7 ways to make the most of your kitchen storage

Clever kitchen design is all about maximising the use of space. With most families using the kitchen as a central meeting point for cooking, eating and socialising, it’s more important than ever to create a well organised area that looks good, feels homely and is efficient to use on a daily basis.

Storage is the undisputed unsung hero that can transform your kitchen into a perfectly planned and visually attractive space that’s a pleasure to use. Let’s face it, no-one has ever complained about having too much storage. It’s only when you don’t have enough cupboards, drawers, shelving etc that your kitchen seems cluttered and messy.

When you’re planning a new kitchen, storage options should be right at the top of your priority list. I asked a specialist designer and installer of kitchens, bedrooms and interiors in Solihull about their best tips to incorporate space saving storage into a new kitchen design.

1. What’s the space?

Consider the new kitchen space – will it be a bijou galley kitchen or a generous kitchen/diner? Whichever you choose, storage is always key, albeit for different reasons. With space at a premium in small kitchens, every inch counts to make the most of the available space so that you have a place for everything and everything has a place.

The growing trend towards open plan kitchen/diners means that everything – from the spice rack to the dirty dishes – is visible. The only way to get the sleek, seamless aesthetic of the modern home is by incorporating lots of kitchen storage to conceal your kitchen clutter from view.

2. Learn the lessons

Valuable lessons can be learnt from your existing kitchen arrangement that you can take forward into your new design. How is the overall flow of the current kitchen? Would it make life easier if some elements, say the sink or oven, were moved around?

It makes eminent sense to keep crockery near the dishwasher, baking trays near the oven and spices near the hob. Think about the workflow between storage, food prep and cooking, and about the work triangle of hob, sink and fridge. These are all useful ideas that can be put into place when you plan the new kitchen.

3. Zoning in

It is helpful to think of your kitchen space in terms of different zones for different activities and the requirements for efficient storage for each. Classic kitchen tasks include food storage and preparation, cooking and baking, dining and washing up, but if you have a kitchen/diner you probably also use it for relaxing and socialising, catching up with paperwork or helping the kids do their homework.

The modern kitchen should be able to cope with storage for all of this – from cooking ingredients and fresh produce to cookware and crockery right through to laptops, toys, books and stationery. Versatility and accessibility are key to achieving intelligent storage that works for your home.

4. The corner cupboard

With fitted kitchen furniture, much space can be wasted in corners. However, even with corner base units, pots and pans can be hard to reach. Luckily, there is now a wide choice of corner storage solutions for both wall and base units.

For base units, carousels, Le Mans (kidney shaped) and magic corner units offer swivel and/or rotation action that makes everything easily accessible. Why not store small appliances such as mixers, blenders and juicers away and free up precious worktop space?

5. The pantry

If you have space, a modern day pantry can be an excellent solution for storing foodstuffs such as tinned and packaged foods, spices and ingredients, teas and coffees and any other dried foods and cupboard staples that don’t belong in the fridge or freezer.

Traditionally, a pantry was an extra small room near the kitchen, while these days walk-in pantries are rare. Instead, cabinet pantries, double door larders and breakfast cupboards are used to house all the kitchen essentials, perhaps even including the toaster and coffee machine, to keep your worktops clutter free.

6. The larder

A dedicated food storage solution with plenty of space that’s perfect for cooking and entertaining at home, the larder is currently experiencing something of a comeback. Customise to your heart’s content to fit the available space exactly – there are tandem larders, swing larders, slimline and pull-out larders to fit all shapes, sizes and layouts of kitchen.

Add non-slip shelving and soft close doors and, hey presto, here’s a really useful, accessible and efficient solution for your kitchen. The best bit is that larder units can hold an unbelievable amount of content. Designed to maximise storage in a single space, they keep everything organised and easy to find while hiding it all away.

7. The drawer

Finally, don’t underestimate drawer storage; it can be just as useful and important as cupboard storage. Use inserts in cutlery drawers to help keep everything organised, while deep pan drawers are much more user friendly than cupboards, especially when it comes to storing bulky saucepans and awkwardly shaped pots.

Deep drawers can also be used for plates and dinner services, using peg systems to keep different items in place. Bespoke design solutions can be a clever way to create even more space for anything from baking utensils to jars of ingredients and more.

Story by: Dakota Murphey