Don’t design your kitchen without this ONE thing

There are so many things that are important when you design your kitchen but there is one item that will really save you space and keep you organised.

It won't give you the WOW factor nor the beauty of a gorgeous marble benchtop.  Your friends won't be swooning over your amazing style and colour choices.  It isn't there to make the kitchen look great but it will make your life so much more organised and you so efficient in the kitchen!  And you can have it and the WOW kitchen too.

I am talking about the humble kitchen drawer.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing

Kitchen drawers are great because:

  • As you pull them out you can instantly see everything that you have and access it all without bending down on one knee.  As you get older it gets so much harder to get up again that this is a definite plus.
  • Remember the days of the Tupperware cupboard where the lids and pots separated for life and you had to scrabble around and reach to the back to find a pair? Those days are over with a kitchen drawer.
  • You can design a drawer with a drawer inside so that you can organise small items within a larger drawer front keeping your kitchen streamlined and simple.
  • A large pantry cupboard can have several drawers within it so that you can make use of the entire space, vertical and depth.  With some forward planning you can design these at heights to suit your pantry stores.
  • Pull out garbage bins work well to help you separate your rubbish from the recycling.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing

Drawers can add a little bit to the overall kitchen price and I sometimes have clients who don't see the value in them but really, I am grateful to say that lower kitchen cupboards are making their way out.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing
Image: Driven by Decor

Even slimline drawers can have a drawer within a drawer which is a great use of space for cutlery.

Two things that will make your kitchen drawers a success are good quality fittings so that they slide well and a soft closing feature to avoid banging.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing

Forget cluttering up your benchtop with knife blocks and containers of wooden spoons, whisks and ladles.  Keep it all organised in a pull out drawer next to your cooktop.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing

Kitchen drawers don't have to be just for pantry items, crockery and cutlery.  You can design one to a size that suits pesky items like chopping boards, roasting trays and wire racks.  Rather than pile these items on top of each other, have them propped up so that you can easily pull out what you need.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing

In addition to standard drawers you can think outside the box and install some pull out baskets which are great for adding texture and design to your kitchen.  Break it up with some open shelving and you certainly don't have just a basic kitchen design.

I do understand and agree of course that for the sake of the design, sometimes a traditional cupboard is more appropriate.  A classic kitchen with joinery built as a traditional dresser or cabinet does need a lower cupboard to look right however you can still intersperse drawers in a design like this for the everyday items that you need to regularly access.

The design has certainly not been forsaken in this gorgeous Cotswold kitchen from DeVol Kitchens below:

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE item
Image: DeVol Kitchens 
Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing
Image: Onekindesign.com

This classic Mountains retreat has a simple but very efficient kitchen with banks of drawers and a pull out garbage drawer next to the kitchen sink.

Don't design your kitchen without this ONE thing

Do you agree with me that you shouldn't design your kitchen without this one thing?  What would be the kitchen item that you couldn't do without?

Currently designing a kitchen?  Then you may be interested to read more.  I have LOTS to tell you about kitchens:

Related: How to create a classic white kitchen

Related: Have you considered blue for your kitchen cabinetry?

Related: How to choose the right kitchen splashback

Related: How to select a kitchen benchtop

And, I have lots more to tell you if you search Kitchens in the right hand sidebar.

Do you have trouble envisaging how you can pull this all together?  Are you overwhelmed with the choices that you need to make? Don't forget that I have a FREE Resource Library which has checklists and e-books to help you with your renovation.  Click here.

2 thoughts on “Don’t design your kitchen without this ONE thing

  1. Carrie says:

    I agree! We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and have chosen all drawers on the lowers (except the sink cabinet). With my previous kitchen, we ended up adding those metal after-market drawers to all the lower cupboards. They weren’t ideal, but much more functional than just cabinets. I’m looking forward to using the drawers in the new kitchen.

  2. Rosemary Wong says:

    I’m loving reading your blog. I have to stop myself every now and then to go and do some work. Haha! I totally agree with you Samantha. I have an appointment with my kitchen company in a couple of weeks and the one thing I’m insisting on is more drawers. In my rental house I’ve discovered the idea of putting my coffee mugs and glasses in drawers with non slip matting underneath to prevent them slipping. It beats reaching high and deep into overhead cupboards to retrieve these items.

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