You’ve just moved into your house and the seller put in a beautiful new kitchen, but you’re realizing it’s not functioning so well. Or maybe you are aging and you find that your kitchen has some hard to reach places so you need to make the space more accessible. Or you’re starting from scratch with a brand new kitchen and want to make sure that you’re maximizing the space and storage potential. These are just three of many scenarios that I will touch on in this article to help inspire you to look at all the possibilities when looking at accessories for your kitchen.
Often when a seller or builder creates a kitchen space, the aesthetics and bottom line is the main focus, and they don’t consider the functionality so much. Drawers and accessories are costly and so that becomes the new user’s project, adding some of those final touches to the kitchen by accessorising it! One of the biggest areas that homeowners struggle with are corner cabinets… Especially when it is the dreaded blind corner.
After many years renovating kitchens I have come to the conclusion that the best option for a blind corner is the Flymoon accessory.
Like everything there are some pros and cons, but the pros do outweigh the cons!
Con:
- There is some “unsuded” space within the cabinet. In order for the accessory to maneuver it has been carefully designed to be able to fit and pull in and out, the result of this is there ends up being some open-air space within the cabinet based on the unique shape of the pull-out shelves.
Pros:
- Ease of accessing things in the cabinet, no-more digging out to get to the items at the very back.
- Can be retrofitted into most existing corner cabinets, they often come in three size options and in most cases can be fitted into an existing cabinet.
- A not-too costly solution to a cabinet often considered useless.
As we age, digging to get to items in the back of your cabinet, especially if you have a deep pantry, can be quite a cumbersome ordeal. Many often feel like a deep cabinet just swallows up things. You may find you are wasting food as things end up in the back and forgotten about, or you are just spending extra time emptying out a shelf to find what you are looking for. Installing interior roll-out drawers is the way to go! There are some ready to install options on the market, but generally I like to work with a cabinet maker to make custom fitted ones to best use up all the space you have.
By doing this you will:
- Eliminate the need to end up on your hands and knees digging through your kitchen cupboard.
- Help better organize things.
- Save you precious time and money as you can easily find what you need and not have things swallowed up in your pantry only to be later expired and tossed out!
When renovating your kitchen, you have an opportunity to maximize its storage potential! Working with a designer who specializes in kitchens is a key step into ensuring this is done! The options for accessories are endless, from utensil organization, to spices and oils, waste and recycling and brooms and mops. When you have this opportunity don’t let it go to waste! Some ways you can ensure you are not only creating a stylish kitchen but also a functional one three things that should be looked at in the design process are:
Where do you plan to store different things? This will help determine not only what accessories you might need but the type of cabinet needed. While drawers are often the go to, some things such as an air fryer or large stand mixer may not go into a drawer well. It’s possible the best option would be a cabinet with a pull-out shelf inside.
- Waste and recycle, with many communities now having a sorting system, it’s an important detail to factor into your kitchen’s functionality. Typically I like a 4-bin system, compost, waste, paper and mixed recyclables. Not all kitchens can accommodate a 4-bin system, but a good designer will come up with a creative way to achieve what is needed based on what you want for your kitchen waste system.
- Beverage station; okay so this isn’t always an accessory focused area, but an area that comes up more and more so I wanted to include some food for thought; Electrical outlets cannot be inside a cabinet,many clients are surprised to know that electrical needs to be considered when factoring an appliance garage into your kitchen design. That outlet can only be live when the door is open!
Whether you are adding some final touches to a new-ish kitchen, refurbishing an old kitchen to modernize it or creating your dream kitchen from scratch working with an interior designer who specializes in kitchens or organization is a key element to ensure you make the most of the space you have by utilizing the many kitchen cabinet accessories on the market to help you create a kitchen that is not only stylish but also very functional!