IKD’s Cabinet Storage Checklist for Your IKEA Kitchen

Some kitchen storage needs are universal. Make sure you’ve considered them all by using our kitchen storage checklist.

With IKD, no two IKEA kitchen designs are exactly alike. However, there are certain elements that every kitchen needs, or you can’t really call it a kitchen. You’d have to call it “an appliance and stuff room” or something equally ridiculous.

When imagining your IKEA kitchen redesign, it’s only natural to focus on aesthetics. You want the new cabinets, granite countertops, better lighting, and hardware without decades of dirt built up in the crevices that your mother-in-law says you should just take a toothbrush to but no one actually has the time for these days, Brenda.

In all the excitement of how your new kitchen will look, it’s easy to forget that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. That’s where the magic happens. The designers at IKD never forget the importance of cabinet interiors, and that’s why we’ve written this blog to complement our complete kitchen design package.

Having an Interior Cabinet Design Budget is Important

By designing with affordable IKEA products like SEKTION cabinets, IKD designers often create IKEA kitchen designs that come under budget. But before you plan that trip to Cancun, you’ve got to make sure you’ve considered a kitchen organization budget.

Trust us. Cancun will last a week. Your kitchen will last a lifetime.

You can get interior cabinet organizers from Amazon, Walmart, Rev-A-Shelf, or IKEA. Just make sure whatever you choose is compatible with IKEA’s signature frameless cabinets.

Below is a list of items all homeowners store in their kitchens and easy, accessible ways to organize them.

Inspired Kitchen Design’s IKEA Kitchen Cabinet Storage Checklist

1. Food

From meat and cheese to fruits and vegetables, cereal, condiments, and everything in between, your food needs a home. Now, when you’re emptying your cupboards to replace them, is the best time to examine how much food you store.

Do you need a full-size pantry? Can you make do with a few cupboards? Establish how much space you need, and then you can ask the fun question: What will make organizing all this easier?

If you’re at a loss, our designers are full of suggestions.

A kidney-shaped carousel can make corner cabinet food items more accessible, while a door-mount spice rack may be the answer to your spice storage needs. A swing-out pantry can help maximize a closet-sized pantry, and if you don’t need a full-size, a pullout can make use of what might otherwise be empty space in your kitchen design.

Many of these options are available at IKEA.

2. Food Storage

There is no greater nemesis in kitchen organization than Tupperware. If a shelf or drawer isn’t cutting it for plastic storage, consider a dedicated food storage container organizer, like the one from Rev-A-Shelf.

Use a foil insert organizer in your kitchen drawers or a door-mount foil rack to organize your tin foil, Ziploc bags, and plastic wrap.

IKEA offers a variety of pegboard drawer organizers and drawer dividers to make food storage a breeze.

3. Cookware

You don’t want to go from digging through an old cupboard for pots and pans to digging through a new cupboard for pots and pans. We won’t even talk about trying to find the matching lids. (It’s almost as bad as Tupperware.)

Invest in a two-tier cookware organizer or cookware organizer drawer. Rev-A-Shelf’s “Not-so-Lazy-Susan” carousel is designed to hold pots, pans, and lids and make reaching in and grabbing what you need easy.

IKEA offers several solutions for hanging storage when considering pots and pans, and their VARIERA lid organizer is simple, sturdy, adjustable, and affordable.
Any of these options is better than crawling on your hands and knees to find the small egg pan.

4. Dishes and Utensils

If stacking plates and cups works for you, we’re not here to change your mind. (Although larger serving trays and casserole dishes may benefit from a casserole dish storage organizer.)

However, we do want to make some suggestions for utensil organization. Any of the sources we mentioned above (Amazon, Walmart, Rev-A-Shelf, and IKEA) have flatware inserts that fit easily inside IKEA MAXIMERA drawers, and some are even trim-to-fit.

For example, IKEA has the UPPDATERA line of flatware trays, which can include safe and accessible knife storage inserts. These trays come in white plastic or bamboo to suit your aesthetic. You might also consider an IKEA countertop utensil holder for larger items, all of which come in under $10.

5. Waste

We have written an entire article on Rev-A-Shelf pullout waste containers. Keeping trash contained, hidden, and easy to remove are priorities for every homeowner, so it’s no wonder the pullout trash and recycle bins are some of our customers’ most-asked-for products. Choose from several bin sizes, styles, and finishes, and go green by adding a compost bin.

If you’re wondering whether the IKEA pullout waste bin system is comparable, we compare IKEA internal organizers to Rev-A-Shelf’s in this article.

6. Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies always find their way beneath the kitchen sink, but they don’t always get the organization they deserve. That’s how we end up with ten-year-old SOS pads and five pairs of dish gloves shoved in the back corner.

But that doesn’t have to be the story for your new kitchen. Our designers can recommend an array of cleaning caddies, tip-out trays, and under sink shelves.

The IKEA Kitchen Cabinet Odds & Ends Checklist

The above items need a home in every kitchen, but they might be only some of what’s in your kitchen. Since we are custom designing your IKEA kitchen, we encourage you to think about the other random things that find their way into your cabinets.

1. Electronics

If you always have your phone or tablet charging on your kitchen counter, consider including something like the Rev-A-Shelf charging drawer in your IKEA kitchen design. The IKEA NORDMARKE wireless charging stand can also look quite attractive on your kitchen counter.

2. Junk

Everyone has a junk drawer. If yours is in the kitchen, the best way to deal with many things is to have a drawer organizer with many compartments. Some of the fancier organizers have two tiers and adjustable compartments, so your scissors, junk mail, and bag clips can all look like they’re there on purpose. You might also consider IKEA SKUBB organizers or STODJA trays.

3. Pet Care

The pullout waste bin feature also works for pet food, and we highly recommend adding an IKEA pet station hack like the ones featured in this article. Our designers love including your furry friends in kitchen design.

We always encourage customers to accept the things they cannot change – like having a kitchen junk drawer. Just be sure to include it in your kitchen design, and we’ll help make it as organized and accessible as possible.

Key Takeaway

Designing cabinet interiors is just as crucial as designing cabinet exteriors. Choose an IKEA kitchen designer who can do both.