Creative Ways to Store Dishes

Flatware

If you are showcasing your family's precious silver, consider a nested approach. Here, cabinets have been outfitted with drawers featuring divided pullout trays. This way family and friends can admire the delicate artisanship, but the pieces are protected from scratches.

Adapt restaurant-style equipment to keep everyday utensils handy and organized. When entertaining, take caddies and contents to the table. If a skinny pullout is unavailable, adopt the same vertical storage principles by keeping flatware organized in jars in cupboards.

Adapt restaurant-style equipment to keep everyday utensils handy and organized. When entertaining, take caddies and contents to the table. If a skinny pullout is unavailable, adopt the same vertical storage principles by keeping flatware organized in jars in cupboards.

Plates and Bowls

Deep pullout drawers ensure that the right serving pieces, linens, and flatware are never out of arm's reach. This drawer includes a modified pegboard approach that uses oversize pegs to keep dishes from sliding and chipping.

Plates and Bowls

Open Storage

Open storage ensures an easy reach for often-used items. Baskets corral linens and other items used infrequently.

Here's a tip: Choose baskets with built-in handles for easier transport from one location to another.

Plates and Bowls

Plate Rails

Plate rails offer a straight-forward way to show off collections of dishes. With only one row of storage, it's easy to retrieve plates to put on the table. The rails may be painted or stained suit the room.

Plates and Bowls

See-Through Storage

When installed in front of a kitchen window, a plate rack lends a colorful, yet open, airy feel to a kitchen.

Plates and Bowls

Pullout drawers

Pullout drawers give easy access to stacks of plates and bowls in deep cabinets. They make it a breeze to put clean dishes away and protect your back by eliminating the need to lift a stack of dishes into the back of an upper cabinet.

Plates and Bowls

Close to the Dishwasher

Install a drawer next to the dishwasher for frequently used dishes. This prevents you from carting heavy stacks of plates across the kitchen after every wash.

Serving Pieces

Cooped Up

Decorative bowls and platters don't need to be hidden away in a closet. Instead, use niches and glass-front cabinets to showcase beautiful dishware.

Here's a tip: Arrange items by height -- standing platters and serving dishes in the back, bowls and pitchers in front -- to utilize every inch of space.

Serving Pieces

The Perfect Sidekick

An awkward space -- created when a new space-saving appliance was installed -- didn't cause a problem in this kitchen. Instead, the tall, slim niche was outfitted with shelves and decorative baskets to hold napkins, mitts, and even vegetables.

Serving Pieces

Piece of Cake

Grab wall space where you find it. This vintage-style shelf trio solves the dilemma of storing odd-shape cake stands and chintzware too pretty to tuck away.

Here's a tip: Use this type of setup for teapots, cookie jars, and vases. Adjust style, size, and spacing to fit the contents.

Serving Pieces

Between Studs

Be sneaky about carving out storage spots of all sizes and shapes. These trays rest in a shallow rack set between the studs. Thin or small items are perfect for cozy quarters like this. Fit spices in a backsplash or canned goods in a shallow cabinet.