Our kitchen reno got rid of the original deep "closet" pantry and was replaced by my "Pantry Hutch". I couldn't believe how many duplicates and expired items I found when I was packing away to do the demo and I consider myself very organized. The new set up has actually improved the efficiency of my storage even though I installed regular uppers for the top of the hutch losing 12" of depth. The base of the hutch consists of a 15" 3 drawer base, a 6" pull-out filler, a 27" base with a top drawer and two roll out shelves underneath and a 3" pull-out filler. There is also a bookcase end for cookbooks and display. Oils, vinegars, syrups etc. are in a 9" pull out next to the stove. Small appliances (crock pot, blender, etc.) on the roll out drawers. Turns out the 15" drawers are the perfect size to hold my cake mixes and boxed convience items - the box tops are clearly labeled by the manufacturer and easy to read! Pasta boxes also fit great and you can see at a glance what varieties you have. I was amazed how many pantry items also fit in the 3" pull-out filler: granola bars, crystal light packets, jello and pudding boxes etc. We also have a set of three drawers 30" wide but only 12" deep that sit on the counter between the uppers and base. The shallow top drawer turned out to be perfect for DH's wallet, glasses, cell phone etc. plus the oft used tape measure, swiss army knife, flash light, note pad, tylenol and mints. It never evolves to junk drawer status as it is so shallow it stays neatly organized with the must haves. The two deeper drawers are perfect for canned goods on their sides. I picked up some pieces of Balsa wood from the craft store and cut them to length to act as dividers. They are not attached in any way but keep the items divided and from shifting. My cereal boxes ended up in the upper cupboard by the fridge (convient to the milk!). Oddly enough, I have ended up with some empty shelf space in the uppers of my "Pantry Hutch". The nice thing is over the holidays I was able to stack the rubbermaid containers filled with baked goods there instead of having them stacked on the valuable counter real estate.

Wow birkie thanks for that ! It looks like a couple Akarum cabs might work out just great. I'm going to head into the local IKEA this weekend to get some cabinet boxes in the sizes I think will work ... if it doesn't, it wasn't an expensive experiment ! Syllabus ... I am jealous of those extra 2 inches you have :-) I don't have a detailed plan for how I'm going to make this work, but I showed the pic to my builder and he grunted and said "Yeah I can do that". I have planned to use a Kohler Memoirs sink, which is attached both to the wall and to either a pedestal or a console. I figure we can rig up some sort of beefy support structure hidden within the cabinet. Now that the bathroom is framed, I am a bit worried that the Memoirs will jut into the room too much (it's 21" deep, and a square sink), so I am considering the Kohler Devonshire, which is 19" deep and rounded at the front. Isn't it funny how plans look OK on paper, but when you actually SEE the room things start to close in on you. LOL.

Here's our cabinet plan, hope it helps: North Elevation: 3 drawers - 28.25w x 5h x 24d silverware, built in dividers 28.25w x 10h x 24d napkins, dishtowels, divider down middle 28.25 x 10 x 24 placements & tablecloths 3 drawers - 28.25 x 8 x 24 dishes edges of drawers angled down to back 28.25 x 8 x 24 dishes 28.25 x 8 x 25 serving pieces, salad bowls, etc 2 lower cupboards 15 x 18 x 24 soaps & cleaners - revashelf w/pullout RV598-12W 15 x 18 x 24 pull out garbage - revashelf pullout RV8pbwh Shaw 30" sink 4 drawers 11.5 x 5 x 24 knives w/ custom insert 11.5 x 5 x 24 utensils 11.5 x 5 x 24 foils/wraps 11.5 x 10 x 24 colander, crockpot, popcorn popper, blender, large stock pots, etc. Reva shelf pivot, pull. Lazy susan in blind corner 2 upper cupboards 12.25 x 35 x 13 glasses, wine glasses, vitamins 2-3 adjustable shelves 12.25 x 35 x 13 same East Elevation 1 upper cupboard (this flanks 36" range) 20.5 x 35 x 13 teas, mugs, dishes 20.5 x 35 x 11 oils, vinegars, vases adjustable shelves Lower cupboard 8.5 x 28 x 24 potholders pullouts for potholders cookie sheets, baking rakes Cutting board plus 3 drawers 20.5 x 5 x 24 spices w/drawer inset 20.5 10.5 x 24 pots &pans&lids 20.5 x 10.5 x 24 same Anyway, this is some of our cabinet info. Hope it helps. Lisa

I did this... I have 3 equal height drawers to the right and left of my range rather than shallow on top over 2 deeper drawers. On the left side of my range I have a two tier cutlery divider. The top tier is your standard cutlery divider, below is a pacific cloth lined sterling silver cutlery holder. This keeps the sterling completely hidden away yet easily accessible. I love my sterling and wasn't using it because it was a major process to take it out, unwrap it from its individual little felt holders, etc. Now its right there. The added benefit to this, is that the top drawer on the right side of the range is also deeper and this is where I am keeping my utensils and cooking things. I have a divider down the center of the drawer. On one side of the divider is things like lemon juicer, cheese grater, onion chopper, apple coarer - things that are too bulky for a shallow drawer but not really bulky enough for a deep drawer. On the other side of the divider I have spatulas, large spoons, etc. -- things I want to have handy near the stove. In my old kitchen I had these in a shallow top drawer and they were a little crowded and sometimes causing me not to be able to close the drawer without rearranging - now I don't have that problem. Here is a pic of my two tier cutlery divider which is essentially a drawer nested in a drawer