7 Important Kitchen Cabinet Layout “Rules” For Your Modern Colorado Kitchen Remodel
Thanks to our state’s unique blend of rugged outdoor living and love of clean, contemporary style, designing a modern kitchen in Colorado requires that we carefully consider functionality alongside beauty. You want it clean and uncluttered, but you also want everything you need close at hand.
To help you get the modern Front Range kitchen of your dreams, here are 7 important kitchen cabinet layout and storage “rules” that’ll help you design a new kitchen layout that meets your aesthetic and functional kitchen storage needs.
Photo courtesy of Blum
1. Store items in your kitchen at point of first or last use.
After spending all that money on a remodel, you don’t want to find yourself pacing back and forth across your new kitchen looking for items you need. While it may sound obvious to locate glassware near the refrigerator and pots & pans near the range, if you don’t plan ahead you may not end up with the well-located storage you expect.
Pay extra attention to the location of your dishwasher. In many modern Colorado kitchens the sink and dishwasher are located in the island, far from upper cabinets. That means it’s extra important to consider where you’ll store your flatware, dishes, glassware, cookware, etc. The good news is that there are outstanding storage solutions that’ll let you house these items in drawers. All it takes is some good pre-planning!
Speaking of drawer storage, be sure to evaluate the durability of your cabinet-maker’s drawers and drawer hardware, especially if you want to use them to store your pots and pans. If the drawer construction and hardware aren’t up to snuff they’ll quickly fall apart under regular use. Click here to learn more about whether truly custom cabinets are worth it.
2. Store like items together in your kitchen.
Just like it’s important to store items near where you’ll use them, you also want to plan your kitchen storage so you can easily store like items together. This saves you oodles of time prepping meals since all your equipment is already organized and at hand! However, it takes pre-planning, since the amount of cabinet or counter space you need for a Kitchen-Aid mixer is quite different from the space you need for storing measuring cups, measuring spoons, and mixing bowls - but you want them all in the same kitchen zone.
Photo courtesy of Rev-A-Shelf
3. Store frequently used kitchen equipment within easy reach.
This one’s personal, since “within reach” means something very different to a 5’2 person compared to a 6’2 person, so adapt these guidelines to your personal reach. National Kitchen and Bath guidelines tell us that the comfortable reach range for the average person is 25 to 59 inches, and that’s exactly where you should store your most frequently used kitchen items.
This becomes especially important if you have high ceilings and want floor-to-ceiling cabinets - how will you reach all that fantastic storage? I solved it for one of my clients by using this wall cabinet pull-down from Rev-A-Shelf. Where there’s a will, there’s often a way!
4. Store kitchen items so they are easy to see.
Stacking cans or spices several rows deep makes everything harder to find, so think about the depths of your cabinets, and ask your cabinet maker about cabinet storage inserts that will help you find things easily. The right spice drawer insert can make it a thousand times easier to find the spice you need.
While cabinet pullouts and inserts can easily double the cost of your new kitchen cabinets, well-chosen storage solutions will pay you back in time and energy saved, and tons of frustration avoided - for decades to come.
Photo courtesy Blum
5. Store hazardous kitchen items out of reach of children and pets.
Big drawers are a great storage solution for pots, pans, and dishware, but they also make an irresistible staircase for toddlers, creating a safety hazard in the kitchen! Here’s an invisible locking solution from the hardware experts at Blum that integrates the lock into the cabinetry - a safe and seamless design for the win!
Photo courtesy Docking Drawer
6. Consider your non-cooking kitchen needs, too.
Today’s kitchens have to do more than cook, so consider dedicating one drawer as a docking station for your daily devices. Integrating a kitchen charging station like this one from the clever folks at dockingdrawer.com keeps your counters clutter-free and devices ready to use!
7. Don’t waste a precious inch! Here’s a great way to avoid lost storage in your kitchen corners!
Photo courtesy of Blum
Nearly every kitchen design has a tricky corner full of potential - but hard to use - storage space. If you’re not a fan of the standard lazy susan, check out these fabulous corner drawers from the function-first-folks at Blum. It’s one of my favorite ways to use corner storage while avoiding the often-hated storage you find in a standard lazy susan.
All this, without an expensive kitchen addition!
I’ve had countless clients come to me thinking they’d need to build an addition in order to get the large kitchen of their dreams. Over and again I’ve been able to surprise them by figuring out how to use their existing kitchen footprint along with well-planned cabinet storage to maximize their kitchen without needing an addition. That’s $250,000 saved before we’ve even started (and just one of the many ways I can save you money)!
Want a hand planning the perfect kitchen storage solutions for your Front Range kitchen?
As a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer I follow the NKBA kitchen design guidelines along with my own 100-item checklist to make sure that every Taylored kitchen is filled to the brim with functional cabinetry and organizational solutions. I love the challenge of carving out kitchen storage in unexpected places and I love that there are so many great options available that provide amazing storage solutions without sacrificing style!
If you’re looking for a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer (CKBD) in Boulder, Colorado and the Front Range area, I’m proud to say that Taylored Kitchens and Baths is your go-to interior design solution, offering unparalleled expertise in crafting durable, trend-free, and long-lasting bathroom designs.
Don’t forget, I offer unlimited design revisions and full-color 3D renders, helping you make informed design decisions and avoid costly design mistakes. I also offer unlimited revisions during the design phase, meaning the design isn’t done until you’re 100% satisfied with it.
Together we can solve your most challenging bathroom layout and storage difficulties so you get the most functional, aesthetically amazing bath possible!
Contact me today!
Ready to transform your kitchen or bath with a durable, long-lasting, and trend-free design? Trust Taylored Kitchens and Baths to bring your vision to life. Let's chat about how I can create the perfect space for you in the Boulder, Colorado, and Front Range areas.