Sandra Brannock, Expert Kitchen Designer

Sandra Brannock, Expert Kitchen Designer

As we know, the point of any kitchen cabinet storage accessory is to make life easier for the end user. Unfortunately, in my opinion, some tend to be “space wasters” and a bit “gimmicky”. Having said this, I am a big fan of the basics: pull out shelves, tray dividers, spice pullouts and cutlery dividers.

At the 2015 KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry) Show in Las Vegas, I did see some great new innovative storage accessories. Here are a few of the ones that made sense to me.

Pullouts Plus 270 Degree Lazy Susan Revolver

Base cabinet corners of any kind challenge kitchen designers. There is always a downside either with the aesthetic or the function. For those who do not want a blind corner unit, and prefer square corner susans, the following insert, called a 270 Degree Revolver, from Pullouts Plus ( is practical and functional.

Sugatsune Lateral Opening Door Hinge

The concept behind Sugatsune’s Monoflat LIN-X Hinge is completely unique. The video below demonstrates it perfectly. For me, as a designer, I would use these hinges for a tall corner pantry application, where two doors that meet in the corner could slide away from one another independently and without interference.

Rev A Shelf Knife Storage

Rev a shelf knife storage

Rev a shelf knife storage

How many times have you found yourself hesitating, just for a moment, trying to decide exactly where to slide that food prep knife into its proper “slot”. If you are like most, and you do not have a luxuriously large kitchen with a large Wusthof knife storage drawer insert, knife storage can be cumbersome.

Rev a shelf knife storageWhat I saw at Rev A Shelf’s booth was to me a “wow” moment. They have come up with a knife block, stored in a pullout, that allows you to insert the knife anywhere. To me this is ingenious because it realizes space and time efficiencies.
