Sophisticated storage
For more than 30 years, DeVol has manufactured timeless bespoke kitchens. Here, creative director Helen Parker shares her expert tips for cooks who aspire to a more organised life
When planning storage, consider your personal needs. If you have a lot of pots and pans, for example, a ceiling rack will make life much easier than stacking in cupboards. For piles of linens, slim, wide shelves behind glass are a good idea. Want to find space for a collection of vintage or craft crockery that you use every day? Open racks are by far the easiest and most attractive option. Rather than thinking you need loads of storage, consider the type you require and your design will come to life.
Pantries are popular again because they just make life so simple. Having everything well laid out and easy to access is, in my opinion, the most important part of any kitchen. If you have space, go for a pantry in a separate room, but a close second option would be a beautiful cupboard. Either way, you need slim shelves at eye level for tins and jars, plus wider shelves low down for bulky and tall items.
Wall cupboards work well in a grand room with high ceilings, but they can be sweet in a cottage too. Go for slim, big and glazed designs – stubby ones can look a little top-heavy. They could be vintage and should always be pretty, elegant or make a statement rather than just being functional.
I love a shelf above a sink or an oven, or a corner bookshelf above a seating area full of cookbooks. A slim, fitted, floor-to-ceiling set of racks full of plates gives a very Scandinavian look. Minimalists can get away with beautifully simple open shelves, whereas maximalists might favour row upon row of crockery that fills their kitchen with personality.
Hanging pots allows you to reach the biggest and heaviest ones easily and a rail will hold way more than you can fit easily and accessibly in a cupboard. Pick an understated, slim rail and you can add plants, hang tea towels on it, or artfully suspend dried chillies – the possibilities are endless.
Combine old and new items for storage that has a soul. Vintage doesn’t always have to look eclectic or bohemian (although it can be), but a touch of something pre-loved helps the room feel as if it’s evolved, rather than everything having been chosen at the same time. devolkitchens.co.uk
Having everything well laid out and easy to access is the most important part of any kitchen