Latest Kitchen Accessories
Dear Drury Design,
What kitchen accessories should I be thinking about when redesigning my kitchen?
Sincerely,
Clyde from Downtown Chicago
Our expert providing the answer to this week’s question is Designer Samantha Schoell, CKBD. Samantha has been with Drury Design for almost 7 years.
Dear Clyde,
Kitchen accessories are a large part of our design process. How you organize your kitchen can make a big impact on storage capacity and the functionality of your space.
Base Cabinets
- Pull outs– These types of cabinets can consist of different interior configurations and are meant for a space that is 6”-12” wide. These can house your spices, canisters for cooking utensils, spot for cutting boards, or even a place to house knives.
- Paper Towel Holder– Not everyone is a fan of having their paper towels on the counter. If you are one of those people, we have a couple of solutions. Depending on the size of your kitchen you can hang it on the back of a cabinet door (a lot of people like having it behind the sink door) or if you have extra room and are able to give up a drawer, we can create a towel drawer/holder within your cabinet
- Roll Outs– This is the most popular accessory for cabinets! These can go in both your base cabinets and tall panty storage. Roll outs come in multiple heights to accommodate different functions. Most common sizes are 2”, 4”, 6” or 8”. The shallow heights are great for storing canned goods, pot lids or tupperware. The deeper drawers are nice for tall liquor bottles, cereal boxes, or large stock pots.
- Mixer Lift – This is for the family that loves to bake! KitchenAid mixers are great, but they are heavy. This accessory allows the mixer to be on a hinged shelf that lifts with little to no effort. Once used, it swings back down into the cabinet for easy storage. Note that this can also be used for a blender, coffee maker or other small appliances.
- Sink Organizers– Sink cabinets are already filled with plumbing pipes, a disposal and other thinigs that intrude into the space so finding the right accessory can be challenging. Depending on what you store in your sink base cabinet, you can add small pull outs for storing cleaning supplies, grocery bag holders, tilt outs for sponges or towel holder pull outs.
- Corner Units– The dreaded corner cabinet! Corner units help you optimize storage space in this area.
- Trash Pull Out– A single bin for waste or multiple bins for recycling – this is a must-have in your kitchen
Drawers
- Dish Pegs– If you do not have room for lots of wall cabinets, dish pegs make for a nice drawer insert to store your plates and bowls.
- Cutlery/Utensils Dividers/Knife Blocks – The best part of these top-drawer dividers is they are completely customizable! This is where you can pick which drawer you want your everyday silverware to be located. Adding utensil inserts on the drawers adjacent to your cooking surface is ideal for large spoons, spatulas, and other items you need in a pinch while cooking.
- File Drawers – Whether it’s paying utility bills or working remotely, many of us do a bit of office-type work in the kitchen and could use some built-in file storage there. Yes, kitchen file storage cabinets exist!
- Charging drawer– This is becoming more and more popular. Adding outlets and USB plug ins inside a drawer are a nice way to charge your phones or other electronic devises.
Wall Cabinets
- Spice Rack– It is nice to have spices on a rack on the back of a door or stored in a wall cabinet at eye level.
- Bulletin Boards– Everyone loves to hang their kids’ pictures on the fridge or display the birthday party invitation. Using the back of a wall cabinet and adding a cork board can be a nice solution while also keeping your refrigerator surface clean. Hang anything you want here, calendars, to-do lists, Christmas cards, etc. The possibilities are endless!
- Mail Organization– This can sometimes be referred to as a message center. Either slots to keep mail, place to hang keys or just everyday used items.
- Wine Rack/Cubbies– Dedicated built-ins for wine are handy!
- Tray Dividers– This is a nice place to store cutting boards, backing sheets, cupcake tins, and more. Since they are stored vertically, it allows you to see each item instead of stacking them on top of one another and digging through a drawer to find what you need.
Clever, new kitchen accessories are coming out all the time. Be sure to tell your designer about any specific needs you have. You might be surprised at how specific some of the latest kitchen solutions are!
Thanks for your question. I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
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