Storage Specific to Contents

Among the design problems we see a lot, I want to mention two. Often drawers are sized generically. A set of four drawers has standard sizes. But the things we put in our drawers are specific. You may have a 5” top drawer, and your contents silverware needing only 3”. Then the bottom drawer is 8”, but your stuff is 11”.

Often there are a few largish, awkwardly shaped items that don't really have a good storage spot; they often end up on the counter. Microwaves and mixers are common examples. In a small kitchen, the best work counter space can be eaten up with these items.

Designing a new kitchen, one of the most important tasks is to find a good place for these few awkward items, and in general design drawers, shelves, and other storage spots for the specific things that will be stored there.

In general, if you do this, you'll increase your available storage capacity by 25%, more or less. Looked at another way, a smaller kitchen can have more useful storage than one 25% bigger.

In a well thought out kitchen, any part of it might be a good example of “storage specific to contents.” But here are three of examples.  In the first, there's a niche that just fits that big mixer.  In the second, the upper cab is a little deeper to make room for a compact microwave.  In the third, that top drawer is deep enough for the utensils, but only just.