Best Storage Solutions for Kitchen and Bath Design

Are considering a new kitchen design or bathroom remodel and want to make efficient storage solutions a top priority? Or maybe you just want to clear out your cabinets and reorganize before the holidays? An organized and efficient space complete with customized storage and internal storage accessories is essential to achieving this goal. How do you get the perfect storage solutions to keep your home clutter-free and stylish? We explore the best storage solutions for kitchen and bathroom design in our latest blog.

Clear Everything Out!

Before you begin to consider what amount and type of storage you need, you must first fully declutter your space. If you are embarking on a full kitchen or bath remodel, this is an essential first step in re-designing your room. Even if you are not remodeling but just want to re-organize your storage, decluttering your space will help.

Take everything out of your bathroom vanity or kitchen cabinets, clear out your pantry or linen cabinet, empty open shelves and niches, and clear countertops and floors. Go through every item and determine if it is necessary or meaningful. Recycle or repurpose anything you don’t use. Get rid of broken or out-of-date items.

Determine What You Need

Look at what you have left after going full Marie Kondo on your kitchen cabinets and vanity drawers. Decide what needs to be stored in the room, what needs to be readily accessible, what can be kept on high shelves, and what could be stored somewhere else like in attic or basement storage or a hall linen closet. Look at what you have left and decide how you want to organize it in your kitchen or bathroom design. There are customized storage solutions and internal storage accessories to fit every item you need to have available.

Closed vs. Open Storage

There are benefits to closed and open storage options, both from a practical and style perspective. Closed storage in the form of a vanity or kitchen cabinets is the foundation of your home’s storage.  Cabinetry defines your style with the door type and color, all accessorized with hardware. It also offers the ideal place to stow away and neatly organize your dishes, pots and pans, and cooking utensils in a kitchen design or your toiletries and styling tools in a bathroom design. Combined with internal storage accessories, closed storage keeps everything neatly tucked away and off countertops, and keeps your room clutter-free.

Open storage can also play a starring role in your room’s organization. Open shelves, floating shelves, and recessed storage niches all offer places to keep items you need readily accessible (like a shower niche for toiletries or a floating shelf with spices and oils). They also provide room to accessorize your space with decorative items that bring color, texture, and personality to your room. Make sure you carefully select and arrange items on open shelving, so it doesn’t become cluttered, and be prepared to clean regularly to avoid dust building up.

Top Storage Ideas for Kitchen Design

Go Big With a Pantry

Create dedicated pantry storage in the form of either a walk-in pantry or else a section of cabinetry with customized rollouts, pull-outs, and drawers. Even an underutilized alcove, closet, or out-of-the-way corner can be converted into a pantry that transforms your kitchen design. Include customized storage inside your pantry like shelves, rollouts, or pullouts. Select containers for essential food items that both protect the contents and fit your kitchen design aesthetic. From glass containers to baskets or wooden crates find a container style that enhances both style and storage.

Customize a Beverage Bar

Whether you are a wine connoisseur or a coffee aficionado, including a beverage bar in your kitchen design is an asset to your home’s storage and organization. If you don’t have a lot of room, then designate a section of your kitchen cabinets for beverage supplies and leave space on the countertop for a coffee maker, blender, or cocktail accessories. In a large kitchen, create a standalone beverage bar with custom storage, a built-in coffee maker, and an under-counter beverage refrigerator. Position it away from the main cooking area where it is accessible to both kitchen and entertainment spaces, making it easier for guests to get their drink refills.

Create an Island Oasis

Kitchen islands are the centerpiece of today’s modern kitchen. They offer a clear division between kitchen work zones, provide extra seating, and enhance the style of your room. The island offers the ideal place to incorporate additional storage for everything from pots and pans to table linens.

Storage Accessories Save the Day

Kitchen cabinets offer space for storage, but internal accessories transform your cabinets into the perfect organized space. Vertical tray dividers keep your heavy trays and cutting boards upright, so they are easily accessible. Peg systems fit into deep drawers to keep dishes and pots well-organized. Turn remote corners into the ideal storage space with swing-outs, lazy Susans, or custom corner drawers. Create pull-outs in narrow spaces for spices and oils. Storage inserts are ideal for cutlery drawers, cooking utensils, spice racks, and much more.

Clear the Decks

Small countertop appliances and gadgets can clog up your workspace and make your kitchen design look cluttered. Stow these items away in accessible storage depending on how often you use them.  Items used daily could be left open on the countertop or kept in an appliance garage, a countertop storage area with a pull-down door. For a heavier item like a stand mixer consider installing a cabinet with a mixer lift that allows you to easily bring your mixer to countertop height and stow it away when not in use. Consider built-in microwaves or coffee makers to create an even more sleek design.

Personalize With Open Storage

Closed storage is essential to a kitchen design, but open storage can play a starring role in kitchen storage solutions. Floating shelves or a recessed niche near your cooking area offers the ideal place to keep a few essential items that need to be easily accessible when cooking. Open storage also lets you personalize your design and provides space for decorative items. Select items that bring an accent color or texture to your room’s design, and accessories that add a dash of personality. Be careful not to overdo it though, or your open storage will become cluttered.

Top Storage Ideas for Bathroom Design

Customize Your Vanity Storage

Just like in a kitchen design, the vanity is essential to your bathroom design’s storage solutions. First, consider what type of bathroom this is, who uses it, and how frequently. The size of the vanity you install, and the type of storage will depend on these factors, as well as your room’s available space. In a large, busy master bath design or family bathroom, maximize your storage with a large vanity or even two cabinets, equipped with customized storage accessories. Include laundry hamper pull-outs, space for all your toiletries, and styling tools. Include a drawer for electronics as well as charging points.

Super Shower Storage

When you step into your relaxing shower, the last thing you want to do is trip over shampoo bottles. A recessed shower niche, corner built-in shelves, or a custom ledge are the perfect answer. Create your shelves or ledge in the same material as your bathroom design’s countertop for a fluid style. For a recessed niche, consider using an accent tile to turn your storage into a style focal point.

Creative Containers

For those items, you need to have them sitting on the countertop, select stylish containers to keep them organized and your bathroom design looking beautiful. Pick containers that accent your room’s design aesthetic, like metal or wire baskets for a contemporary look, or baskets or wooden boxes for a rustic appeal. Consider adding a unique mirrored tray to keep a few select items organized on your countertop.

Open Storage Options

In addition to open storage in your shower, floating shelves, wall niches, and alcove storage can play a role throughout your bathroom design. Use a narrow alcove to store extra towels, neatly rolled up and arranged by color to maintain your style. Add floating shelves in a material that accents your style like metal for a contemporary bath design or smooth wood for a spa-style space. Carefully curate the items you store on these shelves to avoid creating clutter.

Hooks, Rings, and Bars

Consider where you need to access towels and bathrobes and place hooks and towel bars in those locations. A heated towel bar next to your shower or bathtub means you have warm towels ready when you step out of the shower or bath. With accessible hooks and bars, there will never be an excuse to drop towels on the floor again!

Get Creative

It helps to cleverly utilize every inch of your bathroom design to benefit both your room’s storage and style. Narrow spaces can be turned into alcove storage. Add shelves or a shallow cabinet to the area above the toilet to create extra storage. Add a unique piece of furniture like a vintage cocktail table or a rustic ladder to give your storage a one-of-a-kind appeal.

Whether you are ready to create a brand-new kitchen or bathroom design or just want to update your storage solutions, start by fully decluttering your rooms. Next, think about what you need to store, what needs to be immediately accessible, and what can be stored somewhere else. Once you know what you need, you can start planning the ideal storage solutions for your room. Contact our team to discuss your design needs!