Incorporate these nifty drawer inserts, pullouts and other innovative ideas to bring organization to your home.
The last thing you want after putting all your time and money into a kitchen remodel is to find out that your efforts didn’t do much to curb your clutter habits. The dish soap and sponges appear once again next to the sink. The toaster gets used and never put away. Unopened wine bottles accumulate on the counter.
To prevent those kinds of scenarios, think strategically about your storage, no matter which room you’re remodeling, and put relatively affordable innovations such as drawer inserts and rollouts to good use. Here are a few of my favorite storage solutions for kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms.
In the Kitchen:
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| Inserts. Cabinet inserts and accessories are a common request I see in kitchen remodels. There are in-drawer inserts, such as knife blocks and spice holders, that can be made (or cut down) to custom sizes to fit in any drawer. |
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| There are also rollout inserts, as shown here, which are typically installed in lower cabinets, and roll out to hold a variety of items, such as utensils, pots and pans, and cutting boards. |
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| Don’t have a wine room? No space in the fridge? There are dedicated rollout inserts for storing wine in base cabinets too. |
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| Appliance garages. Also sometimes called appliance closets, these are cabinets designed around size requirements for mixers, blenders, toasters and pretty much any other small appliance you may have and want to store. They put those appliances within easy reach when you need them and help tuck away and hide them when you don’t, keeping your countertops free of clutter. |
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| Drawer inside the trash drawer. Trash drawers are a well-known solution for organization within the kitchen. However, adding a drawer inside the trash drawer (where there is usually wasted space above the cans) is an inventive, hidden way to store things such as trash bags, oven mitts and hand towels. |
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| Tall, skinny drawers. Be creative with otherwise impractical spaces. Tall, skinny drawers have become increasingly popular for their demonstrated utility. Install one on each side of your cooktop to store spices and oils. Or place one next to the sink for dish soaps and other cleaning supplies. |
In The Bathroom:
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| Medicine cabinets. These have come a long way since they were first introduced. Big, chunky wooden pieces that stick out from the wall have been replaced by recessed boxes with mirrors that can smoothly slide open to reveal shelves, lighting, magnifying mirrors and even TVs. |
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| Electrical plugs installed inside the cabinets. These are great for using hair dryers and straighteners while making sure they stay off the counter when they’re not in use. Some companies make drawers and cabinet inserts specifically for this purpose. |
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| Rollouts. Rollouts are more commonly seen in the kitchen, but they can be just as useful in your bathroom. A great place for a rollout is in the cabinet underneath the sink, as shown here. Often, plumbing gets in the way of seeing (and using) all the space in this area. A rollout helps eliminate this problem, making much of the space below easily accessible. |
In The Utility Room:
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| Valet rods. A valet rod is an awesome little piece of hardware that I personally believe is underrated. It can be installed on a wall or the outside of a cabinet and extended when you need to hang something, then put away when you’re all done. |
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| Ironing board drawer insert. Bear with me, because I’ve got to harp on my love of drawer inserts one more time. There are drawer inserts that open to reveal a foldable ironing board, as shown here. Yes, a standard wall cabinet is another storage option, but if you’re a clean freak like me, a more covert solution like this one is too good to pass up. |
Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. Don’t feel dismayed if these solutions don’t work with your remodel. Rather, take inspiration from what’s already out there and create something brand new that suits your exact needs. After all, no one knows what you need and want better than yourself.
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