Clever Kitchen Storage Ideas
Maintaining a tidy cooking area is a common conundrum for many homeowners, so we sat down with design expert, Catherine Meakin to get clever kitchen storage ideas for a neat and ergonomic layout. As a busy designer from Middleton depot, she constantly helps customers with storing solutions that meet the needs of a household. Read her top tricks and get some kitchen ideas on how to curb the clutter and improve accessibility in any home.
What clever kitchen storage ideas would you recommend for small spaces?
Corners are always overlooked in any layout, which is a shame, as they offer lots of storage potential, especially in compact or awkward layouts. In small schemes, corners maximise room for essentials without increasing how many units are required in a floorplan, making sure critical floor space is maintained. The best way to unlock these areas is to introduce a corner accessory, like a carousel or pull-out option, which brings items forward making these items at the back easy to reach.
Larders have become popular. How can I make the most of this feature in my home?
Pull-out accessories are a must-have for larder units as they make it simple to reach items at the back and ensure the full height is optimised with plenty of shelves. This means it keeps items neatly stowed so you are not scrambling around for ingredients when cooking. There are lighter swing options too, making them easy for all the family. Pre-fitted designs are available for faster installation, and some styles can be retrofitted into existing cabinetry, which is great for those wanting a quick fix in a current cooking space.
What clever storage ideas will improve accessibility in the home?
For those with older or less-mobile family members, pull-down wall storage is essential to make hard-to-reach items easy to access. It has a basket that can be lowered to a comfortable height for picking groceries, while the assisted mechanism returns the basket with ease. One of my customers was unable to lift her arm high enough to use her wall units, so a pull-down accessory allowed her to reach items without asking someone else for help, giving her more independence to go about her daily routine.
What is a smart storage feature that you wish more people would use?
Deep, internal storage drawers are one of my favourite features in a cooking area. They maximise the entire space inside a unit while making it easy to see and reach all the items inside. My customers also love how they come in a variety of configurations that combine different compartment depths and sizes, as it means they can choose a design that suits their needs and all the contents they wish to store. There are also plenty of add-ons available that keep internal areas organised, such as cutlery trays and knife blocks.
What smart storage idea would suit a big family or large layout?
I would suggest a corner accessory in large rooms too, like our full-extension fixture. It utilises the whole cupboard and can easily store multi-packs that are commonplace with bigger households. These devices need to be pulled out of the unit, so they suit large interiors. They also hold up to 25kg and come in a right or left-hand opening, making them compatible with any layout.
