Why Dish Drawers Are Healthier Than Cabinets
If the idea of putting away a dishwasher full of plates makes your lower back ache, you might want to rethink your kitchen storage. Increasingly, design and health experts are opting to skip the upper-level dish cabinets in favor of deep, pull-out drawers.
"Because it keeps everything at waist level instead of high up, it's actually a more ergonomic solution," says Krysta Gibbons of Kipling House Interiors, who used a peg system to organize dishes in a Florida client's kitchen drawers. Adds designer Jean Stoffer, "Putting more items below the counter, including glasses and dishes, is great for aging in place, too."
To make cleanup less of a chore, dish drawers should be as close to your dishwasher or sink as possible, so you're not constantly walking back and forth across the kitchen with piles of plates.
And it's not just achy adults who benefit from dish drawers, either: "They make it easier for kids to set the table or pour a bowl of cereal," explains Alison Pickart, who used them in the kitchen of her own California home.
While designers will often have cabinetmakers build custom in-drawer solutions, it's actually not hard (or pricey) to DIY your own semi-custom version. Starting at around $50 per drawer, Rev-a-Shelf offers kits that include a wooden pegboard base (which can be cut to size) and moveable dowels that hold your items in place. For smaller items, like food containers and lids, try Umbra's expandable plastic peg system, which costs just $25 per kit.
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