Have you read the "Planning for Storage" post in the "Read Me" thread? It lists what types of things are typically stored in each work zone (Prep, Cooking, Cleanup, etc.)

BTW...you're probably not receiving emails of follow-up postings, even though you checked the box requesting them. This is b/c you don't have the email option turned on in your profile. Again, see the "Read Me" thread for more information. Scroll down to the post with the subject "Getting Emails Sent To You...3-step Process".

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

Thanks Buehl. I'm glad you told me about the e-mail option. I've read a couple of your other posts about kitchen storage and I appreciate how intentional you are about it. Your analytical bent matches mine! So I appreciate hearing (reading) your thoughts.

Right now I'm wondering where to store my cutting boards. My vertical storage cabinet is not close enough to the sink. I've heard that some people store them in the undersink cabinet...I wonder if it's okay to store something for food prep alongside cleaning supplies. Any thoughts?

Also, wondering where I'll store the XL packs from Costco--like paper towel packs, paper plates, napkins.

I probably rearranged the kitchen 3 times before things settled in to where they felt natural. The only thing that my husband asked of me was to let him know if I moved the breakfast stuff and the bowls.

I wouldn't put any food items alongside cleaning supplies. I'd try putting the cutting boards in the vertical storage for now and try it out. It may be fine. Do you have a cabinet above your refrigerator? If so, maybe that would be good for the paper towel packs, etc.?

Congratulations on being at this point!

I put my cutting boards under my corner prep sink...it's a great use of the empty corner chasms in a corner cabinet.

The only cleaning supplies I have under the prep sink are dish detergent (when the sink is not in use) and Method Daily Granite Cleaner. I doubt things meant to clean dishes or wipe off food-prep counters will hurt anything. However, I probably wouldn't store things like bleach, SS cleansers, etc. in the same cabinet.

Now that I think about it, if you have a pretty wide sink base, you probably could store them both under your sink. Just be sure there's a decent separation b/w the cleaning supplies on one side of the sink and the cutting boards on the other side...maybe store boxes of plastic trash & recycle bags and dish detergent b/w the them. I think that would be acceptable. (My prep sink doesn't have a wide enough opening to allow me to do that, so all cleaning supplies except the granite cleaner are stored under the main/cleanup sink.)

I also keep my pizza stones under that sink...in the other corner. (Oh, and empty aluminum cans that I use to hold the juices from draining meat.)

I would hesitate to store heavy items like cutting boards and pizza stones in upper cabinets, even upper tray cabinets, b/c if you drop them while retrieving them or putting them away, they could hit you and cause injury. I would try to keep these types of items no higher than waist or chest high.

As to the paper towels, etc. I store the individual rolls on the top shelf of my pantry...especially planned/designed for that storage. The shelf they're stored on is only about 8-3/4" from the 8' ceiling. I can just barely reach them at that height (I'm 5'10").

If you don't have a pantry for them, you might consider getting an extra shelf or two for your upper cabinets and doing something similar...put the topmost shelf 7" to 8" from the top of the cabinet.

For paper plates, I store them on one of the bottom shelves of my pantry along with large packages of napkins (also from Costco or BJ's). You might consider a bottom drawer in one of your bases to hold paper plates + napkins + plastic silverware (if you have any). Maybe put the napkins on top of the plastic silverware box(es). I don't know about you, but other than putting a plastic spoon in my children's lunches daily (for yogurt), I rarely use plastic utensils.

Or, if your drawer isn't deep enough for the stack of plates, split the stack into two (tall stack & short stack) and store the napkins on top of the short stack. (Move plates from one stack to the other as needed.)

Buehl, I've read about your cutting board storage location a few times and am curious to see it. Would you mind posting a photo of it please if you have the time? I'm wondering if you set it on it's end directly on the cab bottom or not. TIA! (Sorry to hijack, OP)

I broke the "know where you're going to put everything before you remodel" rule (really should have paid attention) and had a fun couple of days afterwards figuring out where everything should go...wrote two blog posts about it (mostly pictures) if you are interested. I have a laundry with big shelves right off my kitchen so that's where I store big things like 12 packs of paper towels and also my cleaning supplies.

Here is a link that might be useful: top two posts are of my organizing

Here they are BreezyGirl:

Front shot...

Closeup of the cutting boards on the left side of the corner sink base cabinet (they're in a tray organizer)

Pizza Stones (there are two) & Cast Iron skillet on the right side of the corner sink base cabinet (also in a tray organizer)

Here's a closeup to show you how the cutting boards hug the left side wall

Remember, this is a corner sink base, so the side walls angle back, they're not straight back.

The cutting boards extend back into one of those angled corners. Normally, items stored in an angled corner like this are very difficult to access. With the cutting boards in a tray divider and stored the long way back, I only have to access the front part of the boards while the rest of the boards occupy the unreachable back. This makes then very accessible.

Like the cutting boards, my pizza stones and cast iron skillet occupy the other corner of the corn sink base. These items aren't quite as long so they're a little bit more of a reach, but they are still far more accessible than other things that might have been stored in that corner!

Thanks for the photos Buehl! My curiosity has finally been satified. Oh, except for one question. Is that tile I see on the bottom of the cab? The bottom of my 40-year old, site-built sink cab is/was (demo'd now) was very nasty.

Sorry again OP!

Thank you everyone for your comments. So helpful.
Buehl--thanks for sharing your pictures...looked through the entire album. I notice the tile on the bottom of your undersink cabs too. Great idea. And I'm going to think about the top shelf for paper towels. Lucky you at 5'10"...you have 10 inches on me! I'll need a step stool; but I'm used to that. I may divide the paperplates--large supply in bottom of pantry & current-use smaller supply more conveniently located near the MW (we use paper plates often for quick snacks & toast, etc.)

Honeychurch--enjoyed reading your blog posts. Good ideas there too.

Byronroad - I can see myself rearranging a few times too. Good to hear that someone else did that!

judidel - I keep forgetting about the cab above the refrig. Problem is that it's really high for me--so I will put seldom used items there.

This is great to get so many good ideas in such a short time. Thanks to Buehl, I'm now getting the posts via email.

Any ideas for what to put in an upper corner cabinet? Not looking to store food items here.

In my old kitchen, I stored Tupperware in my upper corner cabinet. I put a long container on the side and put the covers in it and then arranged the container bowls in the rest of the cabinet. I put the ones I used everyday...the smaller ones, generally, on the bottom shelf. The other two shelves held things I used less often...the less often used, the higher it was stored!

Just thought of something. In my old kitchen, I had a paper towel holder attached to the bottom of an upper cabinet. I don't want to do that in my new kitchen. But where do I put the in-use roll of paper towels? On the counter?

And that leads to another question--I really want to minimize the amount of "stuff" on the counters. I'm curious about what things people leave sitting on their counters.

don't be surprised to find yourself re-arranging things after actually using the kitchen. Certain items are obvious where they will go but sometimes others will let you know where they belong

Buehl has a very functional countertop paper towel holder. I can't remember the details.

I don't like a lot of things sitting on the counter either. We've had paper towels on there forever, but I've cut way back on my usage of them for green reasons so I don't think I'll put them back on top in new kitchen. Besides that, I have the espresso machine, two lamps (new kitchen will have much better lighting), antique wire basket of used wine corks, large Boos block that I don't have room to store, utensil crock, olive oil, S&P grinders, compost bucket (looking to move that off the counter also or at least get something prettier), and a telephone.

I have the OXO stainless steel paper towel holder that makes it possible to tear off one sheet (large or small) w/one hand.

Actually, I have two...one for each side of the kitchen. I don't mind a few things on the counter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oxo Good Grips® One-Handed Simply Tear Paper Towel Holder

Buehl....you stole my heart with all those butcher block cutting boards!!!

I posted my drawer insides on my blog, linked below...

Here is a link that might be useful: my organized kitch

-I broke the "know where you're going to put everything before you remodel" rule -

Me, too. And I change it about every three months. It's coming. I have 4 times the space I had before but I also unpacked boxes of things I hadn't seen since 1999. It feels good to use them again. I've had to choose what to keep in the new kitchen and what to repack.

-where do I put the in-use roll of paper towels? On the counter? -
I struggled with that one, too. I tried the counter holder thing. It was OK but I really didn't like it. I finally put it back under the upper cab over the microwave/toaster oven. It's pretty well hidden. Still not where it's most useful but .....where else?

I think muspic said it best
"don't be surprised to find yourself re-arranging things after actually using the kitchen. Certain items are obvious where they will go but sometimes others will let you know where they belong"

I have lower drawers. Here are a few drawers in lowers that have stuff in them and the reasons why. This is "for now." (Not sure how things will stand in a few months.) Begins with three drawers in "baking zone" then one in prep zone, four in all. Remember...this arrangement is "for now." Have been using kitchen since abt. August; there is much left to do and don't know when things will settle down. Maybe in 2012.

Here is a link that might be useful: drawers and stuff

Sabjimata and Florantha--thanks for sharing those links. It's helpful to see how people organize.

I love Buehl's paper towel holder...especially if you can tear off a paper towel with one hand. Going to check that out!

I put the two cutting boards I use the most on top of the refrigerator where I can easily reach them and they're not very visible sort of back underneath the over-the-fridge cabinets. The others I have hanging on the sink end of my island where they're not very visible.