Storage Accessories

There is no rule that says that a cabinet or drawer can hold only one type of item or for that matter one type of storage accessory. By adding storage accessories to your cabinets and drawers, you can make your kitchen more compatible with your lifestyle. Your ability to easily see, access and retrieve the items you need--when you need them-- will affect how efficiently you can accomplish a task. Putting things back in their place only helps if you had them stored and organized properly to begin with.

Most kitchen cabinetry offers adjustable shelves, and other accessories to maximize shelf space and accessibility. Adjust your shelves to hold the same height items (either alone or stacked) on one shelf so that you don't waste the space above each item. Use lazy susans, risers or tiers, roll-out shelves, spice racks, movable pantry organizers, tray dividers (for vertical storage), and bottle and lid holders. In drawers, use spice inserts and cutlery and utensil organizers (available in one size, expandable, or with moveable sections on top of a base section). Check to make sure that drawers are deep enough to handle your widest utensils. You can see more articles about this topic at About.com or at Better Homes & Gardens.com's "20 Storage Squeezers".

Some "small" appliances take up substantial counter or storage space (i.e. bread machine, cappuccino maker, coffee maker, electric wok, espresso maker, food processor, microwave, stand mixer, and toaster oven, etc.) and should have their location planned depending on how often you will use the appliance. As an example, the stand mixer can be stored on a lift up shelf that is installed in a base cabinet. The shelf lifts up and secures in place for use. Be sure to include an electrical outlet in the base cabinet for easy accessibility.

ADDITIONAL READING
The Complete Home Organizer, by Maxine Ordesky, published by Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Inc.