9 ingenious ways to increase your kitchen’s storage
As the years go by we all accumulate kitchen appliances, plates, bowls, baking equipment, pots and pans. That’s why kitchen storage is so important (and why we always seem to be running out of room).
A kitchen refresh or renovation is the perfect chance to solve the storage problem for good – here are 9 tips from the experts to get you started.
1. Make space for appliances
If you’ve got lots of bulky appliances like espresso machines, stand mixers and blenders it’s a great idea to create a space for these. It could be a section of the bench with a roller door, or bi-fold doors so that you can shut the appliances away when they’re not in use to minimise clutter.
2. Go for drawers over cupboards
Drawers typically make much more efficient storage than cupboards. If space is at a premium, it’s a great idea to install mainly drawers, with one or two cupboards for taller, more bulky items.
3. Take cabinetry up to the ceiling
When space is limited you need to use every inch, including your walls. When designing your kitchen, it’s a great idea to take cabinetry right up to the ceiling and have high cupboards for rarely used items.
4. Make use of your toe kick
There’s a little space in most kitchens where the cabinets usually meet the floor, called the toe kick. It’s usually just a board that runs around all the cabinets with nothing behind it, but if you designed your kitchen well you could install push-to-open draws in your toe kick.
5. Stock up your island
Kitchen islands typically don’t feature storage, but if you extend yours a little or sacrifice a breakfast bar, there’s no reason why you can’t install extra drawers, wine racks or cupboards in yours.
6. Minimise corner storage
Corner storage is annoying to access and generally an inefficient use of space. Speak to a kitchen designer for help ensuring you minimise corner space in your cabinetry to make sure you’re maximising storage (and to make sure you’re not pulling heavy pans out of deep corner cupboards).
7. Try inbuilt bench storage
If you’re a keen cook or entertainer it can be handy to have everything you need right there on the bench. Inbuilt bench storage with the Boutique Slim Prep Island could be the perfect solution. Installed top-mount, undermount or flush in your bench, the Canale has space for two chopping boards, knives, two bottles of wine, condiments, plus an inbuilt colander.
8. Choose your fixtures and fittings wisely
When space is limited every choice needs to be considered to maximise the room available for storage. That includes choosing your sinks, mixers, taps and accessories.
For example, if your kitchen is really small and lacks enough bench space for preparation, it could be a great idea to go for a small single bowl sink like the Montego. Or if you need somewhere to hide your dishes while still having a sink free for prep, a compact double sink like the Schock Quadro could be better.
9. See fixtures and fittings in person
These days you might buy your kitchen fixtures, fittings and appliances online, but it’s always better to see them in person before you decide. Without seeing your sink, tap, mixer and other fixtures up close it’s impossible to tell exactly how they’ll fit into your space – especially if you’re designing a compact kitchen.
Drop into an Abey Selection Gallery near you to see fixtures in person and speak to a kitchen expert for advice.