I'm a Professional Kitchen Designer — These Are the 7 Storage Hacks I'll Always Share With My Clients

I have been lucky enough to work with hundreds of projects since starting Herringbone House some 11 years ago, and one of the things that unites them all is that every client worries about storage during the design phase. From those with a London flat to sprawling estates in the countryside, everyone worries if they have enough storage.

In most older buildings you’ll find unique little nooks that we can design around to be used for wine storage or creating little banquette seating with storage underneath. In new buildings, we often design in some of these spaces to bring in character to an otherwise blank space. Because we make everything ourselves in our workshop, we have an easier time designing around these little nooks and turning them into practical spaces.

The amount of kitchen storage you need really depends on how you live your life. Are you a minimalist or a hoarder? The old lady who lives in a shoe with her 10 unruly children, or have you, Marie Kondo, cleansed your life and thrown out everything that doesn’t bring you joy? Most of us are somewhere in between, with a couple of items we use every few years still lurking around the kitchen, and I don’t think there is a single client who doesn’t have a drawer dedicated for post, old charging cables, and the odd flat battery, to items we haven’t used in years.

That said, there are a few tricks when designing your space that allow for extra storage, while also making sure everything you need is considered during the design phase. Here's what I always tell clients about getting storage right.

1. Under the Stairs

Depending on the location of your kitchen, the void under the stairs can be a great space to add more kitchen storage, and this is sometimes the case in London townhouses. We've helped clients turn this Harry Potter bedroom into a space used for pantries, bars, you name it.

William Durrant

William Durrant has worked in the cabinet and furniture manufacturing industry for over a decade. After learning from powerful kitchen brands, he had a desire to manage all aspects of home design projects, so he founded Herringbone Kitchens, now known as Herringbone House 10 years ago. He owns the family run cabinet and furniture design and joinery company, where he manages a talented creative team of designers and skilled craftsmen from their studio in the heart of Canterbury, Kent and the workshop just outside the city walls.

2. Create a Bar/Drinks Cupboard

It is popular now to have an area just dedicated to making drinks and a home bar does just that. There can be many different types of liquid vices, from wine, whisky, and coffee to squash.

Having this carefully considered area condenses your drink paraphernalia into one well-designed space.

3. Doors vs Drawers

Every designer will talk to you about how much storage you can get inside a drawer and opting for them over a normal cupboard, and they are right.

But drawers are more expensive, so it is not necessary to fill the whole kitchen with them. When weighing up drawers vs cabinets, put drawers only in considered places, like storage for your pans/pots, everyday dishes, and cutlery.

4. Have Bench Seating With Storage Underneath

This is a favorite trick here at Herringbone, there is often a space for a banquette seating somewhere within the kitchen, and this adds several bonuses to the space. It helps warm up the kitchen, making it more inviting, having multiple seating options.

Our upholsterer is an old family friend and is very talented, so together with our interior designer, they work with clients to really add in some style. Finally, we make our banquette seating often with access to storage under the seat, either accessible by removing the cushion or open storage underneath the seating.

5. Explore 'Top Boxes'

I am not always a massive fan of the top boxes, but they do have their time and place in kitchen design. Depending on the height of your kitchen, these can be used along with a ladder to add more storage for items you don’t use every day.

If you can, add a shadow gap to make it feel a little lighter. Be careful though, as top box wall units can sometimes make a space feel top-heavy.

6. Opt for a Larder

A larder or pantry is your go-to for added storage. For most families, you will be able to fit in all of your food storage, plus a few other items in a larder.

Our 'signature' larder that I designed when I first started has three drawers, three shelves and spice racks on both drawers. I can’t actually remember the last time we made a kitchen without a larder in it somewhere, they are that popular.

7. Think About Wine Storage

Find a spot within the design for storing all of your wine so it’s not littered across your kitchen countertop.

Depending on how much wine you get through, it can be a whole separate wine room, a wine fridge, a nook, or an open cupboard above the fridge… just make it a considered space, and no matter how much storage you build in, do not worry, you will fill it.

If you have a small kitchen, these smart storage solutions may be your saving grace. Using every inch of space in your kitchen will help cull clutter and keep your worktop organized.