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Home remodeling blog from Home Indeed in the Cedar Valley, IA. Home design, renovation inspiration, and more!

10 Kitchen Cabinet Storage Ideas

Kitchens tend to be the catch-all space in your house for not only food products, utensils, and dishes used specifically for cooking and dining, but also cleaning supplies and miscellaneous items. With all the random, and often small, items that accumulate in the kitchen, it’s important to implement a smart storage strategy to avoid the area becoming cluttered and chaotic.

If the kitchen at your home in Cedar Rapids has sufficient cabinet storage, the next step is organizing all the units to optimize the space. If your kitchen is lacking cabinets, you may have to get creative with other storage solutions to compensate.

Optimizing Your Kitchen Cabinet Storage

Cabinets are home to a myriad of items: your dry goods, flatware, cutlery, pots and pans, cooking utensils, appliances, and random gadgets. Because of the shape and placement of kitchen cabinet storage, however, trying to use it at full capacity can be like playing a game of Tetris. Here are 10 storage ideas to help you organize your kitchen and enhance the accessibility of the items you use the most:

1. Using Two-Tier Systems

Two tiered kitchen
 

Utensils and cutlery are generally kept in drawers with dividers for accessibility, but a lot of space gets underutilized. For a smaller kitchen, consider using a two-tier drawer to optimize your storage capacity. Additionally, adding extra shelves for select kitchen cabinets is an effective way to create more space to store shorter items, like mugs and glasses. Adding hooks to the underside of a shelf is also a practical solution for hanging mugs and not letting valuable cabinet space go to waste.

 

2. Add Tray Dividers to Cabinets

Tray dividers
 

Flat items like cutting boards, cooling racks, muffin tins, serving trays, and cookie sheets are tricky to store. You can stack them horizontally on the bottom of a shelf, but that creates a hassle when you’re trying to find the one on the bottom. That’s where installing a vertical tray divider in a base cabinet or above your wall oven can help. It creates better visibility and accessibility, while also adding value to typically underutilized kitchen space.

 
 

3. Improve Accessibility with Roll-Out Trays

Roll out trays
 

You want to be able to store dishes and food items all the way to the back of your cabinets, but it can make them hard to reach—especially in your base cabinets. Rather than having to remove every item to locate the one you need, consider installing one or two trays on glides or pull out shelves in your base cabinets to improve the efficiency of your kitchen design.

 

4. Install an Under-Sink Pull-Out Drawer

Sink pull out drawer
 

One trouble area in most kitchens is under the sink. There’s a lot of usable space available, but it often ends up feeling like a messy cavern. The best solution to this problem is using some type of under-sink drawer or organizer that can be pulled out. This is an ideal way to safely and efficiently store cleaning products, trash bags, and other miscellaneous gadgets. Another idea is to install a tension rod beneath your kitchen sink and using it to hang your cleaning sprays.

 

5. Switch to a Dish Drawer

Dish drawer
 

A lot of people store their dishes in their cabinets, which can be done efficiently with dividers and other organizational devices. However, there are compelling reasons to switch to a dish drawer that can hold the weight. For instance, a drawer makes dishes easily accessible to younger kids. Adjustable pegs can be used to keep your stacks of bowls and plates separated, so they don’t risk banging into one another or toppling over when you pull out the drawer.

 

6. Declutter Counters with an Appliance Garage

Appliance garage
 

A kitchen appliance storage cabinet, also referred to as an appliance garage, is a must-have solution for stashing away small kitchen appliances so they don’t take up space on your counters, making them less beautiful and functional. Having a designated storage spot for your appliances—such as mixers, espresso makers, toaster ovens, and blenders—keeps them out of sight but still accessible, improving your overall kitchen design.

 
 

7. Keep Trash and Recycling Bins Out of Sight

Hidden trash and recycling bins
 

Trash cans not only look unsightly and awkward no matter where you place them in your kitchen, but they also are at risk of being rummaged through by kids and pets. The best solution for your trash and recycling is to use pull-out trash cabinets located near your sink or prep area. You can better contain the smell and improve the organized appearance of your kitchen by putting your mess out of sight.

 

8. Supplement Kitchen Storage with Rolling Cabinet

Rolling cabinet
 

Some kitchens simply don’t include enough cabinet space to store all your dry and canned food, dishes, and other accessories. If that’s the case, you may want to invest in a rolling storage cabinet for kitchen use. Not only does it provide extra storage space, but it can also act as a counter, kitchen island, or bar car when placed in a different room.

 

9. Maximize Storage Space with Toe-Kick Drawers

toe kick drawers
 

If your kitchen cabinets are getting full and you’re struggling to find a spot for flat items or ones you rarely use, consider adding a hidden drawer in the toe space of a straight cabinet. Toe-kick drawers create extra multi-purpose storage in a space that is generally overlooked and unused.  

 

10. Find Creative Kitchen Storage Solutions

Kitchens are difficult to organize because of all the random knickknacks and gadgets you need to find a home for. Often you must think out of the box to arrange your kitchen so it’s tidy and easy to navigate. A few ideas are storing small pantry items in a sponge holder attached with adhesive strips to the back of a cabinet door; adding open shelves to store and display decorative kitchen items; installing corner drawers; using your windows as storage; and adding nesting tables to your cabinets. The goal is to keep small items visible, organized and easy to reach.

 

Is Your Kitchen Storage Space Not Cutting it?

No matter how many cabinet ideas and techniques you try or supplemental shelves and rolling carts you add, your kitchen design may simply lack the structural elements you need for optimal organization. Remodeling your kitchen in the Cedar Rapids area not only lets you maintain important systems and features, but also gives you an opportunity to reimagine the space and improve its function and aesthetic appeal. Home Indeed can work with you to renovate your kitchen and add a pantry, cabinets, or innovate elements to upgrade your storage space.

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