boydens.co.uk Home 34 “Larder units with mechanisms that glide forward easily to allow full sight and easy access to contents are a pleasure to use and a highly practical storage solution in any kitchen,” says Richard Turner, UK & Ireland National Sales Manager for kitchen manufacturer Pronorm (pronorm.de). “On an aesthetic level, opening out a tall larder with shelves of smartly organised baking ingredients, pulses and pasta can look impressive and says something about personal style and the value being placed on the kitchen as a whole.” A corner larder offers a clever way of using areas that are often under-utilised. “By being placed on the diagonal, the need for stretching around dark corners and reaching in odd angles are eliminated,” explains Sinead Trainor, Kitchen Category Manager for LochAnna Kitchens (lochannakitchens.co.uk). “Instead, you can simply see everything you have stored at a glance and access becomes as simple as stepping inside.” However, before ordering a kitchen with every storage consideration conceivable, it makes sense to declutter first. Also, assess how you will use the space and how much storage do you actually need? You don’t want to max out capacity from the outset! Another thing to factor in is that kitchen storage needs have evolved, particularly over the last couple of years due to the pandemic, as we adjust to the ever-changing landscape of homeworking and family life. Kitchens need to be functional above all when so much multi-tasking is required, observes Sinead, so storage should not be an afterthought. “A beautifully aesthetic kitchen that doesn’t work on a practical level won’t stand the test of time, so when designing a kitchen, storage must be one of the most crucial elements to consider. Don’t fall foul to the mistake of leaving storage to the last minute,” she explains. “Instead, when you’re first designing your kitchen space, think about how you and your family use the kitchen on a day-to-day basis and how your needs might evolve and grow in the near future. You can then use this information to select the ideal storage and design the rest of your kitchen around these elements.” If you’re not contemplating a new kitchen, but want to enhance storage capacity, there are some simple solutions to make the most of existing cupboards. Items like waste sorter bins are very handy for keeping the kitchen organised – and make the job of recycling easier. “They sit discreetly into kitchen units and allow users to quickly sort their waste for recycling and to maintain a clean, uncluttered kitchen space,” comments Jo Sargent, Sales and Marketing Director at kitchen solutions specialist Franke (franke.com). “Models with three compartments are handy for compartmentalising plastic, cardboard and cans.” mowlemandco.com franke.co.uk
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