In today's kitchens, storage has taken on a new meaning. No longer are you expected to store all their china, glassware and figurines in a neat, tidy row of cabinets. And, the cookbooks aren't stuffed into a narrow wall cabinet or piled on top of the refrigerator.

Adding Design to Your Storage

Instead, storage becomes part of the design of the kitchen, bringing showcase items to the forefront. Consider:

·         Putting cookbooks on exposed shelves on the end of an island. Add an arched opening to create a focal point.

·         Put china and crystal in decorative cabinets with etched glass doors and carved crown molding. Add soft lighting to enhance the view.

·         Adding a rolling garbage bin that can be hidden inside your cabinetry.

·         Removing a few doors on your cabinetry and let your collectibles show.

·         Adding a fabric "door" or valance instead of a wooden door on your cabinetry. This works well over a sink or desk area.

Others ideas:

·         Instead of glass doors to enclose those fine crystal goblets, try adding antique brass mesh across part of the front of the door. It creates a fun, different look with some texture. It’s the next best thing to an open look.

·         Add a few decorative columns that can double as storage space for spices or cans. Add fluted columns on each side of a stove or somewhere where you want a vertical design element. The columns often are placed beside base cabinets and cost $600 to $700 each.

·         Change cabinet shelving to make room for large baking equipment. If you have a big mixer it may not fit in a regular size cabinet, but it can fit in a cabinet without shelves. Or, try a cabinet designed for keeping the mixer close by without using valuable counter space.

KraftMaid Cabinetry, along with other manufacturers, has a base cabinet designed for mixers. The cabinet is made in 18, 21 or 24-inch widths and has a tray on the bottom that rolls out. The base of the mixer would be stored in that tray.

The mixer component is stored at the top of the cabinet on a shelf. "When the cabinet is closed the shelf is down low and your mixer would sit on the shelf," said Janice Pattee, director of design for KraftMaid, based in Middlefield, Ohio. When the door is opened, the shelf raises up to the appropriate height for working.

"Let's say you don't have a lot of counter space and love to bake and use a mixer once a week," Pattee said. "This is convenient and you still have countertop space around you."

Cost?

The cost for these storage items can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending upon the level of detail, the materials used and whether the look has to be custom made.