Thanks luvs, great ideas. I keep mine within reach in two lower, double cabinets. I couldn't stand to have them packed and put away out in the garage or in an attic! I need to be able to see what I have.

All my white dinner platters are hung on a wall next to my hutch. Metal trays are hung on a wall in the great room. SS trays are in use for displays and smaller ones that fit on a wire plate hanger(or two, doubled up)are hung in the DR. If I can't see what I have, or be able to get to easily, I may as well not have it! ;o)

Wow.. nice ideas. Its the season to be organizing, isnt it? :) I had an idea when I emptied a 24 pack of beer box - they come with these nice dividers built-in so I am going to use the box to store narrow glass vases and the crystal candle holders I bought for the V'day table. I have used them in the bathroom cabinet drawers also but I think it could work for vases too.

Patty cakes, your platters on the wall sounds like a great idea. How about some pics?

Mo

Ooooooh, I am such an organizational freak, I love these kind of articles . . . thanks Luvs!

As for using drawers to store dishes, I do this in our new kitchen (we had a complete gut and redo in Sept.'07). I love the convenience and find that my dishes are easier to safely pull out and put away in the drawers. I also keep my extra flatware with them in these drawers, as they're doing in that one BH&G pic. But, the Scot in me keeps me frugal, so I use empty large yogurt containers instead of a specially made box for mine ;^P

Each of my (2) deep dish drawers holds two sets of dinner and salad plates, plus a stack of bowls or b&b plates. Another drawer holds many of my bowls. I also keep all my pots and pans in drawers, too. Out in my dining room, I have four pull-out trays in my built-in buffet. Two more sets of dinnerware are on those, along with as many accessory pieces as I can fit there. The trays are nice, but I like drawers better. Their deep sides keep dish stacks from sliding backwards off the trays when I try to access them.

I think the one BH&G idea of skinny pull-out fitted with containers for flatware is brilliant! I have two wider ones under my cooktop, but they're for oils, vinegars, jars of flour, sugars, etc. I wouldn't give up mine, but in redoing a kitchen, I can imagine finding an extra 8 or so inches for a flatware pull-out . . . if you wanted to spend the money for it! Personally, I'm very happy with my yogurt containers.

But, despite the organized drawers and trays, I really need ideas on how and where to store all the rest of my tablescape stuff . . . thanks to all of your bad influences here on this forum ;~)

I'm off to go read more!
Lynn

I haven't looked yet, but was one of their ideas to slide them under things, like beds? LOL
I am so good though! I only have one set of ss kitchen flatware in the kitchen...never got into the colors..PHEW~

I'm out of space. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out where I'm going to put my Valentine's dishes that are still on the DR table!
Under my bed is packed tight.
Betty

Luvs,

I have mostly drawers instead of base cabinets. The new suspension glides have made them practical for heavy dishes. My cabinetmaker also put in two of those shallow slide outs inside drawers. In one I'll probably put flatware and the other, placemats. I didn't even know he was doing that but he made the design decision to take out two small drawers since they didn't look right with our cabinet design, and add them inside the larger drawers. I love them already, and we haven't moved in yet!

Of course, I don't remember how much stuff I have in all our packing boxes...gosh, I hope I have enough space.

- Magpie

Magpie, you are going to have so much fun putting all your dishes and accessories away in all that new cabinetry. I'm so thrilled for you.

Lynne, that is great that you were able to add some of the new storage ideas into your kitchen redo. The deep drawers for dishes sounds wonderful--easy to access. I often reuse containers for storage too. My DH thinks I'm so crazy when I save pickle jars, metal coffee tins, etc. But I always know that even if I don't use them in the house, I can always paint something on them and make them cute! LOL

I'll have to remember to take some pics of my very small kitchen to show you all why I have such a problem figuring out where to store more dishes and things. I keep thinking about getting rid of some large tupperware pieces and extra big pans that I have in my two corner base cabinets--then I could use one of them for extra dishes! Just always so afraid to get rid of things--I'm sure you all know what I mean. ;o(

Luvs

Luvs, i've always kept those huge turkey roasters and other large pans I only use a few times a year above the fridge cabinet. Maybe that woud be a good place for the larger tupperware pieces. Since it's one of those hard-to-get-to places, it sure beats pulling out a stool for glasses, or things I might use more ofter. The cabinet above the stove also will hold smaller things, but not deeper pans. Good for those extra cake pans~I only keep out two for brownies/lemon bars. ;o)

Luvs, with the help of an awesome kitchen designer, I now have almost three times the storage I had in my last kitchen . . . without adding a single sf. Marc had some great ideas! I knew that I wanted almost all lower drawers, instead of cabs, but I was still amazed at how much more they hold . . . and how much easier it is now to access my things.
I could have gotten the drawers with pegs system but, to my Scot mind, that was a LOT of wasted space! I wasn't concerned with how beautiful the insides of those drawers were for company to occasionally see, but the practical storage capacity of them.
As for the Tupperware, when I was packing everything away for the reno, I kept out only a few storage pieces . . . well, by "few" I mean perhaps 10-12. The rest went in a BIG box in our rented storage unit for the duration. We moved back into the kitchen a couple days before Thanksgiving, although they were back and forth to finish up that following week. Since it was now the holiday season and we host Christmas Day at our house, I held off bringing back in much of what was still in storage, including the Tupperware. By that mid-January, though, I came to the shocking realization that I didn't need all that extra Tupperware! I was doing just fine with the pieces I had. My point is, that I think we (including myself) get locked into the "what if I need its" and accumulate too much stuff. I know I have a terrible problem with this. Perhaps, you might try packing away 1/2 of your storage things, for a month just to see if you can live without them. Put them in a box in your garage, attic or basement. A month later, you may be pleasantly surprised. I know I was!
Lynn

LOL, Patty, that would be a good idea except for the fact that the over the fridge cabinet houses two punch bowls, numerous other larger serving bowls and platters. And they are all really stacked in there. I do use those items, but usually only at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Area over the stove holds extra large summer glasses and plastic and styrofoam glasses for parties. When we were redoing this house when we bought it, we should have expanded the kitchen and eliminated the formal dining area--hind site is 20/20 as they say! LOL

Lynne, I think you are right about the tupperware. Used to use it allot during the summer and for pot lucks when I was working. Now most of it seldom sees the light of day! I like the idea of boxing it up, stashing it in the garage for a while and just seeing if I miss it! I could also see if my DIL might want it, she has lots more cabinet space and then I could always borrow it back if needed! Good idea, huh? LOL

Luvs

Yes, Luvs, that is a great idea!!! But possession is nine tenths of the law, LOL