kitchen drawers- the sink side

Since the kitchen is almost all drawers I've shared, in several posts, the island side here and the range side here.  In this post I'll show you the drawers on the sink side and a couple of ideas, details and  favorites of mine!

I'll start with a favorite detail on the corner Lazy Susan.  The bi-fold door opens using the cupboard latch on the right door.  I wanted the cabinet to look like an authentic, old cabinet door, so I purchased an extra cupboard latch and had our carpenter remove its innards to make it a "dummy" latch.  Placing the dummy latch on the left stops the bi-fold door from opening completely, but it is only by a couple of degrees and I certainly don't mind the loss of a bit of opening to get the look that both cabinets are fully functional- it was a small price to pay.  The Lazy Susan has two tiers which hold glass containers for leftovers (these are my favorites; I don't like to use plastic for storing food/reheating.)  The top drawer to the left holds teas, the middle drawer cereals and the bottom is our bread drawer.

 To the right of the lazy Susan is probably my most used drawer- my knife drawer!  I was asked what brand of knives I use in one of the other drawer posts, so I thought I would answer that here. First, I love a good knife!  Using a good, sharp knife makes prep/cooking so much more enjoyable.  In reality, I think all you really need is one good chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife.  That said, the hoarder collector in me loves having so many different sizes and types of knives and not having to wash one knife between tasks when prepping.  I collected the knives over many years- usually asking for a particular knife for Christmas or birthdays (I'm that strange woman who actually loves practical gifts:)  There are some wonderful, quality knives on the market.  The most important thing is to find one that is comfortable and fits your hand well.  The majority of my knives are J.A. Henckels  and Wusthof .  If you're looking to buy good knives it is helpful to know that many makers (both of the brands above, in fact) have several different "lines" of varying price-points and quality. It's important to do your research.  Just like with cookware, with knives you get what you pay for and I highly suggest buying the best you can afford since a good knife can last you a lifetime!  Kitchen shops like Williams-Sonoma and Sur la table, where you can handle and compare several at one time, are great sources.  

This drawer holds another favorite "collection"- salad servers!  I love all things "horn," and especially love horn salad servers:)  I have vintage and new horn, horn and sterling, sterling and wood, bamboo, and carved stone salad servers.
The horn and sterling bottle opener is used for beer bottles... even when the bottle has a screw-top; it makes for a nicer presentation!

 The next drawer down holds stainless mixing bowls, white Jadeite bowls, sterling-rimmed and hotel silver wine coasters, three antique bread boards that I use as cutting boards for small jobs (I use these daily) and paper towels.  Like my kleenex boxes I prefer my paper towels hidden from view;  for me it is worth the extra two-seconds of effort to open the drawer to get to them.  If I'm working a large meal or recipe I'll sit them on the counter while cooking, but then put them back in the drawer.  In Dallas I had them on a holder mounted on the inside of the under sink cabinet door, but since I put a skirt under the sink here this was my solution to the paper towel issue, and it has worked great.

The bottom drawer holds more mixing bowls- vintage green Jadeite and depression glass bowls, strainers, grater, a salad spinner and a vintage hotel silver tray for carrying coffee/cocktails to the desired location!

To the immediate left of the sink is the drawer where I keep everyday flatware and  under that is a pull out bin that holds two large containers- one for trash and one for recyclables.

To the immediate right of the sink is the dishwasher and then the top drawer next to that holds kitchen towels. Below the towel drawer are drawers of white bowls of various sizes for cereals/soups.  For the most part;) I am a white-dish kind of girl.

This drawer is a favorite!  I love vintage and antique flatware and special utilitarian pieces, and this drawer holds them all.  Just opening it makes me happy!  (Can you spot your shell spoon Linda Lime?!) 

The majority of the kitchen drawers have an auto-close feature (aka soft-close/self-close).  Since I knew I would be using certain large drawers for multiple stacks of plates, Le Creuset dutch ovens, cast iron skillets, etc.  those drawers do not have the auto-close feature.  Different manufacturers of the hardware have different weight restrictions, so it is helpful to determine in advance if the weight in a particular drawer will exceed the limit.
While I'm a professed "white dish" girl, I do like a bit of color every once in a while and always in my favorite pea green!

Below that is the black and white drawer.  The plates in the lower left and bowls in the upper right are antique as are the white ironstone plates. Vintage fern-etched wine glasses and antique fern-etched beakers that I use for candles share the drawer. The floral plates (all different flower designs) are new.

The last bank of drawers at the end of the kitchen sink counter has a drawer filled with pens, address book, tape, scissors, etc. and below that the much-used  "tool" drawer containing a measuring tape, hammer, various screw drivers and LOTs of misc. tools and products.  The drawer is very handy and keeps us from always having to go to the basement when needing a hammer/screwdriver for doing a small project around the house.

Lastly, I wanted to answer a question posed to me in the last kitchen drawer post,... anonymous wrote:
 "can you tell me honestly the actual number of hours to do the dishes, store everything so prettily everyday?
I am fifty years old and have never been able to keep house the way you do for a single day. depressing but wth!"

I loved this question, and I get it, I do!  The honest answer is it doesn't take me long to do dishes  (sometimes I do them by hand and other days I put most things in the dishwasher) and even less time to put things away because everything has a dedicated "place" in the room.  I think the key is in organizing.  It doesn't matter if a household has one person or six... being organized saves you time and energy.  I feel there is a science and psychology to organizing (a kitchen, or a house for that matter) that actual enhances your life.   Life is busy, chaotic and sometimes difficult, and I feel organizing is a way of pampering oneself and making things easier on a daily basis.  It is a simple,everyday practice that becomes a gift you give yourself.  Opening a messy drawer or closet makes "me" feel messy, so it saves me time and emotional energy to be able to open a drawer and grab a "zester" that is sitting right where it always is, instead of having to dig through the drawer to find it and being annoyed in the process!   Once you organize a space,  it's done and there is a place for everything.  You never have to figure out again where to "put" something, and you never have to hunt for something that you've misplaced! Staying organized merely requires putting something back where you initially decided was the most optimum placement.  If you think about and study what you need and really use and then edit down to the essentials,  then decide where the best placement for each and every item is, it saves a lot of time.  Having said that, it took me a good month, or more, to really figure out the best placement of things.  I would move entire drawers around as I realized that the "towels" worked better to the right of the sink for me and the silverware to the left/ that the spices worked best on one side of the island/that I needed measuring spoons on both sides of the island/etc ... small things, but things that really made a big difference in how the kitchen functioned for me, making it more efficient and life (or at least cooking;) easier!

Writing that organizing can be "a gift to yourself" reminded me of something I read recently in Barbara Barry's gorgeous, inspiring new book, which I highly recommend... Barbara Barry- Around Beauty.   This book is truly stunning and is a soulful, love letter about home and design.

In a passage called "Inner Beauty", Barbara writes,   "As much as I love the part of my work that is all about what is seen when we walk into a room, I also love the part of my work that is about what is not seen.  Or at least not by everyone- the inside of the cabinets, the full refrigerator, the silver drawer, and the well-stocked pantry; they too can be things of beauty, artfully arranged to inspire when given a cursory glance."

What are your thoughts on "organizing"?!  Does it come natural to you or do you have to work at it?

For more drawer organization and storage:
To see the drawers on the range side click  HERE
To see the drawers on the island click HERE