I don't have an issue, but in a future home I'd love to have lower drawers in the kitchen instead of cabinets with the half shelf. Specifically drawers that go down to use the toe kick space and fitted for adjustable interior drawers.

My thinking is if I had more functional lower storage I would need fewer cabinets altogether.

Too much stuff, not enough shelves and cabinets :)

My ideal cabinet would have adjustable shelves with a rear support clip to prevent sagging. And a lot of adjustment positions. And use STANDARD shelf holders.

I had drawers in my lower cabinets in a previous house. I don't think they held more stuff, perhaps they even held less. But, I loved, loved, loved them. I could pull out the full-extension drawers and see everything. I wouldn't use the toe-kick area for cabinets because I'd be stubbing my toes all the time. I think Tally Sue may have hidden drawers in her toe-kicks.

One issue I get obsessed with is wasted head space (above objects). I hate to have gaps above stuff.

But one problem is that things on the same shelf are often different heights. I actually split a cabinet into two so that I could have the shelf just above the bottom of the cabinet be at different heights. That wasn't so smart, because it means I lost some space in the middle, and also w/ a wider single cabinet, stuff can sit bang IN the middle of the cabinet.

I buy those coated wire shelf organizers, but they're not always (not usually, actually) the size and shape I want. Specifically, the one for plates is WAY annoying.

I want to be able to have a flat wooden platform that is a specific height above the item I want to put there, and exactly the right size. Like if I could get four little posts that were adjustable and had holes so you could screw them to a 3/8" or 1/4" thick piece of plywood that you cut to be exactly the size you want. And you could attach them to whatever position works best (for example, with plates--the outermost corners for the back; the outermost corner next to the cabinet side wall for the front, but for the other corner of the front, maybe you put the foot back about 2 inches so that there's still support, but you can reach in and pick up a plate without fighting your way past the post.

And maybe different weights/heights/sizes? So you could loft just ONE thing up on it, like maybe your frying pans sit above your tall stockpot.

Here's the other product that could be improved upon. I'm all into maximizing every square inch of the cabinet.

But I'm also short. So I like to corral stuff like spice jars in boxes. I got this one thing called a Spice Maid (Amazon has it, if you want to see what it looks like). that fits PERFECTLY into my upper cabinet--the exact depth. And it doesn't have a handle. Its only annoying thing is that it was designed with a platform so it would slide out, but the shelf I put it on is over my head, so I can't use that. I have to set it in there on its little runners, and that lifts it up and is generally annoying. I keep meaning to get out the Dremel and cut those off, then put some sort of craft foam or something on the bottom to cover any rough edges.

Another great thing about the Spice Maid is that the container is perfectly square, so I don't lose any space, and stuff doesn't fall over. Most containers/baskets/bins are slightly sloped so they can nest in the store, and when being shipped. But that means you lose a little bit of space because of the slope. And some things will get wobbly because the wall they're up against slants away from them.

So the Spice Maid has some good things going for it. I sort of wish there were some other widths; because especially for the stuff that's over my head, I'd like to be able to take the container down, rummage around, and put it back.

(I don't like those shelf organizers that pull down--they waste tons adn tons of space for the hardware itself. I just want to grab the container and pull it all down)

I've also never really thought about whether it's size is good for the kind of stuff that goes in it, but that would be somethign that would be useful to plan. Like, will it hold the Karo syrup, the cocoa, the vinegar? Or will there be lots of annoying gaps? You maybe can't plan that too exactly for each person.

But maybe you could have a container that's 3/4 of the width of a standard cabinet, and another that's 1/4, and then I could use both of them on one shelf.

One problem would be that framed cabinets will be really different from frameless--I have frameless. (Framed would make me crazy, bcs there's wasted space behind the frame.)

But I'd also like a handle on those. I've seen bins/baskets with a handle on them (I have one), but they either are too long (and the door won't close) or the handle sticks out so far, and then there's a waste 1.5 inches in the front.

I also like to store my aluminum foil, etc., lying flat, bcs if I get one of those organizers that goes on the door of the undersink cabinet, the ends of the aluminum foil get crinkled adn I can't pull it out without it ripping.

But the products that are available for that are those wire organizers, and the boxes flobble all around on them bcs there isn't a nice smooth surface. It's more work.

Of course, the boxes can end up different heights; I look wistfully at the puzzle organizers w/ slots for the shelves, and the adjustability of them.

http://busy-kids.com/shop/graphics/00000001/0602jcs.jpg

Oh--another annoying thing w/ those sorts of "corral the small stuff" containers: There are multiple sizes--but the big ones get bigger in all directions (i.e., suddenly they're too LONG to fit in the cabinet) instead of just getting wider.

This is a perfect example. Most people's upper cabinets are 12" deep. You can't fit the larger size in the uppers. And the larger size is probably too small for the lowers.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/cabinetOrganizers/upperCabinets?productId=10022155

Unfortunately, I don't have drawers in my toekicks. I couldn't get them w/ my cabinet company, and I gave up, back when I did my kitchen. But someday...

Interesting ideas, thanks! All advices and concerns are appreciated!

I built roll-out trays for the kitchen in my Mom's apartment - it has those stupid half shelves in base cabinets. The function of those cabinets went up dramatically. Not as good as drawers, but the best I could do with existing cabinets.

In my new kitchen, I ordered extra shelves for all the upper cabinets. Like Talley_Sue, I hate wasted space. Having extra shelves allowed me to put like-height things on a shelf, and put the next shelf just above it. I get more square footage of storage space per cabinet, and I can store things without stacking.

Cabinets - either base, drawers, or uppers - less than about 15" are pretty useless, unless you put cookie sheets in a base cab.

Making upper cabinets an inch or two deeper increases storage space a lot - and ensures that big plates actually fit.

I just did this because I have a shelf jig and know how to use it :)

Instead of 2 holes per side for shelf pegs, have THREE so you can install full depth or shallow shelves as needed.

We're currently renting, and I'm not entirely sure who installed/chose the cabinets here, but it's unlikely the used a kitchen. Ever.

Exaggerations aside, we have one freestanding floor to ceiling unit that should operate as the pantry. However, it's incredibly deep so everything gets lost in the back. My current solution is to put canned goods in the very back of the shelves and use large plastic bins to store everything else in front, allowing you to pull them out and easily access the things in the back.

My next solution is to move, haha.

I also can't seem to find a good place to put our pots/pans. They're in the corner cabinet, but there is NO feasible way to organize it that I can find! Everything winds up on different shelves with the lids scattered around.

Sierra, my Mom has a cheap apartment kitchen. I built pull-outs for her base cabinets, using Blum Metaboxes. They were easy to build, not terribly expensive (mine were about $30 each), and have vastly improved the functionality of those cabinets.

Perhaps you could do something similar, to provide access to those deep shelves.

Ann, that's definitely an idea. I appreciate it! It's amazing what you can lose in the back of your cabinet when you can't see it all.

We're looking to move so we probably won't be doing that here, but if we run in to cabinets like this again in what we purchase then I'm definitely building some of those!