If loving a drawer is wrong.

You know how the rest goes...I don't wanna be right!

I feel like my paths have been crossing a lot with folks who are remodeling kitchens. And, for some reason when people mention a kitchen remodel, I want to tell them all the things that I think make for a better a kitchen. And, most of the time they are appreciative. Unless of course I have them trapped in an elevator encouraging discussion about granite versus Quartz. Anyways, because one could write a literal book about kitchen design tips, I decided to focus today on one area...inside cabinet storage.

Now, for most of us a designing or improving a kitchen means lots of choices. So, it's easy at the end to throw some shelves into the cabinets and call it good. But, don't do it! Take a little bit of time and think about how you will use the storage spaces in the cabinets and then choreograph a beautiful dance of accessories and hardware to compliment those new cabinets.

A great place to start braining storming kitchen storage ideas is on Pinterest. You could probably spend a solid 83-97 hours once you start down that road, so be warned. Another strategy is to speak with a kitchen expert and learn about the options specific to the cabinet brand you have selected. If you are having custom cabinets built, the builder probably uses a specific website where he/she purchases the hardware and inserts. You can get that website from them and browse all of the options. Even more important, they can give you advice on what they have seen work and what might look like a great idea, but isn't very practical.

I thought I would share with you four of the kitchen inserts we used when designing our kitchen.

1) Slide in garbage: This one may seem obvious. But, this is my first time not having a trash can tucked away in the corner of my kitchen or at the end of an island. I love this and the can insert is easy to take in and out to change or clean. There is even an option with a garbage can and a recycle bin in the same slide out.

2) Build in pantry sliding drawers: To walk-in pantry or not, that is the question. And, this was certainly a question for us. Once we got into the nitty-gritty of laying out our floor plan we opted to skip the "real" pantry and instead build a wall of cabinetry around the refrigerator which would act as a pantry. Each of the pantry cabinets has several slide out drawers which hold everything from food to baking and serving ware. I added white bins to help group like items together and that added to the organization instantly. Best of all, Ally drew some totes adorable labels on the bins which upped the awesome factor. We have the bins in three different sizes and they came from the Container Store. You can find them online at https://www.containerstore.com/s/white-taper-storage-bins-with-handles/d?q=white%20bins&productId=10034939

3) The "k" is silent knife drawer: This one is easy peasy. My cabinet guy just added some horizontal dividers to make these neat spaces to avoid one BIG scary sharp drawer. Love it!

4) Peg board drawer: Okay, I saved the best for last. This drawer made me so happy that this picture is one I took the day we moved in, because the organization made me giddy, There is a flat board with round holes and you use a series of pegs to adjust the empty spaces to whatever you need. You can make this drawer do anything (but not wash your laundry, I tried) and it is great to not have heavy plates and bowl in an overhead cabinet which can be a challenge for some short'ish folks.

There you have it...my favorite four. Making great choices when you design your kitchen makes organization a no-brainer. And, that's a sure fire way of keeping a system going.

If you are in the middle of a kitchen remodel or have one on the horizons, give me a ring and we can talk about how I can help. Happy organizing!

Note: None of the drawers, trash, or bins were cleaned prior to these photos. These are real life pics I snapped while was cooking dinner. So, please don't judge my snack choices or the fact we use a lot of butter around here. Thanks for understanding...I knew you would.