A Guide To Kitchen Storage And Organisation Solutions
Regardless of whether your kitchen is big or small, keeping it organised is always a challenge. From appliances and food items to equipment and utensils, there’s always a lot of items to store. Many homeowners also find it challenging to stow away things like food containers, chopping boards, oil bottles, spices and more.
A smart combination of storage units, drawers, tall units, cabinets is what transforms a normal kitchen to a functional one. We have created this guide to help you explore unique kitchen storage ideas for modular kitchen designs. Here is the lowdown on how to choose the right one for your kitchen. So let’s get started!
What Are Kitchen Units?
Before we start with the different types of kitchen storage units, you must know what kitchen units are! Kitchen units are the primary element of any modular kitchen design. They are typically made from either solid wood or wood-based materials like plywood, hardwood, particleboard. The most preferred materials for a modular kitchen are BWP (Boiling Water Proof), HYDMR (Hydro-Density High Moisture Resistant) as they are highly resistant to water and moisture and ideal for wet areas like kitchen. These materials are covered with a layer of finishes such as laminates to protect it and add an elegant touch to kitchen units. Kitchen units can be further categorised as wall and base units.
What Are Wall Units?
If looking for some smart kitchen cabinet storage solutions, wall units are the most efficient option for you. They are storage cabinets fixed on kitchen walls, thus provide additional storage space without taking up any additional floor space. These are typically installed at the height of two feet from the kitchen countertop. They are a fundamental part of every kitchen’s interior design to store dishes, serve-ware, spices and condiments. Overhead storage or wall units are a necessity when you are preparing your meals.
Let’s explore the different types of wall units.
Bifold Lift-up Shutter Unit
A bifold lift-up shutter is a two-piece shutter that folds at the centre and lifts vertically. One of the main advantages of this unit is it keeps the handles of the shutters within easy reach. This means closing it does not become a tedious affair.
Open Box Wall Unit
Open boxes are the most efficient and cost-effective of all wall units. They may be plain in design but are some of the most useful storage units in any modular kitchen design. Open box wall units are perfect to store frequently used items like spices, condiments and necessary kitchen tools like whisks, masher, graters and the like.
Vertical Lift-Up Wall Unit
A vertical lift up shutter is specially designed for all those tall couples out there! This unit is simple to use as it does not swing-out like a conventional cabinet shutter. This is a perfect small kitchen storage design especially when two people are cooking and constant movement becomes inconvenient. It’s safe and easy to access as there is less risk of crashing into the edge of the shutter as it doesn’t swing-out.
Vertical Sliding Split Shutter Unit
Unlike the vertical lift-up shutter that’s perfect for tall people and small kitchens. A vertical sliding split shutter is ideal for people of all heights and still helps make the most of available space. The shutter on this unit splits in the middle and opens vertically showing the storage behind it. It’s one of the most clever storage solution for small kitchens in India!
Pegasus Wall Unit
A pegasus wall unit is designed keeping in mind short people as the mechanism of this storage unit lets you access all the contents by simply pulling the tray down. You can either leave the unit open as shown in the image, or cover it with a shutter if needed.
What Are Base Units?
Base units rest on the kitchen floor serves as a base to other kitchen elements such as cooktops, countertops, and sinks. They are the most practical and useful part of your kitchen’s storage solution and the right type of base units can make or break your kitchen design.
Let’s explore different types of base kitchen units:
Internal Drawers
Internal drawers are one of the most practical means to design a kitchen that’s clean, classic and minimalistic in appeal as they are hidden behind a single big shutter. They offer a seamless look with ample storage space to keep your utensils organised.
Oil Pull-Out
As the name infers, this base unit is designed to store oil jars, condiments and glass bottles or containers that are tall or those that are likely to tip over and break. An oil-pull out is typically installed alongside your hob unit for a hassle-free cooking experience.
Pots And Pan Tandem Drawers
A tandem drawer for your pots and pans is a clever way to store ample cutlery that may otherwise rest on your countertop consuming a lot of your cooking space. These drawers are designed with organisers that help maintain order and avoid pots and pans from moving around.
Spice Pull-Out
Structurally like the oil pull-out, the spice pull-out offers more sections to hold smaller containers of seasonings and condiments. This is a recommended storage solution for those who do not wish to have open wall units to store frequently used ingredients.
Tandem Drawer – 50 Kgs
This is a heavy-duty relative of your standard tandem drawer, designed to carry up to 50 kgs. These are perfect to store huge sacks of rice, pulses, flours and non-perishable vegetables making it ideal for big fat Indian families that stock up on bulk groceries.
Under Sink Unit
Under-sink units come in a variety of storage choices that offer waste bins, storage trays, tandem drawers and shutter units. The area under your sink is often neglected but if used smartly it can be a great place to store your cleaning supplies and waste bins. This under sink unit is a perfect fit for that.
Skirting Drawer
One of the most innovative solutions to come out in recent times, skirting drawers makes use of otherwise wasted space under base units. A skirting drawer like this can be used to store disinfectants, cleaning cloths, paper bags, warranty cards and more.
Doors Vs Drawers- The Better Option For Kitchen Cabinets?
In modular kitchen designs, the most popular option when it comes to storage is to choose drawers, particularly for the base cabinets. The benefits if this are many and that is why you will see many homes with deigns that incorporate drawers beneath countertops.
While wall cabinets are perfect to store light weight items, showcasing glassware and function well with doors. For base cabinets drawers are the ideal choice as they facilitate the best use of storage space. Even if the drawers are two feet deep, they still serve the purpose just right as it can be pulled out to store the items.
You can opt for various ways to organise your dishes and utensils inside drawers that are not entirely possible with doors. Especially in small kitchens with tight aisles, drawers are excellent as they make less of an obstacle for people to move around.
So the answer is, doors might work better for overhead storage or wall cabinets but when you need to make the most of your space and increase storage space in kitchen, drawers are the best!
And that’s it for today! We hope this guide has helped you with some functional kitchen storage so you can take an informed decision to organise your kitchen space.
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