Today's kitchen has become a dynamic workspace where one or more cooks must be able to operate quickly and efficiently and demands highly organized cabinetry and work centers.  If the kitchen is small, it's critical to take advantage of every inch of space

and to minimize clutter.  If the kitchen is large, proper organization can help cut down the need for traipsing from one work area to another.

   If you haven't kept up with developments in kitchen cabinetry, prepare to be delighted as you peruse the new "smart" cabinets and their many storage options.  A cabinet's interior is critical to organizing your kitchen resources.  A variety of cabinet organizers are discussed below:

Storage Accessories

In the quest for kitchen efficiency,

cabinet manufacturers have learned

to think inside the box.  Most offer a

range of accessories that lets you

customize your cabinet interiors to

suit your needs.

   There are cabinet accessories for

just about every purpose.  Some

increase your kitchen's storage

capacity, others make kitchen items

more accessible; some even give

you additional workspace.

   Accessories that turn wasted

space into storage are among the

most useful you can add.  If you

have a corner base unit, you can

outfit it with a lazy-Susan or a

recycling carousel; the unusable

countertop recess above can

accommodate an appliance garage.  

A straight corner base can hold a

garbage bin or a set of semicircular

wire trays; when attached to the

back of the cupboard door, the trays

will pop out automatically one the

door is opened.  Racks and pullouts

will boost storage space and make it

easier to see what's inside your

cabinets.  Rolling shelves on

heavy-duty drawer glides will give

you easy access to pots and pans

at the back of a base cabinet, and

you can add a shallow pullout above

for pot lids.

Pull-out shelves

With these shelves, you have

all the convenience of drawers

including quick access to

everything on the shelf.

Pull-out spice drawer

Keep the spices of life (and

the vinegar and oils, too)

right at your fingertips.

Two-tiered cutlery dividers

Store nearly twice as many

utensils and flatware with two tiers

of divided wooden trays.  Top trays

slide so nothing is out of sight.

Lazy Susan

Corner cabinets can't hide

their contents when you

have these one or two

tiered spinning shelves.

Under the counter recycling

Slide-out divided bins let you keep

your recyclables out of the way and

separate from each other.

Pegged plate organizer

Thanks to the slide-out

design, it's never been easier

to put away plates.  

Adjustable pegs make for

flexible storage, too.

Look for specialized cabinet accessories that will simplify the tasks you perform every day.  Preparing and serving meals will be easier if you have a built-in knife

rack near the cooktop, a cutting board that folds down from the backsplash, or a plate rack that makes everyday dishes more accessible.  Cleanup goes more quickly when you have a pullout

storage tray that keeps cleaning supplies in order under the sink.  You may want a drop-down cookbook holder or a tilt-down drawer for sponges to control

countertop clutter, or a slide-out trash bin to keep garage behind closed doors.  Built-in canisters for flour and sugar and vented bins for potatoes and onions will streamline the search for ingredients.  

   Allow Lone Star's remodeling designer to come to your home and

help you design the storage solutions that will best suit your needs.