What kind of storage unit should I use in this space in my kitchen?

January 13, 2018 8:22 PM

What kind of shelves or organizer should I put in this space to the left of the fridge in my kitchen?

I live in a one-bedroom in Brooklyn. When I first moved in I impulsively bought this cheap shelving from Lowe's but I would like to upgrade to something more sturdy and modern. Mainly I'm looking for storage or shelving for a microwave and some pantry stuff. What is a good piece for this?

posted by critzer to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

All depends how much storage you need, and whether you want to just use it as storage or as a secondary work surface. If you want a work surface with storage on/under, I'd look at Ikea's islands/carts.

If you just want storage, that's harder (to my mind) to get something both strong and attractive. If your pantry is anything like mine, the only thing that can handle that kind of load is the wire-type shelving that it looks like you have.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 8:28 PM on January 13, 2018

Have you looked at ELFA? They are having a 30% sale right now. It's wall-mounted shelving. Very sturdy and looks good. They usually do a summer sale as well. Here's their kitchen inspiration.
posted by amanda at 9:16 PM on January 13, 2018 [1 favorite]

I would put tall Billy bookcases across the wall, probably with doors. You can store a lot of kitchen stuff in a Billy and always use it for books or other things.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:10 PM on January 13, 2018

Best answer: What is that, about 6ft? I'd do 30" of base cabinet w/countertop, and a microwave thingy above. Then, however much floor to ceiling pantry space next to that you want. You'll need to keep space for the trashcan, so maybe the base cabinet can be half-width shelves/drawers and half open.
posted by rhizome at 1:06 AM on January 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

It also occurs to me that you could replace your range hood with a microwave hood and just put pantry space over there. It does look like you might be a little short of counterspace in general, but I wouldn't put more than 30" on the new side, lest it start looking like an isolated workbench. NB: I only say 30" because that's a standard width in cabinets.
posted by rhizome at 11:28 AM on January 14, 2018