RiNo | Denver, CO
No matter how you slice it, it's tight under the kitchen sink! There's a disposal, pipes, the base of the sink, and sometimes a water filter that all impede on precious storage space.
So, how do you find the right solution? A little creativity, a bit of research, and A LOT of measuring!
The Scenario
When I helped this client organize her kitchen, one of her requests was to keep her countertops and floor as clean as possible. This meant we needed to hide the trash can and paper towel holder under the kitchen sink. Additionally, if possible, she wanted a pullout trash can with two compartments for separating regular trash and recycling.
The Pull-Out Trash Can
When planning any space, I always like to work backward from large to small, meaning I figure out where all the large items will go first (and what product will fit) and then layer in the smaller things. So, in this case, because the trash can was going to take up the most room, I started by researching trash can options that would fit her dimensions.
The good news is that once you have dimensions, it usually narrows down your options pretty quickly! I ended up choosing the SUPER DEAL trashcan from Amazon, as it fits perfectly between the wall and the pipes and gave us just enough clearance to pull the trash cans out without hitting the base of the sink. Once the trash cans arrived, I cleaned the space and was able to quickly install them with a drill.
The Paper Towel Holder
Next, I tackled the paper towel holder, which I decided to mount on the inside of the righthand door. The key here was ensuring that the holder would fit between the trash cans on the left and the pipes in the back and leave room for cleaning products below when the door was closed. There was a lot to think about, but these were all very important details.
I ended up choosing the YIGII Paper Towel Holder from Amazon. It fits perfectly inside the beveled portion of the door, stuck out just enough from the door to hold an extra large paper towel roll, and matched the hardware of the door hinges. I mounted it (via adhesive) as high as possible so that it would clear the sink's base when the door was closed and give us as much room as possible below for household supplies.
Storage Bins
The last piece of the puzzle was to find bins to contain the cleaning supplies that would fit between the trash cans, the pipes in the back, and the wall and still be low enough not to get in the way of the paper towels when the door was closed. I ended up selecting the Omaha Steel Mesh Bins from The Container Store. With the kitchen supplies inside the bins, the paper towel holder had plenty of room to clear the tops of the bottles (and the bottom of the sink) when the door was closed. Whew!
Voila! Here is a before and after photo.
As you can see, a lot of details go into organizing a space, and especially spaces that are small (don't underestimate tiny spaces - they will surprise you with the level of effort required!). But, with a little patience and ingenuity, it's amazing what can transpire!
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