The holidays have come and gone but have definitely left their mark on our kitchens. We aren’t quite sure how the food processor ended up in the pantry, or how cranberry sauce got splattered on the ceiling, but we do know that every New Year our kitchens are in need of a serious scrub down and reset.
Whether you’re post-holiday cleaning or straightening up on a typical weeknight, we as homeowners are in a constant battle to keep our kitchens tidy and organized. What if we told you that your storage design could do the heavy lifting for you? That something as simple as a few creative pull-outs could help you not only keep clutter off your countertops but also make you more inclined to put things away?
In this blog we'll share 10 storage elements you can include in your kitchen design to help you maintain a clean space year-round.
We firmly believe that the key to maintaining a clean kitchen is to have a home for everything. And we mean EVERYTHING! Whether it’s olive oil, whisks, pans, or spices, if your everyday items have a designated home in your kitchen design, you and your family will be more inclined to put them away and avoid cluttered workspaces.
The rise of Farmhouse style had us all believing that we needed monochromatic utensils with a permanent residence on our countertop. The problem with this trend is that it leads to many people having utensils “for show” and additional, more specialized, utensils tucked away in a drawer. With two storage locations, the “right” ones never end up in the right place and we end up reaching for what’s on hand rather than the best tool for the job. And let’s be honest, our most effective utensils may not be the most aesthetic ones.
Items on our countertop create visual clutter and though it’s useful to have them in your line of sight when you’re cooking, there are storage solutions that are equally functional but also keep your workspace tidy. Utensil pull-outs are a great way to give all of your cooking tools an organized home. We suggest placing this pull-out beside your range for easy access!
These pull-outs can be designed with different adaptations to suit whatever items you need stored making them customizable to your unique kitchen.
This multifunctional pull-out includes utensil storage as well as a base ledge for larger, bulkier items.
We love a stylish kitchen towel, but after one use, orange spaghetti spots tend to make them significantly less cute. A towel pull-out is a great way to keep your kitchen towel on hand for a quick clean-up but also keep it out sight. This also contributes to less visual clutter and more of a clean feel in your kitchen!
While baking Christmas cookies was a blast, we don’t need our stand mixers crowding our workspace. If you use your larger appliances (mixer, food processor, blender) on a daily basis, an appliance garage is a great way to keep these items on your countertop but in a designated home that tucks them out of view. That way you don’t have to drag them out and fumble around with cords every time you want to use them.
If you use your appliances more sparingly (ie. dinner parties and holidays) consider base cabinet storage with deep roll-out drawers. This again, gives the items a home that’s not adding to daily clutter and gives these items a specific storage spot in your kitchen design so that you can find and access them when needed.
You can also consider specialized pull-outs for stand mixers. Located in a base cabinet to save space, this unique storage element features a spring-loaded platform which lifts your heavy mixer to cabinet height, making it easily accessible for use.
There are a lot of benefits to having upper cabinets designed all the way to the ceiling. For starters, it maximizes your storage space and gives your kitchen design clean, long lines that help your space appear bigger. Another benefit is that it also leaves no room for dusty Knick knacks or random bowls precariously placed above your cabinets where no one can reach them.
On this project, designer Danee Bohn CMKBD was also able to bring the client’s cabinetry up to the ceiling, which maximizes storage potential and gives the illusion of a bigger floorplan.
While you may think that everyone in your home is on the same page about not placing items on top of the cabinetry, there is always one (tall) family member that didn’t get the memo. Not only does placing items above your cabinets render them completely inaccessible, but it creates clutter where there doesn’t need to be. Plus, it’s really difficult to clean up there.
There are a lot of benefits to having upper cabinets designed all the way to the ceiling. For starters, it maximizes your storage space and gives your kitchen design clean, long lines that help your space appear bigger. Another benefit is that it also leaves no room for dusty Knick knacks or random bowls precariously placed above your cabinets where no one can reach them.
On this project, designer Danee Bohn CMKBD was also able to bring the client’s cabinetry up to the ceiling, which maximizes storage potential and gives the illusion of a bigger floorplan.
While you may think that everyone in your home is on the same page about not placing items on top of the cabinetry, there is always one (tall) family member that didn’t get the memo. Not only does placing items above your cabinets render them completely inaccessible, but it creates clutter where there doesn’t need to be. Plus, it’s really difficult to clean up there.
On this project, designer Danee Bohn CMKBD was also able to bring the client’s cabinetry up to the ceiling, which maximizes storage potential and gives the illusion of a bigger floorplan.
There are a lot of benefits to having upper cabinets designed all the way to the ceiling. For starters, it maximizes your storage space and gives your kitchen design clean, long lines that help your space appear bigger. Another benefit is that it also leaves no room for dusty knick knacks or random bowls precariously placed above your cabinets where no one can reach them.
While you may think that everyone in your home is on the same page about not placing items on top of the cabinetry, there is always one (tall) family member that didn’t get the memo. Not only does placing items above your cabinets render them completely inaccessible, but it creates clutter where there doesn’t need to be. Plus, it’s really difficult to clean up there.
Unless it’s a simple salt and pepper shaker, spices should never be stored on your countertop. They take up unnecessary space and can get messy!
A tiered spice drawer is a great solution to keep spices organized and stored correctly. Other benefits include:
When you have a designated spice area, you will be more inclined to maintain the organization and properly put spices away after every use.
Another storage option if you are tight on drawer space is spice storage inside an upper cabinet door.
Some of the greatest contributors to countertop clutter are often coffee related.
For many homeowners, making morning coffee is a daily task which means coffee beans, syrups and other accessories are stored right on the countertop for easy access. While it is convenient, this storage location actually puts spilled coffee grounds and other messes on full display. With designated coffee storage, you can still have your coffee making equipment easily accessible while also getting it off your counter. Consider a coffee cabinet or drawer to organize and house all of your caffeine essentials!
This is a great way to organize all of your items while also presenting them in a way that flows nicely with your kitchen design.
For those of us who indulge in something a little stronger, consider organizing your shakers, cocktail glasses, and wine bottles in a designated cabinet or bar area.
A bar doesn’t have to be big to be organized and effective. We love this mini bar by Dura Supreme because not only is it stylish, but it organizes every glass and bottle in a way that makes them visible and accessible. When open, this mini bar flows beautifully with the rest of the space but can also be easily camouflaged by simply shutting the doors.
You can even personalize drawers with tiers and fixed partitions to keep all of your k-cups, tea bags, and other items organized.
Our kitchens aren’t just a place to cook and eat but also a place where we work and study. The problem is, when we use computers and tablets in our kitchens, they tend to be left out on countertops which makes them prone to spills and other accidents.
A charging drawer is fantastic storage solution that allows us to work in our kitchen while also keeping our devices safe and reducing clutter. These drawers are equipped with internal outlets so that devices can be stored, protected, and charged simultaneously. And they can be tucked away out of sight when not in use.Sheet pans, muffin tins, and cutting boards are bulky and hard to store. Often they get shoved into a random cabinet, where they are stacked precariously, just waiting to fly out at some unsuspecting family member.
Vertical pan storage with dividers is a great solution to this common problem. The upright nature of these cabinets allows you to see which pan you are grabbing, and the dividers keep the pans from leaning against one another, which is what usually makes them prone to fall.
Best part? Having a cabinet designated for pans means that they won’t get shoved in random locations throughout your kitchen and will be easy to put away and find for future use.
Why not maximize every inch of your kitchen design?
Toe kick storage allows you to make use of that little space on the lowest part of your cabinetry. These shallow drawers are great for storing things like placemats, and other items you have a hard time finding a place for. By giving tricky items a home, you will be less prone to leave them out or jam them in a random location where you can’t find them in the future.
Last but definitely not least, the best way to round out your post-holiday cleaning spree is tidying up where you keep your cleaning supplies! We often jam cleaners, sprays, and sponges under our sink where they tend to pile up, spill, and end up making more of a mess than they clean.
Under sink storage with pull-outs and dividers is a great way to keep all of your cleaning products neat and organized so they are right where you need them, when you need them. And having them visible and accessible will also make you more likely to use them!
Now you can scrub away that cranberry sauce splatter and Christmas dinner residue from your kitchen and start 2023 with a squeaky-clean space.
There’s something very cathartic about organizing your kitchen and having a fresh start in the New Year. We hope that these 10 storage elements inspire you for your next kitchen project and help you in your quest to maintain a clean cooking space.
For any storage questions or to explore some of these solutions a designer, stop by our showroom or contact us!
Cleaning right after using it will be really helpful.
keeping a clean kitchen can be really hard since it’s the area you use every day. Cleaning right after using it will be really helpful.
Nice article