With the warm weather, kids out of school, and vacation opportunities – the summer months are the most popular time to embark on a kitchen renovation. Some view this as an opportunity to eat out every night. However, there are definitely ways to eat home cooked meals without breaking the bank and gaining extra lbs (wouldn’t you rather spend more on the kitchen remodel?!). The homeowners who suffer the least during a kitchen renovation are typically the ones who are the most prepared. Based on our experience we’ve compiled some tips and ideas that will hopefully help you survive your next kitchen renovation!

Making some meals ahead of the kitchen renovation demo and freezing them can be a life saver. Not only is a home cooked meal comforting but it eliminates the necessity to eat out every night of the week!

Definitely keep your old refrigerator in a separate room until the new one is installed. Having the ability to refrigerate and freeze food will make the world of a difference.

One of the biggest benefits of renovating during the summer is having the grill as your new best friend. It can’t get any easier than that!

Completely clean out and remove any food products, packaged goods, small appliances, etc. from the kitchen cabinetry before the demolition phase. Now is also a good time to binge clean! Throw out expired canned goods, food products, etc. Organizing your new kitchen will be much more enjoyable if you’ve already done this.

Set up a temporary kitchen with small appliances and food products in a separate room. Keep the essentials handy. Frustration begins to brew when you’re looking for a quick meal and realized you already packed the cans of soup away. Bins with drawers or baskets can be used to organize items by type. Being organized can make this experience much less chaotic.

Some small appliances that you may find helpful for making meals during the renovation:

o Panini Press or Electric Griddle (some have both options)

o Crockpot (We recommend using Reynolds Slow Cook Liners for easy clean up)

o Toaster Oven

o Microwave

o Hot Plate

You will be without a sink and dishwasher until the counter top is installed, so stock up on paper and plastic products if you do not have access to another sink.

Designate a space (garage, basement, etc.) to keep items needed for the kitchen project (sinks, faucets, lighting fixtures, etc.) so they are easily accessible for installation.

In the past few years we’ve noticed an increase in our client's wants and needs for storage solutions in the kitchen. With the popularity of interactive social media websites like Houzz and Pinterest, consumers are much more aware of the abundant amount of options available to them. One of our favorite steps in the kitchen design process is sitting down with our clients and taking the time to review all accessory options. This is one of the ways the homeowner can really personalize their kitchen depending on how they cook, clean, and entertain.

The following storage solutions are ones that we have found to be most common and successful among our projects. Enjoy!

1. Rollout Drawers

No matter the budget, rollout drawers are probably the number one request we receive from our customers. Typically installed in base cabinets and pantries, rollouts are a simple solution that create a convenient way to store a variety of items. In base cabinets 15” wide and over, rollouts can be especially useful for small appliance and pot/pan storage. In pantry cabinets rollouts are ideal for the storage of cans, packaged goods, and cereal boxes.

2. Utensil Organizers

Installing a utensil organizer in a drawerbox can make the world of a difference for meal prep. Imagine prepping for dinner and all your utensils are haphazardly thrown into the drawer next to the stove. Not only can it be dangerous (accidentally picking up the microplane instead of the whisk?!), but think of how time consuming it can be to dig through the drawer to find the utensil needed. A well-organized drawer can make meal prep faster and more enjoyable for all the cooks in the house. Utensil organizers are often offered in a variety of layouts to suit the consumer’s needs.

Custom Utensil Divider by Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry (Photo Credit: Robinwood Kitchens) — Custom Utensil Divider by Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry *(Photo Credit: Robinwood Kitchens)*

3. Spice Pullouts

Spice storage is another one of the top accessory requests from our clients. Spices and bottles of oil are often described as the most inconvenient and difficult things to store in a kitchen. Simply keeping bottles, jars, and cans of spices in a wall cabinet can cause chaos while cooking. Instead of having to move three rows of spices out of the way to find the thyme, a pullout mechanism installed inside a wall or base cabinet would allow the cook to easily find the ingredient needed for their recipe, Spice pullouts are available in a variety of sizes, which makes them easy to incorporate into even the smallest of kitchens.

4. Trash Pullout

A pullout trash can is a no-brainer to incorporate into any kitchen design. Understandably it may be difficult to dedicate an entire cabinet to trash cans in a small kitchen. An alternative solution is to install a pullout trash can under the sink. The trash is still easily accessible and is kept out of sight and smell.

5. Hanging Cookware Pullout

We truly had one of those “A Ha!” moments when we saw this accessory for the first time. Glideware has created the hanging cookware pullout which is a great alternative to rollout drawer storage for pots and pans. This accessory allows you to store the pots/pans together with their coordinating lids. It also eliminates stacking pots and pans within each other, which is an annoyance that is also damaging to the cookware itself. This hanging organizer can also be utilized in other spaces such as the mudroom (backpacks, purses, etc.), outdoor kitchens (grilling utensils), and even the garage (extension cords, tools, etc.).

Hanging Cookware Pullout by Glideware (Photo Credit: Glideware) — Hanging Cookware Pullout by Glideware *(Photo Credit: Glideware)*

6. Toe Kick Step Stool

This accessory is literally a hidden gem. Most homeowners keep a step stool in nearby to aid both the vertically challenged and young children yearning to help in the kitchen. The toe kick area of a base cabinet is an open space that can be utilized for additional storage. This is the perfect place to install a step stool. It is both hidden out of sight and is easily accessible for all to use.

Toe Kick Step Stool Installed in a Robinwood Kitchens Project (Photo Credit: Robinwood Kitchens) — Toe Kick Step Stool Installed in a Robinwood Kitchens Project *(Photo Credit: Robinwood Kitchens)*

7. Drawer Peg System

The majority of homeowners find drawer base cabinets with deep drawer boxes as the preferred method for multipurpose storage. Lifting heavy stacks of dishes and bakeware from a base cabinet rather than a wall cabinet is more ergonomically comfortable for users of all ages. The drawer peg system is an insert that can be customized to your specific needs. The pegboard and removable pegs allow you to easily modify the use of the cabinet.

8. Appliance Garage

The appliance garage has made a comeback within the last few years. With the increase in small appliance usage (Coffee Makers, Blenders, Espresso Makers, etc.), more customers are looking for a way to store these items so they are easily accessible without the countertop clutter. There are a few ways to incorporate appliance garages into the kitchen depending on the layout and space available. Tambour doors installed below a corner cabinet are a notion of the past. The appliance garage of today will often incorporate bi-fold or pocket doors for a more contemporary aesthetic.

9. Base Pullout

Base pullouts are available in many different sizes, forms, and functions. This particular base pullout by Rev-A-Shelf is a space saving accessory that provides three different storage options. Knives can be difficult to store for obvious reasons, but this pullout provides a safe and organized way to store knives of any size. The stainless steel utensil bins offer an alternative way to store the items used most while cooking. To top it all off the lower shelf provides extra storage for mixing bowls or even packaged goods.

Base Cabinet Pullout Knife/Utensil Base Organizer (Photo Credit: Rev-A-Shelf) — Base Cabinet Pullout Knife/Utensil Base Organizer *(Photo Credit: Rev-A-Shelf)*

10. Corner Drawer Cabinet

While we could write a whole blog post about corner cabinets (stay tuned!), we wanted to touch base on the Corner Drawer Cabinet because is the new alternative to the commonly used lazy susan. The corner cabinet is often deemed “awkward”, and for good reason! Everyone knows how cumbersome it can be when you have to literally crawl into your cabinet to retrieve a bowl that fell off the lazy susan. The opportunities for organized and easily accessible storage are definitely opened up by incorporating diagonal drawers. Currently the Corner Drawer Cabinet is only available from our custom cabinet companies. We believe that as it becomes the “norm” for corner base applications that it will be offered in all price ranges.

(Photo Credit: Glenvale Kitchens via Houzz)

To view more photos of the above mentioned storage solutions check out these ideas from Houzz!

Guest Blogging with Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry: Why it's Important to Work with a Kitchen Designer

What to Expect: How to Prepare For Your Kitchen Renovation

Storage Solutions 101: Accessorizing Your Kitchen

15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas on Houzz

Kitchen Storage Solutions Hide and Keep

Kitchen Storage Solutions for Every Nook