Optimizing Kitchen Storage
If you’re interested in optimizing kitchen storage in your kitchen cabinets, we have just one word for you: accessibility. Whether you are remodeling your kitchen or building a new home don’t overlook the new storage solutions that are available to you. Many times if the budget has been stretched, people seem to cut down on the accessories, they will eliminate the roll out trays in the base cabinets, the lazy susan or the pull out waste baskets so that they can have the granite or quartz countertops. But at the end of the day they should be thinking about function and accessibility. After all, your new kitchen not only should look great but it should function great as well. Short changing yourself on storage solutions will only hinder you in your day to day kitchen activities. So when planning your kitchen budget, make sure you include some of the most useful accessories. Dura Supreme offers some great storage solutions below.
-Susan Chwan, Kitchen and Bath Designer, Swartz Kitchens and Baths
Please enjoy Dura Supreme Cabinetry’s blog on Kitchen Storage by Wendy Anderson.
Optimizing Kitchen Storage
When it comes to base cabinets, there are three typical options for the way things can be stored. Determining which method is best suited for your needs requires some thought.
Functionality, ease of access, storage needs, and cost all play an important role in the decision making process. What am I storing, how do I want to access it and how will these decisions impact the budget? Asking yourself these questions will really help you create a new kitchen that works for you.
A standard Dura Supreme Designer or Crestwood base cabinet comes with a ¾ depth adjustable shelf. Why only ¾ deep? Ease of access is the most obvious reason. The ¾ depth shelf allows you to see what is stored below without getting on your hands and knees to see what’s back there. The shallower depth also allows you to place taller items in the front of the cabinet Full depth shelves, which many people prefer, are an option and a standard in the frameless Alectra cabinetry line. Just be aware of the accessibility and visibility issues that full depth shelves create. The standard base with the ¾ depth shelf is the least expensive option for basic base cabinet storage.
If you still want full depth shelves but want to avoid the issues mentioned above; roll out kitchen shelves are the perfect solution to kitchen storage. Dura Supreme’s roll out shelves are constructed of hardwood and use the Blumotion® undermount guides which extend fully to the front of the cabinet and close silently with a gentle push. This allows for excellent visibility and easy access to everything on the shelf. A standard base cabinet can accommodate up to three 4” high roll outs, alhtough two roll outs are typical.
The roll outs are adjustable so they can be spaced according to the height of the items that you are storing. On the down side, in order to gain this great access and visibility you will have to go through a two step process, opening the cabinet doors and then pulling out the roll out. The other issue that can occur is taller items, such as a cereal box, have a tendency to tip over on the 4” high shelf. Dura Supreme also makes an 8” high roll out that is the perfect solution for those tall objects. A standard base cabinet with two 4” high roll out shelves would be the more expensive storage option.
4″ and 8″ High Roll Outs
To avoid the two step access process, opening cabinet doors and then pulling out the roll out, a stack of drawers is the answer. Drawer stacks come in 2, 3, 4, and 5 drawer configurations A two drawer stack offers deep drawer storage, perfect for pots and pans, while a five drawer stack with its shallower drawer boxes lend themselves to placemats, napkins, or utensils.
Dura Supreme drawers use the same Blumotion® undermount guides that are found on the roll outs, fully extending and closing silently. With widths available from 12” to 48” wide and the one-step access, drawer stacks offer abundant, easily visible storage. Drawer stacks fall in the middle of the pricing spectrum for base storage, typically more than the same size standard base, but less than the same cabinet with roll outs. Something to think about!