While the amount of storage space you need depends on your lifestyle, there are some general principles that should be adhered to when planning the storage space in a kitchen says Patrick of Wonderful Kitchens.
Consider what needs to be stored and then divide it up into storage areas according to use. Non-perishable food, for example, should be stored in one area, pots and pans in another and crockery in another. Look at how often each of these areas is accessed. For example, a dinner set that is used daily needs to be easily available, whereas a ‘best’ set could be stored away from the heart of the kitchen. Look also at the practicalities of storage. For example, pot drawers should be close to the oven and you generally need a fair bit of space near the dishwasher for loading and unloading utensils. Crockery should be stored near the dishwasher and cutlery should ideally be near the kitchen table or main serving area. The key to clever storage is focusing on how you get around in your kitchen.
Where should you put your kitchen accessories? A good rule of thumb is that the items you use most often should be positioned just above or below bench height, while the things you use the least often should be placed at the very highest and lowest points in the kitchen. Those you use only occasionally can be stored outside the kitchen altogether.
.· Avoid bending and stretching for the items you reach for all the time. When you’re planning your kitchen storage, base it around the height of the person who uses the kitchen the most often.
· Remember that kitchen storage doesn’t stop at cabinets – it also includes hooks, racks, containers, drawer dividers and more. Many are cheap and easy to incorporate into your existing kitchen.
· When assessing your own storage potential, think vertically as well as horizontally. Store awkward items such as pot lids, extra plates and baking trays in wall racks or vertical slots within your cabinetry.
· Make things easier to reach by reversing traditional positions. Why not put frequently-used ingredients under the counter where you’d traditionally store saucepans.
· Rather than delving into your storage, ideally it should come to you. The current trend replaces traditional cabinets with fully-extending drawers and pull-out systems that come direct to you.
· Don’t overlook ergonomics. Look for wide-opening hinges, smooth-closing doors and soft closing drawers that are a pleasure to use.
· Lighting is important – you should be able to see into all the dark recesses of cupboards and drawers. Look for under-cabinet lighting strips to brighten benchtops and lights that turn on automatically when a cupboard door is opened.
Wonderful Kitchens only uses BLUM the market leader in perfecting motion and innovative kitchen hardware as shown in their range of soft close drawers, doors and lift up systems. For more information and great advice visit Wonderful Kitchens at www.completehome.com.au
