The Hygge Ranch: Our Kitchen Organization With iDesign & The Container Store
It's no secret that organization is my jam, so when thinking about the kitchen renovation, how it would be organized has always been top of mind — from the design layout to the cabinetry options. But that's only one piece of the puzzle — the perimeter edges of the puzzle — but while the kitchen has been in a holding pattern, awaiting the countertops, I've been working on the middle pieces of my storage puzzle.
What's a dream kitchen without dream storage solutions?
It's no secret — and should come as no surprise — that The Container Store is my go to destination when it comes to storage, even if it's just to window shop. Switching out all the cabinetry, adding brand new cabinetry, and upgrading the existing pantry system meant a chance to optimizing our existing storage while also getting to bring in new products and solutions.
We going shopping y'all!
Like planning the design of the kitchen, I planned the design of our storage. Priority zones for organizing the kitchen: drawers, pull out shelves, floating shelves, countertop, and pantry.
The only area I didn't account for was the refrigerator because last spring I'd gone through and organized our fridge & freezer at the time, using iDesign's fridge & freezer solutions. While the fridge is no where near the same as what we have now, having already had that system in place gave us a blueprint for what to do now.
Planning our priory areas meant looking at how I would actually be using them — actually using the kitchen — then plugging in the product that would support/enhance that usage. One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to organizing — and trust me there are MANY — is that they jump right in with all the pretty things they want to use only to later realize those things don't fit and/or still don't help them stay organized.
What's a pretty basket if you still spend all your time fumbling around your kitchen to find something?
Having lived with the kitchen in its previous configuration, we had the benefit of living with their setup, which showed us things we liked and didn't like about the way things are set up. Going through a renovation, gave us a clean slate that moving didn't give us. Using the plans for the design, I outlined every detail — where our spices will live, which tools should be in which drawers, and what would live out in the open on the shelving. Every section of the kitchen was accounted for, and items were chosen accordingly, whether I was shopping The Container Store site or existing items in my own home.
For everything, I measured.
Even the most "standard" product sizes can differ from brand to brand, causing a problem in your kitchen. I measured the width and depth (front to back, top to bottom) of every shelf, drawer, pullout. Having measurements eliminated A LOT of items from my shopping pool because they simply wouldn't fit... pretty as all get out, but not the right fit. From there, I went back to how I'd be using each section and plotted with products that would actually fit those areas.
I was basically playing a game a Tetris meets Jenga — moving pieces around, making pieces fit, hoping other pieces don't fall.
For the shallow drawers, we currently use prefab utensil trays — which I love! — but they create a lot of wasted space. Instead of continuing to use these trays — they'll be going to other drawers in the house — I decided to go with iDesign's Linus Shallow Drawer Organizers, which are also available in a deep option. With the individual drawer organizers, we could use up the entire space of the drawers — no wasted space — but also actually account for the sizes of the different utensils & tools in each drawer.
Other areas, I need to get very specific about what would be in them then get crafty about the storage needed. The 9" cabinet next to the sink, for example, has stationary shelves. It's where I'd be putting the kitchen linens, but as with the nature of shelves, things slide to the back & are a pain to reach. The cabinet is 9" but the interior is less than 8" wide so I opted for a pull out organizer, intended for lids, but also the perfect width for rolling up and storing linens.
It's okay to use solutions that aren't explicitly designated for what you need, so long as it's safe & effective.
They're narrow enough that 2 will fit on one shelf — yay! — and long enough that there'd be no wasted space at the back of the shelf either. In the deeper pullouts shelves, on the other hand, things were much simpler — expandable dividers would do the trick of keeping things separated and orderly
I followed this same process for every shelf, drawer, and pullout.
Moving up to the floating shelves, which we're doing instead of upper cabinets, would require more creative planning because here things would also be showpieces. Function and aesthetic would be equally important but that means it's where I can really play with the pretty storage solutions... and The Container Store is not short on pretty options.
The shelves would just be for containment, but also utilitarian — dish ware & drink ware , for example, would live on the shelves. On the side that I'd be considering our cafe bar — a dedicated area for breakfast, coffee, baking, etc. — 1 gallon slant jars would house tea bags and cookies, while smaller round organizers would be perfect for loose teas and cardomon pods.
Unlike the cabinets, planning for the shelves required less precision and more agility. Shelves are prime styling real estate, versus being purely utilitarian like the cabinets; so while I had to factor in what I'd actually be storing there, I have had to make allowance for maybe a plant, my cookbooks, a pretty bobble, or whatever else!
Last but not least… the pantry.
Funny thing about the pantry is that I didn't know the house had one... that's why I wanted to add that additional wall of cabinetry. The listing photos that didn't even hint at a pantry and even when I came to see the house, I missed it... twice. It's technically next to the kitchen as opposed to being in the kitchen... and I like that. From what I can tell, it was just a regular wall (possible load bearing) that they decided to put to good use by hollowing it out & creating a pantry in the cavity. As a result, whether my theory is right or not, it's not as deep as most reach in pantries. This quickly dashed my dreams of getting this pre fab Elfa pantry by TCS, which comes already configured with all the necessary bits & bobs we'd to build it out in our own pantry. At 4' wide, it's the exact size of ours... well, so I thought.
The entire top 2/3 of the Elfa pantry is 12" deep — like our pantry — but the bottom 1/3, where the drawers are, is actually 16" deep. Even if we removed the door, it would stick out into the kitchen by almost an inch. You read that correct... we considered removing the doors. I mean why not when we'd have a whole new Elfa unit to show off? What's great about TCS' Elfa units is that they're easily customizable... so I got to designing one that would fit our pantry. Based on the specs of the pre fab unit, I configured an Elfa pantry that would fit our pantry, going with most of the same components.
For our new Elfa pantry configuration...
Instead of drawers, I continued the shelves all the way down — five rows — and going with Grey decor instead of Birch. I even kept one row solid Elfa Decor shelves — like the pre fab design — so that I'd have this as a resting zone for loading and unloading but also as an eye level break from the white ventilated shelves, which have an Elfa Decor fascia.
Believe me when I say planning and designing the storage to our kitchen was just as detailed as planning and designing the kitchen itself... and worth it. Could we just finish the reno, then put everything away in the cabinets and be done with it? Sure. But what's the point of spending thousands of dollars and countless hours on a kitchen renovation if you don't take care to optimize the efficiency. Because, let's be clear... even with amazing partners like The Container Store, renovations aren't cheap! I wanted to make sure that after all of this time & money, our kitchen would be at peak performance and organization is at the core of that performance.