Kitchen design storage

The next step in your new kitchen design is to plan enough storage to suit your needs. As already explained different shapes of kitchens automatically provide different amounts of storage space.


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Larders
A money saving option is a kitchen design with a larder. This can save you some of the cost of kitchen units. Larders must be easily accessed from the preparation area.

Kitchen design for Below-Worktop Area
After you have planned the position of your sink, fridge, hob and oven cupboards are the next option. Storage below the worktop is especially handy for heavy items such as electrical equipment and heavy pots. Think about how much storage space you have to give to those items. Remember to leave room for expansion as you will buy more and the items you already have will take up more space than you think. Bottles of wine and vegetables that don't need to go in the fridge will also need their space beneath the worktop. For bottles a cupboard doesn't really work, as you can't see them in the back of your cupboard. Consider a wine rack. Vegetables must be kept in a dry place and don't store them too close to an oven or a hob. Wicker baskets will give a rustic accent to your kitchen design and will keep your vegetables dry and dark. Most of your cutlery will be stored below the worktop as well. Try to store your cutlery close to the dishwasher or sink for quick storage after cleaning. Drawers are still the best storage option for cutlery, but you may find it handy to keep your ladles and wooden spoons in a jar on your worktop. Knives can be kept at a magnetic knife holder that you can attach to your wall or in a separate knife-block on your worktop.

Above The Worktop
Above the worktop storage can be more creative kitchen design. The items stored are not as heavy and are sometimes more decorative for display. There are quite a few options for display of your kitchenware. For easy storage and display of your plates you can use a plate rack. This will also help to prevent plates from chipping, as you will not store them on top of each other anymore. Mugs and jugs can hang from pegs on open shelves for a country style effect. You can place your most used utensils on a rail that you position above the main working area for easy access. Vegetables such as onions and garlic also can be hung on the rail. Ingredients such as pasta or sugar can be stored in glass jars and put on shelves. Try to work out a balance between the different storage options. Remember that items on open display are susceptible to steam, grease and dust, so this type of storage is for goods that are needed on a daily basis. A kitchen design solution to this can be storage behind glass cupboard doors. Different styles of storage can break the monotony of a long cupboard area. If you prefer cupboards rather than open shelves and hanging mugs, then maybe you can experiment with different door materials, such as glass, frosted glass, wood, laminate or even stainless steel.

Other Kitchen design Storage Solutions
1. If you have small kitchens with a small worktop, then it might be an idea to buy a butcher's block on wheels that you can store under your worktop.
2. Another way of breaking the monotony of the cupboard/worktop/cupboard rhythm of kitchens is by using a big freestanding cupboard to store all your crockery. A tall cupboard will have much more storage space, as it is not divided by a piece of worktop. Such a cupboard or larder can also be used for food in cans, jars and packets.
3. For display and concealed storage combined in one piece of furniture, a dresser is an elegant solution.
4. If you've got a high ceiling, you might want to consider using the extra space by hanging a rack from it to store pans.
5. In a U-shaped and also in L-shaped kitchens there are corners in your cupboards. To make maximum use of these corners choose a design that comes with corner storage.

Kitchen design Tips
In a small, narrow kitchen design you can create more space by making the wall-cupboards taller rather than having them protruding outwards. You will create more headspace and the kitchen will look wider.
Store items that you don't use very often on the highest shelf of your cupboard. Easily accessible space will be available for most used items.
Kitchens will always have drawers with all sorts of goods in it. To create more order, use little plastic boxes or drawer organisers.
To disguise a boiler you can build a spice rack in front of it. This will not take a lot of space and will be an attractive display for all your spices.
Store your utensils near to where you are most likely to need them. This will make your kitchen more efficient.
Think about where you want your main bin to be situated. Try to integrate it in the area below the worktop to keep your outlook clean and clutter-free.
Don't forget to give your cookery books a place.