creating a home meant for entertaining

Posted on: 28 October 2016

When it comes to redoing your kitchen cabinets, it can be tempting to not want to go through all the hassle of redesigning and replacing and just slap a new coat of paint onto the fronts and sides. But redoing your cabinetry can not only help to bring your kitchen into the modern age, but increase its functionality and get rid of space that's just being misused or – worse – wasted. So how do you know what to do with the freedom that comes from getting entirely new kitchen cabinets? If you're looking for a few ideas for your new custom cabinets, then here's what you need to know.

Re-Think Three

Most traditional cabinets have three shelves – one provided by the bottom of the cabinet with two at regular intervals above them. But there's no reason you have to have three shelves, nor any reason why they have to be stacked parallel to the bottom and tops of the cabinet! If you have a few large appliances that you keep in your cabinets (or would like to keep in your cabinets) such as crock pots, large stew pots, coffee makers, food processors, or blenders (among many, many others), design a corner cabinet just for these pieces. You'll have easy access to them when you need them, and you won't have to disassemble them into basic component parts just to store them away.

Not-So-Lazy Susan

Despite the pejorative name (who is Susan, anyway?), Lazy Susans can be the hardest working cabinet in your kitchen if used correctly. Lazy Susans put in bottom cabinets make you get on your knees and root around just like you would in a regular cabinet, so put her up at arm height, so that you can see what's in the cabinet much more easily – and with only a push of your finger to get the shelves twisting. Things like mixing bowls, cups, and spice containers are perfect for a Lazy Susan cabinet, which gives you unmitigated access to things that might otherwise get lost in the fray (or take up too much space in another style of cabinet)

Stowing Trays Away

You've definitely stored your baking and serving trays and flat dishes on top of each other, thinking to save space – only to have to awkwardly sort through them every time you want to make a batch of cookies or display a crudité platter. To get rid of this time-consuming practice, consider a cabinet where there are many shelves set perpendicular, rather than parallel, to the cabinet top and bottom. This style will allow you to give a separate space to every 1-3 trays (depending on the size of the shelf) and prevent all your cooling racks from crashing down when you're attempting to get the jelly roll pan beneath them.