5 Must-Have Kitchen Storage Ideas For your Renovation

Having ample, efficient storage is one of the most important elements of a well-functioning kitchen, allowing for easier cooking, entertaining, and cleanup. In other words: a well-organized kitchen is a happy kitchen. If you're currently planning a renovation, here are five must-have kitchen storage ideas.

A built-in spice drawer.

Sure, you could just buy a spice rack. But they're bulky, and take up either valuable space on the counter or in the pantry. A better solution is to turn a top drawer close to the stove into a "spice drawer." Many kitchen cabinet manufacturers offer inserts that will help you keep spices organized, or you can retrofit a drawer with store-bought inserts.

Pull-out pantry shelving.

If you don't have a walk-in pantry, the next best thing is a closet pantry with pull-out shelving. The simple addition, which allows the shelves to fully extend outward, helps you see and access what's at the back of deep shelves. This allows for more storage because you'll need less heigh between each shelf since you don't need to account for room to reach your arm in.

A spot for the sponge.

This small extra turns an otherwise unusable strip of space beneath the sink into a handy spot for dishwashing supplies like gloves, sponges, or bottle brushes.

kitchen storage ideas
kitchen storage ideas

Organized Drawer Storage

Many homeowners default to using their upper cabinet storage for things like plates and cups, but drawer storage can actually prove to be a more efficient use of space. The key to using drawers for breakable items is to design cabinets with built-in organizers that hold items perfectly in place, like this below example from LEICHT.

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kitchen storage ideas -drawer

Speciality storage

Everyone uses their kitchen differently, so before you settle on an organization plan, give thoughtful consideration to how you spend your time in the space. If morning coffee is a ritual in your home, consider building a special spot to house your espresso machine, coffee maker, milk steamer, and any other tools you use. If you're constantly heaving out your stand mixer to bake, you might want to think about installing an appliance garage, which will allow you to simply slide the mixer out onto the countertop, then slide it away when it's not in use. Can't stand tripping over the pet bowl when you're running around making dinner? Install a pet food station to house the bowls out of the way.

kitchen appliance garage-leicht
An appliance garage makes it easy to access heavy or cumbersome kitchen gadgets.
dog-bowl-area-in-kitchen
A pet feeding station keeps bowls off the floor.

For more kitchen storage ideas, visit Divine Design Build on Houzz.