Improve Your Kitchen's Storage with ShelfGenie

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This post is sponsored by ShelfGenie; however, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Quick, what is the number one thing people want in their kitchen? Accessibility of storage! Do you agree? 

I absolutely do. 

Let me rewind just a bit to seven years ago. After much thought about our home and our future in it, my husband and I decided to remodel, so that we could “age in place.” That is, we utilized universal design to add accessibility features so that we could stay in our home into our old age.

A big part of that remodel was the complete gut of the kitchen into something more functional. I consulted with a kitchen planner to make sure it was a good design. It’s now a big bright space with lots of counter space and storage. I was a happy camper with the final result.

But, back to the accessibility part. Despite all the space for storage, it was not convenient or easily accessible. I especially struggled with food storage. The cabinets that were the pantry space were too deep and tall so basically, if food wasn’t in the very front, I didn’t know what I had!

​Can anyone relate?

I tried so many ways to organize the space but nothing was working. A few months ago, I suggested to Steph that what I needed were pull-out pantry drawers. I wondered if it was something we could DIY?

Before we got a plan into place, we were asked to participate in a nationwide campaign for ShelfGenie. When we researched the company and saw that they make glide-out shelving systems, we couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough!

Read on as we share our experience from our consultation with David, the local franchise owner here in Tallahassee, to the install.

David was so easy to work with. He listened carefully to the specific needs I had in my kitchen. Although, he said, I was a very typical customer in that I’d been in my home a while and wanted more accessibility and function in my home as I age. I may be the typical customer, but my millennial daughter was a little bit jealous that the install was at my house and not hers!

The priority for me was to get the pantry in shape. Next I wanted a glide-out solution for baking sheets, casseroles, and other skinny, hard to store dishes. I had seen this configuration in the ShelfGenie Solutions magazine online and thought it would be a great option for me. Again, despite all the storage in my kitchen, those casseroles and other baking things, were stored in my double oven! Every time I needed to cook, everything had to come out! Not very efficient at all.

Here David is explaining some of the different features of the glide-outs.

Organization perfection!

Lastly, the other annoying area in the kitchen was under the sink. It was always out of control under there. So much so, that when my faucet leaked, I didn’t know it until after the damage had been done!

David checking out this under sink mess to determine the best solution.

So much better! Everything is now within reach while standing at the sink.

Well, anyway, David took measurements of all the problem areas, suggested the type of glide-out shelving that would work best for all the spaces and drew up a Sketch-Up 3-D drawing so that Steph and I could see what it would look like. 

All the ShelfGenie franchises are independently owned. It’s a national company, but it’s a small family business to each owner. We love those family owned companies! David does the consultation, takes the measurements and comes back to do the install. We like that. 

Install day! David arrived on time with another David to help him! They set up their equipment outside, covered the floors with moving blankets, and started working. 

Here David is working to custom fit the under sink drawer.

Prior to the install, I did a little thinking about what was going to be stored where. David asked me to provide him with the tallest items that were going to be in the space. This helped him determine the spacing of the glide-out. Homeowner input, when the install is in progress, is very important to getting exactly what you want. 

The install of all the glide-out shelving took about four hours. The two Davids were very careful to clean up everything before they left. The install really isn’t that messy though!

The install of the panty system in progress by installer, David Odom.

My Reaction:

Once everyone left, I got busy filling the glide-outs. I was anxious to get my kitchen back into order! You know, because I couldn’t really see what I actually had, I found that I had way too many jars of spaghetti sauce and I found at least a half a dozen partial used bags of rice! There were some expired foods as well.

Before the install, I noticed that I had food stored in at least six different locations in my kitchen! With the new glide-outs, I was able to consolidate almost all of it into the new glide-outs. A bonus is that I was able to move my coffee station under a newly empty cabinet which now houses all my coffee and tea supplies, as well as my breakfast foods. Win! 

Ug, I really hate to show this BEFORE. This cabinet was always a mess.

All of this was previously stored in my ovens. This glide-out drawer is the perfect solution for these hard to store items.

Final thoughts. Could we have DIYed this? Yes, but would we want to, no. There is actually a lot of skill involved in the making and installation of the glide-outs. Plus, there was a lot of on the spot problem solving during the install. The two Davids made it look easy, but they’ve done lots of installs and know the ins and outs. Also, if I have any issues with these in the future, David is just a phone call away and there is a lifetime warranty on the ShelfGenie glide-out shelves. And that warranty stays with the shelves, not the owner!

Bottom line. Would I use this company again? Absolutely! (Steph already has ideas in mind for her house.)

To get started, you can schedule your own free design consultation. What improvements do you need in your Kitchen? Bathroom? Office? Garage?

Our new friend, David.

Please note: This post is sponsored by ShelfGenie. We received product and compensation for this project. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP!

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