When you begin to design your dream kitchen, it’s easy to get carried away with the big details like colors, materials and fixtures, and not consider the practicalities, like making sure you incorporate enough storage into your kitchen remodel. This is a common mistake that we see time and again during our in-home consultations with Colorado Springs homeowners.
The fun part of designing your kitchen is the aesthetics, picking out the new appliances, the backsplash, and the countertops. Figuring out where to place your Kitchen-Aid, blender, and coffee maker are more mundane issues that you may put off until you realize that there is not a space big enough for these and other essentials.
How can you make sure that you plan for enough storage in your kitchen remodel? Follow these four tips.
1. Inventory What You Already Have
The first step in incorporating enough storage into your kitchen remodel is to do an inventory of what you currently have in your kitchen. What are you planning to replace? Are you going to donate the toaster you got for your wedding twenty years ago? Before you start the design process, consider all of the kitchen supplies you have now and what you want handy.
- Do you keep heirloom dishes boxed up in the garage, but you would love to have them close at hand?
- Does it feel like you don’t have enough storage for pans and casserole dishes?
- What about drawer space for utensils, kitchen linens, and other smaller kitchen gadgets?
- Are there currently enough electrical outlets for the appliances you want to keep easily accessible?
Once you know what you have, the following step is where the fun begins.
2. What Do You Not Have That You Really Want?
Do you dream of the latest kitchen gadgets, like an espresso maker, a stand-mixer with all the attachments, or a set of high-quality pans? Maybe what you want is as simple as more drawers to better separate utensils.
While you are planning enough storage in your kitchen remodel for gadgets and crockery, remember to plan space for your pantry supplies. Would you like to keep all your shelf-stable items in one location? Do you want to keep trash bags, paper towels, and cleaning supplies close at hand as well?
By having a list of what you don’t have but want, you ensure that your Colorado Springs kitchen remodeler can incorporate your needs and wants into the functional and beautiful kitchen of your dreams.
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3. Make A List Of Your Least Favorite (and Most Favorite) Parts of Your Current Kitchen
This is one of our favorite tips to ensure that you get exactly what you want out of your kitchen remodel, because this is how you make sure your contractor understands your likes, dislikes and demands. After you’ve made your lists of what you have and what you want to have, make a list of what you like and dislike in your current kitchen.
For instance, do you love the lazy susan in your corner cabinet, but wish it was closer to the stove? Perhaps there is “dead” space in your current cabinet configuration due to some areas that are just not easily accessible.
On the other hand, do you just love the pop-out drawer in front of your sink for sponges and bottle cleaners? Do you have a clear view of your family room that you want to keep at all costs? Knowing what is important to you and what you can compromise on will help you plan enough storage in your kitchen remodel.
4. A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place
Once your kitchen remodel is complete and the contractor has moved on to their next job, the rest is up to you. Having to put your kitchen supplies, food and decorations back into the kitchen with no plan can be overwhelming. Start planning for this inevitability before the construction is complete by jotting down what is going into each drawer, which shelf will hold what food and where appliances will go.
Also factor in any accessories or decorations that can double as storage. Hanging pot racks, stand-alone wine racks and even spice organizers all can make a kitchen look great and it saves the built-in storage space of the kitchen. If you don’t factor these into your kitchen design right away though, you’ll end up rearranging a few times.
Guarantee You Have Enough Storage In Your Kitchen Remodel: Work With The Certified Kitchen Designers At Designer Kitchens
The above tips will help you plan for enough storage in your kitchen remodel, but the best thing you can do to design your perfect kitchen is to talk to the experts. The Certified Kitchen Designers at Designer Kitchens have been helping Colorado Springs homeowners make their dream kitchen a reality for over 30 years.