Today’s kitchen is still the hub for family meals and as a gathering place for friends. Although, the look of kitchens hasn’t changed much from 10 years ago there is a quiet revolution going on inside the kitchen cabinets. Homeowners are looking for the insides of cabinets to be more organized and functional while retaining their outer beauty.
“Ten years ago the best you could get was a pot drawer – that was the novelty,” said Tracy Maxwell of Granite Transformations located in Oakville. “But now, getting them organized has become a priority.”
Manufacturers are coming up with great innovations for organizing cabinets that fit the modern lifestyle, from garbage pull-outs and cutlery drawers to pull-out pantries.
The number one request according to Maxwell is garbage pull-outs. The simple garbage can under the sink doesn’t work anymore with the advent of recycling, especially with the requirement to recycle wet food waste. Now pull-outs have full recycling centres and garbage centres, keeping the area clean and organized.
Built in cutlery drawers are also a big thing. “Those plastic organizers that are normally used are not very efficient and don’t make the best use of the space,” Maxwell said. “Now every inch of that drawer is set up for your utensils and cutlery.”
Pull-outs in general are becoming more popular because they get you out of the cabinet and everything gets pulled toward you for easy access. For example the pull-out pantry uses a large mechanism that allows it to get pulled out completely so that all the spices, cans and bottles are now at your fingertips.
“The idea is really to have all the stuff at the back come out to the front where it can be accessed from both sides.”
Another new idea is the soft close mechanism for large drawers so when it’s loaded with pots there’s not a big slam anymore. And the same thing with hinges -- they are made so doors quietly close.
For more information on the hottest new trends in kitchens, visit
www.granitetransformations.ca.
