It Starts with Layout

Optimizing the available space is the first step to an organized and functional kitchen. Although newer homes typically have a wide open kitchen, older homes tend to have a U-shape, L-shape, or galley-style kitchen. Although these layouts aren’t “kitchen goals” these days, they were designed and created to be practical and functional at the time; and they still can be! They ensure easy movement and efficient workflow because they are small. They also force you to live minimally; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The key to these smaller, oddly shaped kitchens is using every inch effectively. Consider installing functional corner cabinets with pull-out shelves or lazy susans to make sure you are optimizing every square inch of space. Starting with a thoughtfully planned layout sets the stage for a highly organized and functional kitchen.

Consider Multiple Functions

Another way to maximize functionality is by choosing furniture and appliances that can serve multiple purposes. An island or recycled table can double as a workspace and additional storage space. Appliances with compact designs and built-in features can make a huge difference too. Microwave drawers are becoming more and more popular because they don’t take up highly sought-after upper cabinet/wall space or even countertop space. Custom cabinetry with pull-out pantry systems can have your store more in a small space. These are just two simple examples of ways you can save precious counter space while also maintaining accessibility.

Go Up

Use vertical space to your advantage by installing wall-mounted shelving or racks for commonly used utensils, pots, and pans. Magnetic strips on the wall/backsplash can be a great place to store knives or other metal kitchen utensils. Hanging baskets or hooks on the underside of upper cabinets can be a great place to store mugs, spices, or even fresh produce. Using the vertical space to your advantage frees up valuable counter space and keeps your space organized and functional.

Customize Your Cabinetry

Although the U-shape, L-shape, and galley-style kitchens encourage efficient workflow, the real secret to creating a functional kitchen lies INSIDE your cabinets and drawers. Pull-out shelves, sliding trays, and dividers not only maximize the use of deep cabinets and drawers, but they also minimize clutter—which is half the battle of a small space. Lazy Susans in corner cabinets allow easy access to items and customizable drawer inserts will help keep utensils, cutlery, and kitchen tools neatly organized. Implementing the right storage solutions will make a world of difference in your small space.

If designing kitchen space still seems overwhelming to you, you’re at the right place on the internet. Your local Kitchen Solvers specializes in just this and are looking forward to helping you accomplish your dreams for a functional, organized, and beautiful space. We have experience in kitchens big and small and are passionate about creating spaces that our customers love—whether that’s a complete gut and remodel, or just a cabinet reface and storage solutions. A well-designed kitchen not only enhances function but also adds aesthetic appeal to your home for yourself and future owners to enjoy for years to come. Call your local Kitchen Solvers today to start dreaming of a space where function and style coexist in perfect harmony.

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Use Empty Cracks and Spaces to Your Advantage

Depending on your kitchen, you may have noticed gaps between your appliances and your cabinets. This is most commonly seen on either side of your refrigerator. Instead of leaving this space empty, build your own rolling storage pantry with shelves for canned goods. This will give you additional storage space for non-perishables or even spices. If you don’t have a pantry or are using your cabinets as one, this will open up valuable storage space for your other kitchen supplies like small appliances, dinnerware, and serveware.

Add Pull Out Shelves to Your Cabinets

Adding pull-out shelves to your lower cabinets can not only double your cabinet capacity, but it makes the items in your cabinets more accessible. They come in lots of different styles and are built to accommodate all types of items. There are two-tier options to store your pots, pans, and lids in an organized way. Other popular options are pull-out storage solutions for the pesty blind corner cabinet that most people have in their kitchen. Lazy susans are a good option, but they don’t take full advantage of the space. Other options include pull-out shelves that slide in one by one on top of each other. Another popular option is the kidney-shaped shelf that maneuvers in and around the corner cabinet perfectly.

Add Storage to the Sides of Cabinets

The end panels of your cabinetry is most likely unclaimed real estate for storage. Consider mounting a towel rack to the side of your cabinets and use s-hooks to hang pots and pans or utensils to open up space in your cabinets and drawers. Hang a shower caddy or basket to store fresh produce, fruit, your go-to spices or cooking oils. If you have space for it, add floating shelves to the side of your cabinets to create some open shelving to keep some of your frequently used items off your countertops. Put your coffee maker, mugs, and other morning routine supplies here so they are always accessible but not taking up valuable counter space.

Use a Stove Cover

If your kitchen lacks counter space, invest in a stove cover. This flat piece of wood covers your stovetop to create additional prep space. These can be a game changer for those with smaller kitchens or no kitchen island. Every little bit of counter space helps when chopping and prepping all the ingredients for a meal and a stove cover gives you more room to spread out before you need to turn your stove on and get cooking.

These are just a few of the many space-saving options you can consider for your kitchen to make it feel more organized and functional. If you’re looking for more ideas, your local Kitchen Solvers specializes in storage solutions and can help you figure out what solutions might work for you and your space.

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Use Cute Mason Jars or Fun Vases to Hold Kitchen Utensils

Don’t underestimate the power mason jars and fun vases possess. Not only can these containers easily organize your cooking utensils, but they are also very aesthetically pleasing and pair well with any kitchen design scheme.

 Let Produce Soar in Baskets

Efficiently using open counterspace is a great way keep your kitchen clean and organized. Using small baskets or tiered baskets to hold your produce optimizes highly sought-after space. Whether you want a woven or a wired tiered basket, do not miss out on the opportunity to let your food fly.

 Add a Wire Rack to the Fridge

Wire storage solutions are a thing of wonder. If your fridge is looking untidy and chaotic, installing a wire rack is an easy and cheap option to bring some order in your appliance. Adding one or a few more layers of shelving in your fridge can provide all the difference in keeping it clean.

Hang Cooking Utensils and Pans on a Pegboard, Wire Board, or decorative wall

Not only does hanging your pans and utensils on a board add some character to your kitchen, but it also creates easy access when cooking. We suggest hanging it above your stove or sink for optimal convenience to your cooking utensils, rags, shopping lists and more.

Spice Rack with Labels

Spending minutes scouring the kitchen cupboard for cumin is precious time wasted. With this quick storage solution, the time you spend searching for your desired spice will be cut to almost 0. Labeling your spices along with implementing a creative spice rack will save you both time and hassles.

Organize your Pantry with Labels and Jars

Pantry’s should be easy to navigate and high functioning. The days of hopelessly rummaging through your pantry are over. With endless ideas for new designs and organizational hacks, pantry’s offer lots of room for creativity. Just simply labeling and storing your cooking and baking essentials in jars pulls your pantry together producing a cohesive look.

Making sure your kitchen continues to take your breath away is part of our job at Kitchen Solvers. When we design new kitchen remodels or plan for a cabinet refacing job, we always consider storage and incorporate options to make your kitchen function more efficiently. Whether you need storage solutions, an upgraded kitchen with cabinet refacing, or want to start from scratch with a whole new kitchen remodel, we will provide you with the most pleasant remodeling experience.

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If you’re the type of person who can’t get enough of cooking shows, then you’ve probably always imagined what it’s like to be a celebrity chef. Fortunately, with the right kitchen designs, you can easily cook the world-class meals you see on TV to the delight of your friends and family. Here are a few easy and effective kitchen design ideas that will have you feeling like a celebrity chef every time you step into your kitchen.

Adding Open Shelving

Take a look at the kitchens on cooking shows, and you’ll notice that most of them have open shelving instead of traditional cabinets. If you’re thinking about remaking your kitchen so that you can cook like a celebrity chef, starting with open shelving is an excellent idea.

Replacing your upper kitchen cabinets with open shelves provides a number of enticing benefits. For one, it can give your kitchen an airy feel that’s perfect for hosting, and it makes the room appear much larger than it actually is. Installing open shelving is also one of the easiest methods for giving your kitchen the rustic look that’s so popular these days. Finally, open shelves make it a lot easier to organize and access your go-to cooking tools, greatly simplifying meal preparation.

Dedicated Cooking Stations

Separating your kitchen into several different stations is another way to live out your dreams of cooking like a celebrity chef. Building multiple cooking stations in your kitchen will improve functionality and give the room a look that you won’t find in many homes.

The stations that you choose really depends on how you cook, but there are a few popular choices you can consider. A prep station with a second sink will make it a lot easier to get your ingredients ready and to clean up after a meal. If you’re a frequent baker, then you might want to build a baking station that allows you to whip up a fresh pie or batch of cookies whenever you want.

Never Run out of Ingredients With a Pantry

One thing that’s common to almost all cooking shows is that the chefs always have the exact ingredients they need to create a delicious meal. If you want to be able to cook tasty dishes anytime — just like your favorite chef — then adding a pantry is one of the best kitchen design ideas.

If you have the space, adding a pantry to your kitchen is a fantastic plan for your remodel. With a pantry, you’ll have the extra room you need to keep your kitchen from getting cluttered, and you’ll also be able to stock up on your favorite ingredients, so you’ll never have to worry about running out while cooking for your friends and family.

Plan Your Perfect Remodel

As you can see, there are several top-notch kitchen design ideas that will make you feel like you’re a celebrity chef hosting your own cooking show. If you need help choosing the design ideas that are right for you, visit Kitchen Solvers for advice from the kitchen remodeling professionals. We’ll talk with you about some of the hottest kitchen design trends and then help you decide which will fit your home. Visit one of our locations today to plan your remodel.

The post Kitchen Design Ideas That Will Make You Feel Like a Celebrity Chef appeared first on Kitchen Solvers.

A pantry is one of the most beneficial features that you could have in your kitchen. Unfortunately, finding the space for a pantry can be difficult, limiting your storage options. However, if your kitchen has a closet with wire shelves, you can easily transform this area into the pantry of your dreams.

Once you’ve created a kitchen pantry, you’ll have a convenient space that will allow you to store the ingredients that you need to cook a world-class meal. Here are a few tips for creating a kitchen pantry out of your wire shelf closet and information about the benefits of using roll outs in your kitchen.

Using Rollouts for Your Pantry

While you could use the existing wire shelves in your kitchen closet for storage, a much better solution is replacing those wire shelves with roll outs. This can be done very easily, and will drastically improve the utility of your kitchen.

When you replace your traditional wire shelves with roll outs, you’ll have quick and easy access to your most frequently used ingredients and other foodstuffs. This means no more digging around for ingredients when you’re trying to create a meal for your friends and family. In addition, you should be able to store a larger number of items than you would with regular wire shelving.

Options for Roll Outs

Now that you know that the best solution for creating a kitchen pantry is replacing your wire shelves with roll outs, it’s a good idea to learn about a few of your roll out options.

First, you will need to choose your style of roll out. Your options include sloping side roll outs, low side roll outs, and high side roll outs. All three of these options have their distinct advantages, but your best choice for a pantry is sloping side roll outs, which will allow to store items of different sizes while still being able to see to the back of your roll out.

Second, you will need to choose how your roll out will open. For most people, roller slides are a good choice, as they can be installed very quickly and offer a variety of mounting options. If you want fuller access to your roll out, then it’s a good idea to choose ball-bearing slides instead. With ball-bearing slides, your roll outs will be able to completely extend, and they can also hold heavier items without risk of breaking.

If you’re not sure exactly what options are right for your roll out pantry, it’s a good idea to consult with kitchen remodeling professionals.

Create Your Kitchen Pantry

If you’ve always wanted a pantry in your kitchen and have a wire shelf closet, now is the perfect time to turn your pantry dreams into a reality. While you could remodel your closet yourself, the best solution for creating a kitchen pantry is working with Kitchen Solvers.

Kitchen Solvers is the number one resource for homeowners interested in remodeling your kitchen. Our professionals can quickly help you replace your wire shelves with roll outs so that you’ll finally have the pantry that you need. Stop by one of our locations today.

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