Kitchen Storage Solutions

At the start. Storage decisions affect the cabinet layout, the sink run, appliance positions and how comfortable the kitchen will feel to use every day. It is much easier to build storage into the logic of the design than to try to solve it once the layout is already fixed. 

You don’t need to know exactly which internal fittings you want before getting in touch. It is more useful to understand what frustrates you now and what you want from the new kitchen.

We begin with use rather than products. What do you need to store? What is used daily? What feels difficult to access now? What tends to collect on the worksurface because it doesn’t have a natural home? 

We also consider who will be using the kitchen. Storage should work for the household as a whole, including children, older relatives or anyone with limited mobility. A pull-out larder, deep pan drawer, bin system or corner mechanism might be essential in one kitchen and unnecessary in another. The aim isn’t to add mechanisms for their own sake, but to make the room work more intelligently. 

Often, particularly in base units. Drawers make it easier to see and reach what’s inside, especially for pans, plates, food containers and larger kitchen equipment.  

That said, cupboards still have an important role. Tall storage, under-sink areas and certain specialist zones might be better handled in other ways. The best kitchens use a mix of storage types according to the layout and the household requirements. 

Yes, it matters more than it might seem. The mechanisms, drawer boxes and pull-out systems used inside the cabinetry affect how the kitchen feels to use every day, and how well it holds up over time. 

We use fittings from Blum, Hettich, Kesseböhmer and Häfele, manufacturers whose products are specified for durability, smooth operation and long-term reliability.  

We will talk through the internal specification as part of the design conversation so you understand what should be included and why. 

Usually around the sink area, because that is where much of the daily clearing and cleaning happens.  

• Integrated bin systems can keep waste and recycling close at hand 

• Under-sink storage needs careful thought, particularly where pipework, filtration systems or boiling-water taps affect the available cabinet space.  

Absolutely. In an open-plan space, the kitchen is visible from dining and living areas throughout the day, not just when it is in use. The things that create visual noise, such as small appliances left on the worksurface, recycling visible from the sofa or cooking equipment without a natural home, are often storage problems. 

Properly planned appliance housing, concealed waste systems, a larder that absorbs food storage and deep drawers that replace crowded cupboards all contribute to a kitchen that looks quieter without becoming difficult to use. The aim isn’t to create a kitchen that looks unused, it’s to give the things you use regularly a logical place to go.

More than you might expect. A significant portion of what lives permanently on a worksurface is there because it doesn’t have a better place to go: a toaster that cannot fit in a cupboard, a bread bin that cannot go elsewhere, oils and spices that have accumulated because there is no organised food zone. 

When those items are given a proper home in a larder, pantry or dedicated cabinet, the worksurface clears without any additional effort. That change makes the kitchen feel larger, easier to clean and calmer in everyday use. One of the most common things clients tell us after a new kitchen is installed is that they have worksurface space they never had before, and it is rarely because the kitchen is physically larger. 

Yes. Storage can make a significant difference to how comfortable a kitchen feels to use. Deep drawers can reduce the need to reach into the back of low cupboards. Pull-out larders can bring contents forward. Corner mechanisms can make otherwise awkward spaces easier to access. 

We will talk through who uses the kitchen, how they move around the space and which items need to be easiest to reach. Those details help us design storage that works for daily life, not just for the plan on paper. 

Think about what currently causes frustration. Which cupboards are hard to use? What lives on the worksurface because there is nowhere better for it? Do you need more food storage, better pan access, easier recycling, space for small appliances or a place for baking equipment and trays? 

Those details give us a useful starting point. 

We have a broad range of storage solutions available, and the right specification depends on the kitchen range, cabinet sizes and layout. 

• For drawers, Blum Antaro and Legrabox are commonly specified in our Burbidge and Uform kitchens, with upgrade options including Legrabox or solid oak dovetailed drawers where appropriate. 

• For corner solutions, Kesseböhmer offers practical options such as Arena and Le Mans systems, while Magic Corner and carousel mechanisms can also help make awkward corner cabinets more useful. 

• For larder storage, tandem larders, pull-out larders and internal organisers can make full-height cabinetry easier to use. Hettich and Häfele also supply a wide range of cabinet hardware, pull-out frames, bin systems and internal fittings. 

• Within Nobilia and Next kitchens, drawer systems are designed as part of the manufacturer’s own cabinet specification, so they are not swapped out in the same way. However, larder and corner solutions can sometimes be specified or adapted from other suppliers where the layout and client needs call for it.