Space Saving Kitchen Ideas
The kitchen is the heart of the home and it’s always important to my clients to maximize counter and cabinet space when we are designing a layout. In working with cabinet makers I often challenge the basic designs (sometimes getting some skeptical looks from my vendors) to incorporate inventive features to reach that goal and still keep the beauty of the space at the forefront.
For instance, a client in North Carolina did not have space for a walk-in pantry, however she didn’t want to have her appliances visible on the counter tops. She also didn’t want to be lugging them in and out of a drawer or off a shelf. I asked the cabinet maker to incorporate an “Appliance Garage” (yep, it’s a thing!) into the corner of one of the counter top spaces below the traditional cabinet door. It is sized exactly for the height of a standard coffee maker and Kitchen Aid mixer. Instead of the old school “roll down” panel which never looked clean, we’ve updated it with hinged panels that match the rest of the cabinetry. In this case my client now can stash her baking canisters, dual coffee maker, four-slice toaster and Kitchen Aid mixer behind the double hinged garage doors.
Below the counter you’ll see another cool space saving feature we incorporated — the “Cloud Corner.” This one is becoming more common to cabinet makers but not always offered upfront in initial designs. It’s a bit more expensive than just standard shelving, but in my opinion it’s worth the splurge.
In many kitchens you wind up with a space in a corner where the lower cabinets come together that becomes a black hole for dishes, bowls and items that rarely get used because it’s so hard to reach them. The Cloud Corner solves all of those problems. The shelves are attached to a post with a smooth gliding hinge that allows the shelves to pull right out of the cabinet, spinning slightly as they move so as not to catch the cabinet opening. It’s genius! Now all those heavy bowls and trays will see the light of day.
There are plenty of other design tips and tricks to utilize your kitchen space to the fullest (I’ll have to do a post on my secret pantry/panic room next). It’s important to spend some time thinking about the things you use most often in your kitchen and then combine that with the aesthetic you are going for. If you’re thinking about a kitchen renovation or update reach out and we can brainstorm some space-saving ideas.
