Cabinets are the mainstay of your kitchen so you want them to make a statement, but you also want them to be functional. With the proper configuration and combination of shelves and drawer space, you won’t have to use your countertops as overflow storage.

A higher concentration of drawers on the base cabinet sections makes items easier to access than cabinet doors. Wide, deep drawers can hold small kitchen appliances and pots and pans, while rows of various sized drawers are perfect for storage containers and kitchen linens. Take your wall cabinets all the way to the ceiling and place infrequently used items in previously inaccessible space. Wall-to-ceiling cabinets are gaining in popularity and provide a full array of storage options all in one location in the kitchen.

Make sure to include toe-kick drawers in your storage options so you can also utilize that tiny gap that is often left between your floor and your lower cabinets. The drawers are perfect for cookie sheets, and those holiday plates used once a year.

Add shelving on open walls that can double as functional and decorative space. For a short-term solution, look for roll-away islands and carts with drawers, shelves, and cutting board surfaces that can be used to hold all those extras needed when entertaining.