Filling kitchen cabinets inside

We associate the kitchen with the comfort of home - the warmth from the stove, the sizzling of dinner and the smell of home-baked goods. The whole family gathers at the table; the closest guests are simply received here. But an unsuccessful plan can add constant stress to the housewife’s life, and the joy of cooking will be replaced by anger and irritation.

Internal filling of kitchen cabinets - options

A large kitchen can easily fit all the necessary furniture, but due to ill-thought-out storage, preparing any dish will resemble an obstacle race. In a small kitchen, everything is at hand, but sometimes you feel like a Tetris champion trying to arrange things in the square meters allocated by the designer.

You can buy a ready-made set containing everything you need according to the designer, combine a kitchen from different blocks to choose from, or draw a project from scratch for a company that makes custom-made furniture. If time and funds are limited, do not despair: even an unsuccessful, at first glance, layout can be improved with minimal costs.

In a limited space, you will have to use your imagination to use every centimeter near the floor and right up to the ceiling. A shelf for bottles will be squeezed into the narrow gap between the cabinets, and a row of small items suspended from loops will be placed along the wall. The filling of kitchen cabinets inside can also be carefully thought out.

How to rationally organize space inside cabinets

First, decide what exactly you need every day.

Allocate space for kitchen appliances - a stove (or a separate hob plus oven), dishwasher, heater, garbage disposer, etc. Remember how often you use small equipment like a mixer or food processor, so that you always have the necessary things at hand, and what is used once a year on holidays does not take up valuable space.

The same applies to dishes - a set for ten people will wait for guests on the top shelf, while your favorite plates and cups stand where both the hostess and the children can easily reach them.

Sort food and household chemicals according to this principle.

The main work triangle - the space between the sink, stove and refrigerator - should ideally be arranged so that everything you need is immediately available. Let the bare minimum remain on surfaces, and place items in cabinets, drawers and shelves in a convenient order.

Hanging sections

At eye level it is convenient to store light dishes and products that you use most often. Depending on the location of the cabinet, the door can open towards itself or lift up and lock in this position. The third option is sliding doors, but they are used less often because this design is more likely to break and the contents behind it are less visible.Transparent/translucent doors made of glass or plastic not only make it easier to find what you need, but also visually expand the space, making the kitchen light and spacious. Cookbooks or notebooks with recipes will look good behind glass.

Open shelves are suitable for both storage and interior decoration: here you can display beautiful plates, glasses or accessories. But this option is more likely for a large kitchen; in conditions of limited space, such a solution may be unsuccessful - if the set is incomplete, it will look sloppy, and unnecessary items will begin to get in the way and fall at the most inopportune moment.

Rating systems made of rods with various hooks can be used not only for ladle and potholders, but also to hang lids on them in a special stand or a box with spices. Pots with long handles and frying pans hung along the wall or on a special round hanger look stylish if the dishes are beautiful and match in color with each other and with the rest of the contents.

IMPORTANT! A noticeable disadvantage of open storage is the dirt that will get on the dishes. You should not place such structures directly near the stove, sink and work surface - grease and moisture will constantly fly onto things, and you will have to wash them much more often.

The dish dryer is usually placed in a hanging cabinet, but not too high so that you don’t have to stretch too hard and water from wet dishes doesn’t flow down your hands. Plates are lined up on the stand, cups can be hung by the handles, and a glass or basket can be arranged for cutlery. Be sure to place an absorbent mat or drip tray underneath.

Floor stands

It makes sense to store heavy objects here so that you don’t have to strain when you take them out and don’t have to worry about a cast iron duckling falling out on someone’s head. Cabinets with doors that open towards you and a row of shelves are being replaced by large drawers - you can immediately see all the contents, and you don’t have to squat and bend over when you’re looking for something on the bottom shelf. High-quality shock absorbers and door closers make the system convenient and reliable.

If there is a narrow space left, you can place a column in it - a tall retractable structure. Thanks to the elongated shape, bottles with wine or cooking liquids will fit here.

There are three convenient designs for corners:

• Boxes are specially shaped, resembling the letter M.
• Carousel - rotating shelves eliminate the need to dig out dishes from the back wall of the cabinet.
• A wonderful corner is a system of rectangular shelves that is activated by opening the door and gives access to all the contents.

There is a lot of space left under the sink, but it is often not used due to the undesirable proximity to the pipes. Most people place a trash can under the sink.

REFERENCE! You can even attach the waste container to the door yourself. This way you don’t have to bend over to it, and you can immediately see when it’s time to change the bag.

Under the sink, detergents, spare sponges with rags and tools for removing blockages will not spoil the elegant look of the kitchen, and they can be laid out in a U-shaped box that goes around the pipe in the center, leaving storage space on the sides.

Drawers

Drawers are especially convenient for storing many small items in one place.It is better that the drawer extends completely - this way you can immediately see its contents and not a single spoon will roll into the far corner. It is worth putting away cutlery and small kitchen accessories here, which usually scatter all over all surfaces.

It is still better to leave some of the kitchen utensils outside so as not to touch the handle of the drawer with dirty hands every time while cooking. Spices will look nice if you lay the jars on their sides in even rows. The higher the side, the more different objects you can stack without fear that something will tip over and fall out from a push. Choose one large box or several small ones - decide for yourself. Sometimes it’s more convenient to use as much space as possible without wasting it on additional partitions, and sometimes the housewife has so many different little things that you simply can’t find what you need in the resulting dump without involving a search team! Don't forget to allocate space for baking paper/foil and bags.

Save space inside cabinets

• Pots and plates will take up less space if you place them in a matryoshka doll - the smaller into the larger. Many cookware manufacturers have taken care of the owners of small kitchens and produce kits for compact storage. Removable parts do not interfere with the neat arrangement of ladles that used to stick out in all directions, and one handle is usually enough for several frying pans.
• Pay attention to the lids that are suitable for dishes of different diameters - this is much more convenient than choosing one for each container.
• If you don't have a lot of dishes, instead of a separate drying rack, use a folding design or a rubber mat that rolls up and puts away after use.
• Stores sell a variety of organizers for things - stands for vertical storage of lids and plates, baskets and cups for cutlery, and drawer dividers. Removable sides can be installed lengthwise or crosswise to suit your needs.

Small tricks

• Hide a pull-out cutting board among a row of drawers.

• A cabinet or table on wheels can be used depending on the situation: for storage, as a work surface, or covered with a tablecloth and placed at the table for receiving guests.

• Don't forget about the windowsill. Under it you will get an excellent cabinet for vegetables; in the cold, food will last longer - our grandmothers used this technique, and in many old apartments this place is reserved for a kind of basement.

• Magnets save a lot of space. For knives, place a special rail along the wall. And on the metal sides of the stove and refrigerator you can attach jars or silicone potholders with a magnet.

• Another original idea for small jars is to glue the lids to the bottom of the wall cabinet, so the spices will always be in sight, and unscrewing the one you need is a matter of one second.

• Instead of a railing with hooks, you can hang a perforated panel and rearrange the nails on it for specific dishes.

• Don't leave empty space under cabinets. Instead of useless legs, it is better to place narrow drawers there for those little things that you use least often.

How to keep your kitchen cabinets tidy

When everything is kept in its place, dirt does not spread throughout the kitchen, and cleaning takes very little time.

• Install a hood and turn it on every time you cook - proper air circulation will not only eliminate unpleasant odors, but also reduce the amount of splashes of water and fat during the cooking process.

• Wipe all surfaces immediately after use; fresh dirt is easily washed off with a damp cloth, but dried stains will require general cleaning.

• To avoid worrying about toxic substances near food and utensils, buy products labeled eco-friendly or for children.

• Remember where everything is so that you can throw away expired products in a timely manner. You can attach whiteboards or paper lists to cabinet doors.

• Regularly check bulk products for foreign animals. One pack of cereal spoiled by pests can ruin an entire cabinet of supplies.

In a comfortable and beautiful kitchen, daily cooking turns from a duty into a hobby. Even those who were previously wary of approaching the stove will want to master a new recipe - and with the right organization, it will turn out to be quite simple.