Kitchen & Bath Design News

MAY 2014

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

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32 | Kitchen & Bath Design News May 2014 Kitchen Storage Solutions By Kim Berndtson T ablets, TVs and smart phones. Gourmet oils and an abundance of spices. Recycling centers with multiple containers. Pet sleeping quarters. The list of items being stored in today's kitchens goes well beyond the traditional inventory of pots and pans; plates, bowls and glasses; cooking utensils, and pantry items. Today's kitchens have become multi-functional… pulling double, and even tri- ple duty, as the place where people cook and entertain, and where kids do their homework. In an increasing number of kitchens, even the family pet gets special atten- tion. As a result, storage needs have evolved to the point where they bear little resem- blance to their former selves. "Lifestyles have changed," s ay s S or r el l S c a g l ione - Poelzer, interior designer, Kowalske Kitchen & Bath, in Delafeld, WI. "People are on the go. They eat out more and may not need as many pots and pans or as food storage. But they want to be orga- nized so their kitchens can work efciently for them." 'FULLY LOADED' Finding a place for every- thing – both the traditional and non-traditional – is driv- ing much of what's happening in kitchen storage these days. "People are recognizing – as they have for a while now – the importance of proper accessories that make a kitchen more usable, as op- posed to blank drawers and adjustable shelves," says Jason Landau, Amazing Spac- es, in Briarclif Manor, NY. As such, designers KBDN spoke with often use dedi- cated inserts for everything from spices to knives. A r t hur Zobel, Majes- t ic K itchens & Bat h, in Mamaroneck, NY, likes to use pull-outs. They provide easy access to contents and are available in a variety of sizes – including narrow widths that can provide storage op- portunities in what otherwise might be wasted space. They are also available with a vari- ety of options, such as roll-out and swing-out shelves. Verti- cally divided cabinets provide efcient storage for cookie sheets and cutting boards. Deep drawers and doors with roll-out drawers behind them can also improve pot and pan storage. "Years ago people just piled everything into a cabinet," Zobel con- tinues. "When they wanted something in the back, they had to take everything out. Now we have so many stor- age options. People love to come into the showroom to see all the possibilities." Landau often 'fully loads' his kitchens with these bells and whistles, plus he uses pull-out towel bars and recy- cling centers – with as many as three or four containers. He also recesses paper towel rolls into the face of cabinets to keep countertops clear. With electronics moving into the kitchen, he equips draw- ers with electrical outlets and USB ports to serve as stor- age/charging stations, and he stores TVs in base cabi- nets equipped with pop-up mechanisms. Fo r Na d i a S u b a r a n , drawers wit hin drawers are a great shallow-storage solution for items such as saucepans that aren't very deep. The owner/senior de - signer at Aidan Design, in Bethesda, MD, also likes open shelves. "I encourage clients to be open about how to store things," she says. "We do a lot of open shelves, although not as much from a decora- tive standpoint, but rather as a way to keep items you use every day within sight and For the kitchen in this estate home, Nadia Subaran needed to fnd storage for a lot of items used for catered events and large family gatherings. 'We were mindful of every corner,' she says. A nearly foor-to-ceiling walnut pantry, an island with deep drawers and corner organization (above) are just some of the strategies she utilized. TIP: "Include a two-step stepstool. It can make a kitchen more efcient. It's great for cleaning and reaching top shelves. And, it can ft neatly under a sink." Nadia Subaran, Aidan Design Today's multi-functioning kitchens require that designers get creative when it comes to fnding places to store everything from electronics to recyclables. Sometimes, even the family pet moves in from the dog house. Photos: Robert E. Radifera KBD_32-33_KitchendStorage.indd 32 4/16/14 8:12 AM

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