Tips to Maximize Your Cabinet Space

Whether you're trying to make the most of a small kitchen, or you have more cooking utensils than you do space, there are a variety of creative ways to maximize kitchen cabinetry. 

Add Convenience Features:

• From pullout drawers
• Built-in wine racks
• Drawer organizers
• Vertical tray holders, you can easily draw clever storage solutions into plans when designing your kitchen, or include them in a remodel years later. 
• Multiple-shelf Pull Outs, Great for those blind corners cabinets  
• Roll Outs for Pots and Pans. Use full-extension drawer slides rated to support at least 100 pounds.  
• Serving Platter and Cookie Trays. Long, wide slots are a perfect fit for otherwise unwieldy serving platters. The platters are easier to handle when stored in a tall, narrow pullout on the peninsula, as opposed to stacked on a high shelf. In this kitchen, dishwasher proximity is a plus.

Going to the Ceiling: A lot of space can be wasted between the tops of cabinets and the ceiling, especially if you don't know how, or don't want to, decorate the area. On top of all that, it's difficult to clean. Instead, extend your cabinets all the way to the ceiling and gain a few feet in shelving height.

Hanging Items:

• Hang Items Inside Cabinet Doors - Free up drawer space by hanging small kitchen utensils on the inside of cabinet doors. Identify gaps in shelves, then use small adhesive hangers that won't damage your cabinet door to store lightweight items. 
• Hang things on the open side of a cabinet .If you have a cabinet that doesn't butt up against a wall on both sides, go ahead and utilize the open side. Use it to mount shelves or hang smaller items, like cutting boards, magnetic strips, or a spice rack.

Using your Drawers:

• If you reserve the walls of your kitchen for windows or artwork, you may decide to store dishes in drawers. Sturdy wooden pegs, secured into holes in the base piece, keep dishes from knocking against each other every time you open or close the drawer. 
•  If you have drawers that are custom sizes, look for adjustable silverware organizers. The type shown here has parts that slide together. You also can find drawer dividers made of plastic and cut them to size with scissors.
•  Piggybacking two drawers in the space of one allows you to keep different sets of silverware in one section and meal-preparation tools in the other. In the double drawer shown here, the top section slides on runners mounted inside the bottom drawer.

Other Ideas: Use tension rods to make storage space more organized. Small tension rods are useful organizational tools in the kitchen. Use them in an under-the-sink cabinet to hang cleaning supplies and towels, or arrange a few of them vertically to keep baking sheets, cooling racks, and cutting boards organized


Want to learn more or see more space saving ideas? Stop by one of our showrooms and see all on display. Bessemer just minutes from Ross Bridge, Homewood next to O'Carr's and in Tuscaloosa inside Cabiness Paint.

Or visit us online at www.needco.net  

Design tips for aging in place/multigenerational households

From adult children moving back in, to sharing a home with grandparents, households with multiple generations is on the rise. The high cost of housing, a sluggish job market and older adults’ desire to stay out of senior communities or assisted living facilities has increased the focus on how people of all ages and varying abilities can live well together. Many have even considered invested in modifications to their homes with the help of aging in place features. Here are a few design tips and ideas when considering Remodeling your home.

Changes in the kitchen for easier meal preparation and eating.

• Lever-handle faucets with pull-out spray.
• Raised dishwasher to avoid back strain (a good idea for front-loading washers and dryers, too).
• Rolling island that can be placed back under the counter.
• Revolving corner shelves and pull-out shelves.
• Lower, side-opening oven.
• Pull-out cutting board.
• Adjustable height sink.
• Side-by side refrigerator with slide-out shelves and a water/ice dispenser.
• Cooktop with controls on front.
• Larger, friendlier cabinet and drawer pulls.

Changes in the bathrooms - the number one place for accidents in your home.

• Attractive grab bars in the shower.
• Lever handles on faucets.
• Slide-bar-type hand-held shower, for sitting or standing.
• Shampoo nooks inset in the wall.
• Curbless showers so that there is nothing to step over. These can be rolled into if a wheelchair becomes necessary later.
• Tub and shower controls moved closer to entry point.
• Anti-scald, temperature and pressure balanced tub shower valves for safer bathing.
• Widened entry doors to at least 32.”
• 32”-36” pocket doors.
• Higher toilets with non-slam seats and lids.

Moving around within the house.

• Improved lighting with recessed fixtures in common areas and hallways.
• Lever handles on doors and windows.
• Lower light switches and thermostats; raised outlets.
• Planning for a future elevator by stacking closets.
• Adding blocking in walls for future chair lift at stairs.
• Wider doors that accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.

 

All Around Safety

• Better outdoor lighting to get you from your car to the door.
• Attractive ramps or a zero-step entrance for the home.
• A package shelf by front door.
• Handrails at existing steps and porches.
• A front door with sidelight for security.
• Fewer or no stairs.

These are just a few examples. Virtually all rooms of your house can be improved, even closets and garages. We can help you through these changes from just updating your existing cabinetry with pull outs and new hardware to a full remodel of kitchen, bath and hall ways. Stop by one of our showroom to discuss your next step! 

     Bessemer Showroom                       Homewood Showroom           Tuscaloosa Showroom

1240 Raimund Muscoda Rd                  2901 18th Street South                   702 21st Ave      

     Bessemer, AL 35020                    Homewood, AL 35209                 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Mintues from Ross Bridge                                   Next to O'Carrs                                        Inside Cabiness Paint

       205-481-1003                                 205-871-2066                                    205-434-9044