Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part Five – Flatware, Dinner Plates, & Glasses

Welcome to Part Five and my final post in my Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series. To view parts 1-4, click here, here, here, and here respectively.

As you scroll down, you will see photos of flatware, dinner plates, and beverage glasses using vertical storage options.  Some of these photos have been seen in my previous post on flatware storage and dinner plate storage. Enjoy!  …susan

 

The main point to consider when storing flatware in a vertical drawer is the height of the various pieces of flatware that you own. In the photo above it appears there is a horizontal slot for serving pieces.  You drawer front can be a single deep one like the one shown above or it can look like the photo below which is designed to look like two drawers but in actuality is only one.

^Source unknown- if you know the source and email me, it will be noted.

^

 

^Source: Southern Accents Magazine Sept./Oct. 2008

 

Vertical storage for dinner and salad plates can be within a cabinet door as shown below or on an open shelf shown above. This storage option offers an interesting look in a kitchen or butler’s pantry. It does take up more space and if you do not use the dishes often, they will collect dust.  Cleaning between the slots can be challenging though I am sure an expert cabinet maker can find a solution to that problem.

^Source unknown-if you know the source and email me, it will be noted.

Instead of standing stemware and other beverage glasses on a shelf, the photo above uses the stem on the glasses to hang them. Another option shown below is storing stemware and beverage glasses in a drawer. The drawer is a great solution when a kitchen or bar does not have upper cabinets. It would also work well for a handicapped person. 

^Source unknown-if you know the source and email me, it will be noted.

^Source unknown-if you know the source and email me, it will be noted.

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part Four – Tablecloths and Table Runners

Welcome to Part Four of my Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series. If you missed parts 1-3, click here, here, and here to view.  This post will focus on vertical storage for tablecloths and table runners. Traditionally, these have been stored in a drawer or on a shelf in a linen closet. Doesn’t it  seem that the one you want to use is always located on the bottom of the stack? 

In the photos below you can see why storing these vertically is a much better option. First, you can see what you are looking for. Second, when  retrieving the one you want to use, you can do so without disturbing the others. And third, by hanging the tablecloths or runners over the bar, you will have less wrinkles. 

Though I have not seen placemats stored vertically, it seems like this say type storage option would work well for the cloth placemats and those made of flexible material. I am sure a talented cabinet maker could come up with a design with clips for hanging those that need to hang straight.  Blessings.  …susan

In the photo above, the tablecloths and runners are hung perpendicular to the pull out. Below, the tablecloths and runners are hung parallel to the pull out. Which do you prefer and why? 

Source of these two photos is unknown at this time. If you know the source, please contact me and I will note it.

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part Three- Storing Dish Towels

Welcome to Part Three of my Vertical Storage Option Series. To see Part One, click here and for Part Two here.  In this post, I want to share some photos I have collected showing dish towel storage options for you to consider when designing your dream kitchen.  

^In the photo above, attached to the inside of the pull out cabinet front, is a metal dish for holding a sponge or other type of soap pad.  Next to it are some metal rods for hanging dish towels. There appears to be a shelf at the bottom which would be a great  place for dish detergent and dishwasher detergent.  It looks like a fixed panel above which leads me to believe this very functional pull out cabinet front is located directly under the kitchen sink.

Source: Beautiful Kitchens Summer 2009

^The pull out cabinet front shown above has the capacity to store numerous folded dish towels. It also includes several wooden bars which give you the option to fold dish towels over these bars.

Source: Great Kitchen Ideas

 

^Similar to the previous cabinet front pull out, this one has three shelves to place folded dish towels.

Source: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette

^My first inclination after looking at this photo is to say the opening to this cabinet front pull out should be facing the other direction; towards the kitchen sink. Upon further review,  I realize there is a sink to the right of the drawer.  Still, I am thinking one would need a towel at the kitchen sink more than one at the second sink. Perhaps a master craftsman could figure out a design which would eliminate the side wall which would make this pull out functional from both directions.

Source: The Smart Approach to Kitchen Design

^ Above is a convenient option for a towel bar, however, make sure your towel bar does not protrude too far out from the cabinet. If it protrudes too far out you might find it is uncomfortable in your belly or hip region. 

Source unknown: if you know the source of this photo, please contact me and I will note it.

 

^For some reason, I am having trouble wrapping my mind around the above photo. There appears to be high end beautiful cabinetry, yet this opening and plastic coated rods look cheap.  I am not seeing any kind of door to cover the opening when the rods are pushed back into the cabinet.  What do you think?

Source: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette

^An interesting built in towel hook. As I study this photo, it appears to me that these hooks are on the low side. What do you think?

Source: Taunton’s Home Storage Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

 

^The dish towels hanging on the island in the photo above are both functional and decorative.

Source unknown: If you know the source of this photo, please contact me and I will note it.

^This island design gives you a decorative area to hang your dish towel.

Source: Tauton’s Home Storage Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

Please check back for more posts in my Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series. Blessings.  …susan

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part Two – Cabinet Vertical Storage

Welcome to Part Two of my Vertical Storage Option Series. To see part one, click here. Part two will focus on vertical storage shelves located in cabinets. As shown in the photos below, these can be found in upper and lower cabinets.  I am joining Julia’s Hooked on Friday blog party.  Click here to join her party. Enjoy!

^Above is an example of vertical storage behind a lower cabinet door. I like the width of the compartments as well as the fact a narrower piece of wood is used as the divider. 

^Above, it appears this cabinet is located above the refrigerator.  Being tall, that would not be a problem for me but a shorter person may need a step ladder. I like the generous amount of compartments and the width of these compartments. I also like having a couple of horizontal shelves above.

^In the photo above, I do like the pull out method for storing these platters and trays, however, I think that this design could be improved by having the cabinet door attached to the front of the pull out. In the use shown above, you would have to fully open the cabinet door in order to pull out the the wooden apparatus holding the platters. That makes it a two step process. I  am wondering if you have to bend down and grab onto the lower front piece of the apparatus to pull it out? Comments anyone?

^ Looking at the photo above and seeing the open drawers next to the vertical tray storage, it appears this homeowner likes open drawers and shelves. My personal preference is to have a cabinet door hiding the trays. I think the thickness of the solid wood dividers is over kill.

^The illustration above shows several options for vertical storage which include wire dividers, short wood dividers, wooden dowel dividers, and solid wood panels.

Source of these illustrations is the book Kitchen Storage Ideas. The sources for the photos in this post is unknown at this time. If you know the source, please contact me and I will note it. If I run across the source, I will add it.

After publishing the first post in this series, I ran across this photo below which fits that post. I decided to add it here.  This pull out drawer holding vertically stacking platters and trays is very functional. Unlike the photo shown in the first post, this one has solid wood dividers instead of wooden dowel rods. I would recommend heavy duty drawer runners for this particular drawer due to the weight of the drawer itself and the items stored in it.

Your observations and comments are welcome!  Blessings.  …susan

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part one -pullout drawer storage

Welcome to my vertical storage option series!  Instead of the traditional way of storing kitchen items stacked on a shelf or stacked in a drawer, let’s think outside the box and look at vertical  storage options. 

When I ran across this photo a few years back, I was instantly drawn to the unique and functional idea for storing kitchen items vertically in a pullout drawer instead of horizontally on a shelf. What I like about it is you can see what you are looking for and the ease in which you can remove an item. Traditionally, these types of items are stacked on top of each other on a shelf or in a pantry. Many times there is a small cabinet under the double ovens which requires you to get on your hands and knees to find what you are looking for and to remove it. The photo below is a great idea for vertical storage.

As I study this photo, it looks like on the right side there is one solid divider creating two compartments equal in size. The rest of the drawer has wooden dowel rods used as dividers within the drawer. In the front right compartment it appears something is hanging over the dowel, perhaps pastry bags. I see a muffin tin, roasting pan, rectangular pyrex baking dish, cooling racks, cookie sheets, and a broiling pan.

A note of caution, depending on the size of the drawer and the weight of the items you might need heavy duty drawer runners.

If I were designing my dream kitchen, I would want to have several vertical storage drawers. One would be designated for baking items such as cookie sheets, muffin tins, cooling racks, cake pans, pastry bags, and maybe even have an area to be able vertically stand a rolling pin.  Another drawer would be designated for cutting boards and platters. Another could be for glass bakeware such as pyrex dishes which  would not have to be as tall as those for cookie sheets and cutting boards.  I really do like the idea of vertical storage in a drawer vs horizontal storage on a shelf! Leave me a comment and tell me what do you think of vertical storage in a drawer? What would you want to store vertically in a drawer?  Blessings.  …susan

Source of the photo is unknown. If you know the source please contact me and I will note it.