Please, Don't get Stuck on having to have your spices next to the cooktop. Mine are in two drawers in my prep area which is actually where I use the bulk of the spices. (I do keep my pepper mill, salt and olive oil in a tray on top of a counter next to the range.) Baking spices are stored in my Baking Center (on a shelf with a lazy susan), which is in an different area than everything else. I don't have upper cabinets either and the drawers work well. There are so many different ways to store spices now, that I don't think it really matters if they are in a drawer, hung on the wall or stored in a cabinet (mine used to be on a lazy susan.) It really depends on the layout of the kitchen and kind of storage is available. As long as it's convenient of course!

I have homeowners proudly show off their pullouts all the time while I inwardly cringe and think about how much easier drawers would have been. The pullouts were done by someone who thought that was the best route. It is certainly better than having no pullouts and just cabs with a half shelf over empty space. If you must, convert them to drawers, but if the kitchen is otherwise nice, just use it for a while and work with it. It is not the end of the world to have pullouts. The glass is half full on that one.... I do like the container idea as I use those for spices that go together in the pantry. I have my most used spices in the spice rack, but there are some that are put away. I group them so that I need to grab one basket and have a couple of spices I need together. I used lots of plastic containers in our old kitchen for tupperware type stuff, lids, potholders, etc... Ikea has some great organizers too. I prefer the drawers, but if I had had a kitchen that was good enough as is, I'd have saved a bundle and a lot of hassle and gladly kept it! You don't even get perfect when you design the kitchen because there is always something you would tweak after working in it for a while or when your needs/cooking style changes.

I'm a cabinetmaker, here are my prices... A peg drawer "kit" costs about $100.00, I charge $40 to cut and fit in place. This is per drawer... I've been making them in house lately, I charge $125 per drawer. I get $150 for a spice pullout. Divider price would depend on material and number of slots. I usually throw these in if it is a reasonable request. Silverware inserts... I don't make them, I suggest buying a plastic one from Walmart of something. I wouldn't have a drawer dedicated w/ slots because... A. you can't change it down the road, and B. you can't remove it easy to clean. My two cents, worth just that. -Kris

You know, given that I've got so little storage, there's stuff in the kitchen that probably technically doesn't belong there... Remember before kitchen rehab when all placemats, tablecloths & cloth napkins were stored in the living room because there was no room in the kitchen? I have a drawer in the LR hutch with transit tokens, pens, tape, calculator, etc. and the kitchen junk drawer w/ some of that stuff: shopping list paper, pen, scissors, tape measure... one drawer is not enough... so...