Save Some Cabinet Space

The kitchen is likely the busiest room in your house and can easily fall into organizational disarray. Cabinets start to overflow, drawers are filled with a mishmash of utensils, and shelves become cluttered. A great way to cut through this potential disorganization and bring order to the kitchen is to create dedicated kitchen drawers. Customized drawers are one of the hottest kitchen updating tips right now. Creating drawer space to hold your essential items makes the kitchen more efficient and organized. Consider drawers dedicated to:

• Kitchen knives: A shallow drawer is an ideal location for kitchen knives. A slotted wood block securely holds each of your knives and helps prevent dull blades and cut fingers.

• Glassware: You can easily store glassware upside down on nonslip drawer liners. Make sure the drawer provides enough clearance for even your tallest glasses. We recommend using a soft-touch drawer that won’t jam or jostle the glasses.

• Pots and pans: One of the greatest benefits of using drawers for pots and pans is the ability to store them alongside their lids. Deep drawers pull out to showcase all of your pots and pans and lids can stand up vertically at the back of the drawer in their own custom space.

• Cutting board: Not actually a drawer, a pull-out cutting board makes prep work simple. Consider installing several pull-out cutting boards on top of one another to make prep work even easier for big meals.

• Vertical storage: Cutting boards and cookie sheets can be difficult to store. A simple solution is to install vertical storage in your kitchen. Yes, a simple cabinet will work but a drawer makes the vertical storage even easier to access.

Brighten Your Kitchen

All it takes is a few new fixtures and dimmers!

Looking to brighten up your kitchen? It doesn’t always take an extensive remodel. Simply changing out the decorative lighting fixtures over the breakfast nook or center island can have a big visual impact, creating a fresher, more up-to-date look – and it is considerably less expensive than replacing the cabinets or countertops.

If your kitchen's only source of lighting is from recessed cans, consider adding a few fixtures to serve as aesthetic and functional focal points in the room over the casual eating area and/or the island. To make all your lighting as efficient, effective and attractive as possible, dimmers are a must-have update.

"The greatest benefit of installing dimmers in an existing kitchen is that the quality of the resulting light will inevitably appear much more comfortable and flexible than what you had before," explains Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky's School of Interior Design.

Todd Phillips of Quoizel, a leading lighting manufacturer, keeps track of the latest trends in kitchen design. "Transitional is still the operative word," says Phillips. "What's popular right now is what I would describe as Cleaned Up Americana. This is representative of the classic, familiar shapes and elements we all recognize, but with a bit sleeker appearance and on-trend finishes such as bronze and brushed nickel."

"Handcrafted, hand-forged designs are also gaining in popularity," Phillips continues. "The key word is clean. Finishes are still neutral, simple and clean. Along with beige, white, bronze and brushed chrome, I'm starting to see more polished chrome. I also find the more custom designs are a bit bolder in their use of color in the kitchen and in the lighting," he adds.

For help selecting the most appropriate, efficient and economical decorative lighting for your décor, visit an ALA-member lighting showroom.

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