How to get the most out of your kitchen storage space

Whether you’ve just moved into a new home, have inherited your kitchen or are planning a new build, one of the most important planning processes you’ll undertake is organising your storage. 

Planning your cabinetry to accommodate everything you need to make your kitchen work efficiently is about making the most of the space at hand. Every bit of space should be utilised and that can include the inclusion of large drawers in your cabinetry, in place of plain cupboards.

Zone your kitchen according to how you use it on a daily basis – for food preparation, cooking, dining, entertaining and cleanup.

Extra-wide drawers are currently on trend but ensure they’re what you need to utilise every bit of space you have – smaller drawers may prove adequate and more practical in the space.

Have a look at what you have to put into the drawers and cupboards and how many you currently have. Make a list of the pros and cons of your current layout to ensure you hang on to what’s already working. 

“Think about depths of cupboards,” says Felicity Page of Freedom Kitchens. “Some crockery may not fit in certain spaces!”

Drawers can accommodate as much as a third more than a cupboard the same size, and also ensure everything is visible and reachable. Make the most of drawer storage with the inclusion of internal hardware like dividers, spacers and utensils. Factor in another 20per cent to future proof your kitchen – you can never have too much storage! 

Depending on the style of your kitchen, custom made or existing cabinetry can often be retrofitted with drawers - check out the websites of Hettich, Blum and Häfele to get an idea of what’s possible. Quality is a consideration as, whilst on the surface it may not be the most economical approach, investing in a beautifully engineered system with premium manufacture and build quality is a long term investment. You wont look back.