@yz00 I am a very forgetful cook so the only way I don't forget a critical ingredient is to have mise en place with all of the ingredients measured out and ready to add when I start cooking. This would be especially true for stir frying (which I also do) since there really isn't much time to locate a spice.

A braise or a stew might be different because you might adjust seasonings but even with these kinds of dishes the critical flavor elements are added at the start and generally you saute the savories with the spices at the beginning in terms of classic food preparation. You might add the fresh herbs or citrus elements at the end that degrade with long cooking times. But even for those I would generally want my herbs chopped and ready because I like to prep everything ahead of time.

As mentioned, the Houzz photos are staged and/or they are taken before the owners/buyers move into the house with all their stuff. Some photographers get carried away and also photoshop out the recessed lights and hvac vents! Don't believe everything you see on the internet!

No to all of them. I like my paper towels on the counter where they are easy to reach. Those shallow drawers just seem useless to me especially being on the back of the island. If you have stools that have backs you would have to move the stool to open the drawers. I like my spices in a drawer where I can easily see them. Those spice racks on the doors of upper cabinets would not work for me. I wouldn't be able to reach most of them due to being short.

I converted the top of this 12” deep pantry cabinet to a spice cabinet. I wanted shallow shelves at the back so I don’t have to move things around to find stuff and on door storage. As you can see there is ample depth on the door. The stuff in the racks do tend to move around. It just occurred to me that putting some grippy stuff on the bottom will solve this problem. And those jars are all bouillon jars that I’ve used and emptied over the years. (I have a stash of them at this point.)I buy a lot of my spices from a bulk store in small quantities.

I had door-hanging spice racks from Rev-a-Shelf in my last house. I liked them a lot!

And you didn't ask about this, but I had this in my last house too and found it to be very handy (link):

Having savory on left door and baking on right works for me. I pull out all I want before I start cooking.

Having savory on left and baking on right really works for me. I get out all I’m going to use before cooking

Me a chef - haha! Not at all. I do have an herb garden, so some of the dried herbs are winter back-up.

All my upper cabinets are 42" tall; this one is about 21" wide, as I recall.

Someone who cooks a wider variety of food might need two racks. For example, I don't prepare Asian dishes, so don't keep soy sauce or star anise.

The drawer front is 4” height. I wasn’t given a price yet, but the SP said it could be a couple thousand dollars. If that is the case, It might not worth it, right?

I can't measure the drawer I used to have, but I think it was even more shallow. Still, not much can go into a 4" drawer.

For a couple thousand? I'm inclined to say no.

spice rack is the upper cabinet by the cooktop. Just feel everybody is doing a spice drawer.

Depending upon the cost, that sounds like a decent bargain. I'd keep my most-used spices in that ready-to-go shelf.

No, not everyone's doing a drawer. My spices are decanted into matching containers on a lazy susan inside a cabinet. LOVE my system, but they quit making it. Mine's kinda like this, except mine's little stainless steel triangles that fit together:

But at the same time, it is more convenient to have a full height door with trash pull out.

I've never understood hiding trash in an expensive cabinet.

BTW spyces should never be stored above a cooktop or even next to it if at all possible

True -- the heat will shorten their lives. I assume this spice rack could be placed on a different cabinet.

Haha you don't see paper towels on the counters in photos on Houzz because they hide them for the PICTURES! All the photos are professionally staged, lit and photo-shopped so what you see online is not necessarily what you'd see in real life.How do I know this? I know a professional photographer who stages and photographs interiors for the real estate industry. She can "drop" a fire in a fireplace, a sunny day in place of a cloudy one, and a pool where the real one is covered. You really can't believe your eyes!

As a former photography teacher, I have to say, you're exactly right.

I like my paper towels on the counter where they are easy to reach.

I keep mine on a cheap countertop holder, which I can move around, take outside, or hide in the pantry. It's a second-hand item, but I like it -- though I'm thinking of painting it red.

There are other options I’d go with in place of these - if you have a kitchen aid mixer, the pull out shelf is wonderful, especially when you have a plug in that cabinet - no more lifting that beast onto the counter to use it. I have the drawers in my corner (vs lazy susan) that give more room. Knee push to open trash drawer (so no more grabbing the handle with yucky hands) - shallow drawers inside deeper ones for placements, etc. - built in dividers for silverware…

The shallow drawers could be useful in the right situation.

My outlets are on the island apron and I often work there with my laptop. It would be convenient to tuck my laptop into a drawer and pull it out when I need it.

I know I’m in the minority, but one of my must haves is a built in papertowel holder. I’ve seen it done differently. I don’t like it behind a drawer, but here’s an alternative i fiund from a Houzz story.

@Candace I gave it a lot of thought on the mixer. We don’t have spce to do an appliance garage. I tried the mixer lift and found it needs a lot of force to operate even wiyhout mixer on it. It is not convenient to use it directly on a regular pull out shelf, is it? Probably the best place is on the counter.

My mixer lift takes very little effort to pull into place, and self lowers. It might depend on the brand. I have a spice drawer under an induction cooktop, as they dont generate heat like gas or electric. They are decanted and labled alphabetically into square 3x3 tins (that fit a average sized bottle of spices), with See thru lids. Neat, compact, organized and right where you need them. I like the idea if the paper towel holder but I use a counter stand one for mobility. Stash it if you think it will offend your guests lol. The drawers are pricey tho. Get what you think is going to help you keep your home organized, and you happy.

The drawers: Extra storage in and island is a good idea but go full cupboards and you will fill them up!

Paper Towels: Saw this idea recently and just LAUGHED MY HEAD OFF. For all the reasons already stated. DUH!

Spice cabinet: Size of the kitchen matters on this one. Any organization that allows for storage side by side spice containers, no hiding behind another, would be a ++++ for me on the envy side. I have seen a lot of possibilities and they all work.

@M Riz May I ask what brand of mixer lift you have? Rev A Shelf lifter is not easy to operate. Does your lift shelf lower even when the mixer is not on there? Would you please share where to get those see through lid container? I had a hard time to find some pretty ones. Thanks!!

@Tenisha B. I saw this one too. But I feel it is kind of clutter exposed on the bank of cabinets. If it is exposed anyways, maybe on the counter top is better than this idea. That is just how I feel about it.

@wilson853 Yes. I agree. It works for some circumstance. I guess I will see what the final price they quote me. If it is a couple thousand dollars, I will skip it. This cabinet company I work with is very slow. It might be just the person I work with.

@Jackie Kemper Thank you for sharing the pictures. Isn't it too far from the main cooking area if the spice racks are on the pantry doors?

@Helen I like how you arrange cooking. This is very organized.

Anybody like these ones from Innovia. It is touchless automatic dispenser. Looks cool and convenient. They have two options, under cabinet or countertop.

@Mrs Pete I forgot to ask you if the drawers on the back of the island interfere with your legs? Do we have to use lower counter chairs in order to move in and out without touching your legs to the bottom of the drawers? In the showroom, they have 24" height counter chairs, that works still fine. But I feel if the chairs go higher, there might be a problem.

Do you think it is convenient to have spices on a lazy susan? I have my oils, vinegar ect on a lazy susan. It works out well. But for spices, they are smaller bottles normally. If we put multiple layers on it, it is still hard to reach anything inside the first layer.

YzOO - I’ve never felt they were too far. I get everything out I need before I start cooking or mixing. Sorry for the duplicate post - it said there was a problem! One of my favorite organizing things is a knife holder that goes in a large drawer and you lay your knives in it. The blades are separated by a small sheet of pressed cork. I prefer it over a knife block. It was from The Container Store. It’s in a large drawer in my island.

@Candace What kind of pull out shelf you are referring for mixer? Is the pull to open system reliable? I saw a lot of pull to open drawers and doors are not working properly after a while.

A 30" spice drawer is one of my very favorites in my kitchen. For me it's easier than if the spices were in a door.

I considered the paper towel holder...for 5 min...but hubby has a habit of drying his hands with paper towels only so the dripping water against cabinets was a big no, you also cannot pull it with one hand as the roll moves freely.. the whole roll will come out if you pull on it hard. My island overhang is deep, I have 2 rows of cabinets, the 2nd one is more shallow and has doors for rarely used items...I have to pull the stools out to access it, but it's great space for extra dishes etc. In my case, those drawers would not make sense. Be realistic in how YOU use your kitchen :)

I have two spice racks on cabinet doors - totally full and more spices besides these in other places. One spice drawer would not be enough.

I also have an herb garden as I love cooking with fresh herbs. I love my Rev A Shelf lift for my Kitchenaid so it is always plugged in. I find it easy to lift. Paper towels are on the counter in a holder - my sis keeps them on the door under her sink.

I have trash drawers, baking dividers, pull outs for corner cabinets (U shaped kitchen) and lots of dividers in my drawers for silverware, utensils. Also the pull out next to the stove with cooking utensils in 3 stainless organizers. Can you tell I love organization?

I don't understand the mixer lift at all. We have different attachments for our Kitchenaid mixer such as the pasta maker, sausage maker and cheese grater attachments. You can not use those on that tiny mixer lift platform. I wouldn't even feel comfortable mixing pizza dough with the mixer on that. I can imagine the flour falling everywhere-floor, on the shelf itself and inside the cabinet. Using the mixer on the counter keeps the mess on the counter which can then be swept off into the sink.

@yz00 -the brand is bansbach (I’m assuming, since that’s the sticker on the hydraulic arm) - it’s very beefy and doesn’t move an inch even when the mixer is on high.

@Candace Thank you very much for all the pictures. I saw Rev A Shelf on the picture. Bansbach should be the hardware Rev A Shelf used on their lift. The one I saw might be their old model which is very hard to use. They might have updated their product.

@vinmarks Everything you mentioned here is exactly what I concern too. But I thought even though I will use the mixer on the island counter, the lift could help me bring it up to the counter top level and I only need to move from counter level to the counter top, and it also provide a place to store the mixer.

I have a spice drawer and like it, but occasionally bigger spice jars and bottles don’t fit. I installed these vertical spice racks in my upper cabinet in my vacation house and really like them. To start I installed 2 as I don’t cook as often there. But there is the option to add more if I need to. That’s what I like about them. I also found they fit irregular shaped bottles (hot sauces etc.. ) better than the spice drawer.

The drawers in the island are too expensive and too small to even be in consideration. I keep paper towels in a holder on the countertop - with several other things. Aiming for the “photographed fantasy” kitchens means you’re not a cook or don’t have a family. No one lives like that unless their kitchen was completely customized to hold every item.

My kitchen was refaced, so I kept the layout. The previous owner had two “garage” areas and I removed the one that was was in a corner. I find them inconvenient. The other one has my coffee stuff (mugs, extra coffee bags) and it’s not convenient either but I live with it. It hides an awkward corner.

My cooktop is on a small island that was custom made when we refaced the kitchen. I planned 4 small drawers down the right side. Top one has my favorite spices, bottom one has my less used spices and the middle are all the necessary utensils that used to be in a utensil crock (which I didn’t want visible anymore).
I am a HUGE fan of drawer inserts for silverware, etc. The spices are neatly laid inside the drawer. That makes my OCD side happy!

Build the kitchen you will love because it makes your cooking life easier.

Photos of the island and the 4 drawers on the right. Spices inside drawer.

@yz00 I keep my mixer on the counter in the corner. I have a slide mat under it so I can slide it out easily to use for some things like cheese grating. For other things I do carry it to our island because I prefer using it there and I am still able to carry it. When the time comes where I can't carry it to my island I have plenty of counter area near the mixer to slide it to for use.

@fstfanoff For sure. That is everything I will have in my kitchen, except the pull out for utensils because I don't have space for it. I will keep my utensils in one or two top drawers.

@lucky998877 Thank you very much! You helped me make the decision not using the paper towel holder in a drawer. When I saw you mentioned that we have to use both hands to pull the paper off the roll, I immediately made my decision. :)

@Wendy I also considered those, but did not find a right size for my upper cabinet which is 11.5" or 12.5" deep inside the cabinet because I am going to do 13" or 14" depth upper cabinet. May I ask what the brand of these pull outs is?

Vertical Spice. They have multiple depths.

@Wendy I'm using those same spice racks in my kitchen. Medallion carries them; I'm sure Medallion doesn't actually make them. I'm going with three on the right side of the range (savory) and three on the left side (baking).

I had considered one of the mixer lifts when I remodeled but when I read more about them, they seemed problematic - at least in terms of my kitchen. They take up 18" of lower cabinet and I didn't have that space to spare. Also I had read that they can create a mess because it is easier to deal with a messy counter than a mixer on a relatively small platform.

I didn't want to have to shlep my KA Mixer or my Cuisinart out to use them. I also didn't want to leave the mixer on the counter - besides it creating clutter and taking up space, mine also seemed to be something else that collected dust and I wasn't about to go retro and get a *cute* mixer cover like my grandmother had.

I solved my issue by running my counter into a tall cabinet with a "side entrance". My Cuisinart and Mixer slide out to the counter and the rest of the tall cabinet has very functional space as I have rollouts and one top shelf so there is a lot of storage - especially since it is the depth of a lower cabinet.

First picture is the finished cabinets - tall cabinet to the left holds the appliance with the side door. The side "door" is a miniature of the other doors.

Second photo shows the cabinets while they were being installed. I chose to have the interiors (except for those with glass doors) to be teal. The shelves are formica as is the kitchen cabinet.

This section of my cabinets runs into my dining area. I chose to do this in order to add additional space to my small urban galley kitchen. The tall cabinet to the right is a utility closet and has the usual brooms, mops, cleaners etc.

Im not sure which brand my lift is, probably RAS, to me its not difficult to lift and definitely better than carrying it around. It needs weight for it to swing back into the cabinet. Here is my spice drawer, you can buy the containers from michaels or amazon. Mine are getting old and some need to be replaced.

I always think a pantry ..no matter how small …with no door …with open shelving is the best/ most accessible and convenient..storage….no drawers to pull out…no doors to open..ours is a u-shaped…walk-in “cove like”…just off the kitchen…adjacent to the fridge..

So, I wish I had done the pencil drawer. It would have given me a place to stash the things that tend to collect on an island that don’t really have another home.

Mount paper towel holder under a cabinet or even on the inside door of your sink cabinet if you want paper towels out of sight. I am building a new house and I invested in storage options like extra space for storing trash bags to the right of trash and recycling bins. Also created a 6 in deep junk cabinet next to fridge in lieu of junk drawer with built in device charging station like one pictured here. I have a dedicated cutting board pullout, lid storage drawer, spice and utensil pullouts on either side of range, and spice corbel pullouts on my range hood to keep cooking spices close. I store baking supplies near a separate baking station.

Those are good options…tho’ spices don’t fare well too close to heat sources..that spot could be things that get used up more quickly…most spices have a very short fresh life so in general getting the smaller bottles is smarter…for anywhere in the kitchen..

For really discerning cooks…using tiny containers …putting the rest of the jar in the freezer will help…there are also many herbs that grow well in your yard/ garden as ground covers…they keep nicely if cut at their optimum point..slipped into baggy and frozen..saves a fortune for grocery store fresh herbs…and is always available for soups ..stews …etc year round

These are my 2 favorites that I had done in my kitchen.  I also used 24 inch deep cabinets on the bottom but used a 2x6 on the back to bump out my cabinets by 6 inches. So instead of having a 24 inch counter top it's now 30 inches. Really makes a difference.

That parrot towel holder(?) is adorable

Looks like inside the mixer cabinet you could have a little towel bar across the inside of the door for drying tea towels?

There are other options I’d go with in place of these - if you have a kitchen aid mixer, the pull out shelf is wonderful, especially when you have a plug in that cabinet - no more lifting that beast onto the counter to use it.

Yes, I'd choose a Kitchen Aid Mixer lift over any of these three items. The positive is that it gets the mixer off the counter top ... the negative is that it eats up a whole cabinet.

I have the drawers in my corner (vs lazy susan) that give more room.

If you're interested in any of these corner options, be sure to understand the difference between a Lazy Susan (plastic turntables on a central spire) and a Super Susan (wooden turntables on wooden shelves).

Probably the best place is on the counter.

That is where mine lives.

I forgot to ask you if the drawers on the back of the island interfere with your legs?

Oh, I don't have this island set-up. I was just postulating logically about how it'd work. What I do have is a super-shallow drawer on a built-in desk in the kitchen ... I hate that drawer, and that's what made me question the shallowness of these drawers.

Do you think it is convenient to have spices on a lazy susan?

Love it! I agree that if the jars were lightweight, they might fly away ... but mine are heavy plastic with stainless steel fronts, and they "click together" so that they're three-high. Mine are triangle shaped, so nothing's "in the middle" of the Lazy Susan /out of reach.

We have different attachments for our Kitchenaid mixer such as the pasta maker, sausage maker and cheese grater attachments. You can not use those on that tiny mixer lift platform.

Just pointing out: You can choose the size of the lift platform you use. They're usually 18", but you can have a 24" or even 30" wide platform. It wouldn't be particularly practical or desirable, but it is possible.

I keep my mixer on the counter in the corner. I have a slide mat under it so I can slide it out easily to use for some things like cheese grating.

That sounds very convenient.

When I saw you mentioned that we have to use both hands to pull the paper off the roll, I immediately made my decision. :)

Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed that detail, but -- if I were in the market for such a thing -- it would've changed my mind too.