trays are similar to cutlery trays but come with larger compartments, ideal for organising kitchen tools like spatulas, ladles, and serving spoons.
- Divided drawer organisers have various sections, allowing you to create custom compartments for different items like kitchen gadgets, measuring spoons, or small utensils. They may have a larger depth than cutlery drawers, as required for the items being stored.
- Expandable organisers can be adjusted to fit the width of your drawer, providing flexibility for different drawer sizes. They help to keep pots and pans from moving around within the drawer, keeping things beautifully organised at all times.
Corner Chronicles: Unleashing the Potential of Tricky Spaces
Corner spaces pose a problem; they are awkward and hard to reach. It’s not easy to bend deep down and pull things out from the storage cabinets below these corners, which is why corner unit accessories are a godsend!
These are some of the space-saving solutions that help you eke out every bit of functionality from your corner storage spaces:
- Lazy Susans are circular rotating trays fixed on a central axis that can be installed in corner cabinets. They allow you to spin the trays to reach items in the back without the need to remove everything in front.
- The LeMans corner system features swivelling shelves that rotate outwards, providing easy access to items stored in the far end.
- Magic Corner pull outs are advanced solutions that use a complex sliding mechanism to bring the entire contents of the corner cabinet out into the open. This design ensures efficient use of space and easy access.
- Swing-out trays are designed to swing out from corner cabinets, offering easy access to stored items. They are available in several sizes, and could even be customisable to fit specific cabinet dimensions.
- Corner drawers are an innovative solution where the front of the cabinet is a traditional drawer, but the interior is shaped to neatly fit into the corner space.
Aesthetic Lights for Modular Kitchen
Your kitchen lighting design contributes a great deal to the aesthetics and functionality of your space. Lighting should never be an afterthought but should be integrated into the initial planning of your kitchen to create a well-lit and inviting space.
Always maximise natural light in the kitchen with well-placed windows or skylights that allow the sunlight to come in. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant, and can help to dispel shadows, prevent the growth of mould, and maintain the hygiene in your kitchen.
These are the various kinds of artificial lights that you should consider in your kitchen:
- Ceiling lights, as the name indicates, are installed in the ceiling and provide general or ambient lighting. They could be recessed spotlights within the ceiling, or flush-mounted fixtures that are mounted on top of the ceiling.
- Pendant lights or drop lights are designer lights for kitchens that add decorative value. They can be fitted on top of the island or breakfast counter.
- LED strips installed below the cabinets provide task lighting on the counters or work areas.
- Accent lights or display lights can be fitted inside cabinets with glass shutters, illuminating the display of crockery or pottery and adding visual appeal.
- Toe-kick lights are LED strips that are installed at the base of cabinets to provide a soft glow near the floor. This is both functional, as it shows up anything fallen on the floor, and adds a stylish element to the kitchen.
- Track lights that are adjustable and can be directed to light up specific areas in the kitchen. They can also be used to illuminate artwork on the walls, to highlight architectural features and so on.
- Chandeliers add a dramatic touch to a larger kitchen, providing additional ambient light and serving as a dazzling focal point.
Futuristic Kitchen Appliances Bringing Magic to Your Modular Kitchen
We live in a world that’s getting smarter by the day! This is the age of AI, and by integrating smart technologies into our kitchens we can completely transform the way we cook and interact with appliances, enhancing efficiency and adding amazing convenience to our daily lives.
Here are some futuristic kitchen appliances that are reshaping our culinary experiences.
- Smart fridges with interactive displays: Imagine a fridge with a touchscreen that suggests recipes based on your ingredients, tracks expiration dates, and even orders groceries when you’re running low. Need a recipe using the ingredients that are there in your fridge? No problem, you’ll get a video with how tos, right on the display on your fridge door!
- Voice-activated assistants: Even the most reluctant cook will love to work with virtual assistants like Alexa. Now you can control appliances, set timers, or get recipe instructions through voice commands!
- Energy efficiency: Smart appliances with AI capabilities help to optimise energy usage by learning how you use them, and adjusting settings to reduce wastage of energy.
- AI-enhanced cooking assistants: Need to whip up a meal in a jiffy? AI-driven cooking assistants provide recipe recommendations, suggest substitutions based on available ingredients, and even adapt recipes to meet dietary preferences.
- Smart lighting and environment control: Smart lighting and environmental control systems create the perfect conditions for cooking, dining, and overall kitchen use.
- Enhanced security: AI-powered security systems can be integrated into your kitchen, allowing you to monitor and keep track of things from afar.
Ready to Add a World of Convenience to Your Kitchen?
We hope we’ve given you a fair understanding of the modular kitchen accessories you can use to add convenience and accessibility to your kitchen. Sit down with your designer and find out which are the must-have space-saving solutions and storage organisers that will work well for your needs. If you’re working on a budget, create a master plan, and design the spaces at the very outset, so that you can buy and add the accessories later when you budget permits.
Have fun designing your modular kitchen, and do connect with the modular kitchen experts at HomeLane anytime you need support!
