“How much storage do I really need in my kitchen?” Whether building a house or renovating, this is one challenge that you need to tackle wisely. To get your kitchen storage just right, the key is to evaluate what you want to store in your kitchen and where you should store them. To make this task easier, divide your kitchen into three main areas, the refrigerator area, cooking area, and sink area.
What to Put in The Refrigerator Area
This area’s main task is to store food and act as an initial food prep area, so it’s best located close to the kitchen entrance. A sizable countertop, as Accent Interiors and other top interior designers in Murray noted, across from or next to your refrigerator is also a great spot for holding grocery bags.
Placing a countertop there allows for easy transfer of items that need to be stored inside the refrigerator and freezer and also serves as storage for staples, condiments, as well as dry food in the cabinets and pantry nearby. This is also great for storing mixing bowls, mixers, and other utensils for food prep, and other small appliances that you use regularly, such as a toaster, coffee maker, food processor, etc.
What to Include in The Cooking Area
This is the area where prepping and cooking food takes place, so it’s best situated near or toward the dining room. Generally speaking, items that you need for general food prep and cooking should be stored in this area. It’s also a good idea to store bowls, platters, serving utensils, and other items used for getting food to the dining room around this area.
For cookware that you use frequently, store them in a dedicated cabinet or drawer near the stove top and consider storing items used in the oven in a dedicated cabinet near this area as well. Place spice racks, pans, pots, and frequently used cooking utensils near the stove top to allow for easy access to these staples.
What to Place in the Sink Area
Your sink area is best located between your cooking and refrigerator area to ensure maximum efficiency and convenient access. Make sure that this area is free of counter clutter since it would be used for food prep tasks that involve washing and cutting food items, as well as cleaning items after meals.
The most important storage areas in this area include drawers or cabinets for daily utensils, dishes, knives cutting boards, as well as storage for washing items, waste management, and cleaning the general area. You need to also plan for easy access for your dishwasher.
Whether you are renovating an existing kitchen to make it more efficient or designing a new one from scratch, take cues from the tips mentioned above to ensure that your storage is on point. If you’re renovating, don’t forget to maximize the space to get more storage space. If you plan your kitchen storage right, you’d make the most of every inch in your kitchen and you’d be ready to take on anything.
