Simple Solutions To Make Hard-To-Reach Kitchen Cabinets More Functional

Are you frustrated with high kitchen cabinets that make it an everyday challenge to reach items you need? There's no doubt that standing on your tiptoes, grasping for an item out of reach, is a less than ideal way to go about your life. Nevertheless, many kitchens are equipped with cabinets that extend far beyond your arm's reach (this is especially true if you are on the shorter end). But, despite those high-up cabinets being difficult to access, they sometimes contain vast amounts of storage that you can't pass up. The good news is that there are several ways to make them more functional.

In order to fully utilize and access the things stored in high kitchen cabinets, there are a few approaches you can take. Firstly, you can go up to them with the use of a step ladder or other climbing apparatus. Another approach to take is to make the items in the cabinets come down to you, with the installation of pull-down or maneuverable containers. Finally, you can opt to only put items that you rarely, if ever, need up in those tippy-top spaces, thus eliminating the need to access them often.

As stated before, it can be difficult to reach high cabinets, especially if your physical height is limited. In situations like this, a step ladder is truly irreplaceable. You're likely to spend about $40 on a functional folding step ladder that will give you a couple extra feet of height. It's recommended to keep your ladder as close as possible in order to make it the most practical. Storing it behind a nearby door or in the space between your fridge and wall are some of the most sensible positions. If a metal and plastic ladder isn't doing it for your kitchen's aesthetic, there are more visually pleasing options available, such as vintage-inspired wooden step ladders like this one on Etsy for $365. For an extra fancy solution, you can install a library ladder in your kitchen if you have lots of high cabinets.

If your budget is on the higher end, you can likely find a contractor or purchase specially made pull-out toe kick stools for your kitchen. These step-up resources are always within reach but stay hidden until you need them, which is truly the best of both worlds. Bear in mind that this solution is the priciest suggestion and can cost hundreds of dollars to implement throughout your whole kitchen.

For a spin on making yourself taller to reach the cabinets, you can also make the contents of the cabinets come down to you, with pull-down cabinet organizers like this one from Rev-A-Shelf, starting at $570. There are many variations of these tools, ranging from those for your spice jars to ones for larger items like coffee mugs. They can be pricey, however, so shop with discrimination and choose the most versatile organizer you can for your space.

For some, the best approach is accepting the storage space that you already have to work with. If your lower cabinet storage is ample, you may be a candidate for strategically stashing certain items in those high cabinets. Keeping family heirlooms, holiday platters, or extra fragile pieces up and away can be a win-win. This way, they are protected from wear and tear, but they also don't waste precious lower cabinet real estate when you don't intend to use them more than a couple times a year.