Storage tips for modern kitchens

Like kitchen design itself, kitchen storage has increasingly been taking on qualities of minimalism and simplicity. The desired effect is a modern kitchen with streamlined space, uncluttered surfaces, and the utmost efficiency. One of the best ways of achieving this balance of modern appearance and cutting-edge functionality is with intelligent storage solutions. Here, we’ll be looking at some of these modern solutions and explaining how they can give your kitchen an ergonomic edge with no shortage of sleek style.

Opening up space

Open shelving units and hollow islands present a simple but effective way of achieving a spacious and honest kitchen. Not only do they make it easier to store and access larger pieces of cookware and awkwardly-shaped utensils, but they also leave everything out in the open which is a great vehicle for expression. If you have some beautiful brass pots worth showing off, open shelving is the way to go! Your everyday cookware becomes a form of decoration akin to artwork and quirky fixtures. Another idea would be to stack up some of your best crockery or some vintage fine china to bring an element of personality to your space.

Due to space constraints in some kitchens, installing open shelving is sometimes not an option. Luckily, islands have a similar function when you open them up, allowing you to store even the most bulky and large items in your kitchen – items which are a nightmare to cram into your cupboard. Whether using your island to store cookware or plug-in appliances, there is plenty of space for a number of items and their location in the centre of your kitchen will make them very easy to use. Sure, it might seem like a strange idea at first, but many homeowners with hollow islands struggle to understand why they didn’t get one sooner!

Upcycling for space

A recycled piece of vintage furniture might not be the most obvious choice for a list of modern storage solutions, but often it takes some old-school touches to complete a modern kitchen. This idea is both sustainable and effortlessly stylish, adding contrast and making a statement while taking advantage of perfectly good materials from a bygone era. You could invest in a large free standing cabinet and use it to store recipe books and crockery, this would certainly leave a lasting impression when paired with modern counters and islands. But upcycling doesn’t always need to be showy – some retro biscuit tins or a small wooden chest could do the trick!

Making the most of space

Space can often be quite lacking in modern kitchens, especially when living in an apartment, although heavily streamlining the space is not always the answer. After all, why cram all of your items into the same run of cabinets when you have an entire wall that could be used for additional shelving, hanging racks and hooks for your cookware. Something as simple as a magnetic knife rack, for instance, will help to ease the load on your cutlery drawer or free up space on your countertops. This in turn will allow you to better organise your kitchen.

There are many other ways of thinking vertically when you’re running low on space. The back of your cabinet doors could make for a great spot for some utensil hooks or a hanging spice rack – and we all know how much cupboard space those spice bottles can take up! Furthermore, if you’re keen for a bit of renovation work, there may be sections of your countertop that could do with a new drawer or cabinet. We appreciate that some of these solutions are quite ‘showy’, and those with minimalist kitchens may be looking for less conspicuous ways of freeing up space. As such, if you have a kitchen corner space that could be put to better use, consider installing a LeMans unit or a carousel that increases the area of your cabinets and makes use of previously unused space.

Organising your space

Amidst all this talk of modern kitchen storage solutions, let’s not forget the absolute basics – organisation is what keeps the modern kitchen together, and good organisation is dependent on intelligent design. If your kitchen is designed with efficient storage in mind (as any modern kitchen should be), everything will have a place and all your items will be within easy reach. Raking through drawers for a bottle opener and digging elbow-deep into your cupboards for a can of soup is not an ideal situation – but it is a preventable one with the right approach.

When you have too much stuff and not enough space for storing it all, a pull-out pantry might just be the perfect solution. Homeowners can use these large racks to store hundreds of food items at once, thus freeing up entire cabinets in the process. Furthermore, there will be no more rummaging around for certain items – pantries are easy to organise and access, with each item being visible (even the ones at the very back) when you pull it out. But investing in a big pantry isn’t the only way of organising space. Instead, many keep on using your current cabinets, but start using them better. Keeping certain items in labelled baskets is one great way of keeping things in a designated place. And finally, a quick declutter certainly wouldn’t do any harm!

For a helping hand with designing your new kitchen and a chat with our professional designers, get in touch the award-winning team at Burnhill Kitchens! We are happy to offer you our expertise in functional kitchen design.

Our design and consultation process is free of charge and we’ll work closely with you to devise our ideal kitchen before figuring out the next steps. With our expert team of designers and fitters creating four kitchens a week, you won’t regret giving us a call!