Help with cupboard layouts - pics?!

[CampervanTime]

Hi everyone

We seem to be having a bit of a crisis in the kitchen department!

We’ve got little boxes, big boxes, stuff loose, stuff rolling around etc. It’s a nightmare! We don’t have a dedicated food box either.

Mrs ITguy is constantly not happy and that means it needs fixing - now!

Open to any ideas, special boxes, arrangements etc. Would love to see your kitchen cabinet photos too

Here’s ours currently.



Thanks.

 

[Meoncoast]

Open to any ideas, special boxes, arrangements etc. Would love to see your kitchen cabinet photos too

Here’s ours currently.

Do you get some rattles?

 

[Sarah Legge]

Mrs Itguy here

No, we don’t really get rattles, but can hear stuff moving around and occasionally open the cupboards and stuff falls out (usually on the dogs head )

I’d like it to be more organised, and I’m sure there are better / more well thought out ways of storing things. I’m happy with saucepans, but mugs, glasses, general food (tins, bread etc) just seems to be difficult to sort. All ideas welcome - thanks in advance

 

[Sarah Legge]

I’m just figuring out how to use the emojis!

 

[Meoncoast]

I use boxes with lids - from B&Q (others have bought on line) we have different colour boxes so we know what is in what box

 

[calimera]

My cupboards,works for us. Post 5 in thread.

Photos of cupbroads. Only use containers in cupboards that can see through. Left cupboard.
Can pull the large containers out to see herbs, sauces extra. Bottom shelf dog food , muesli in Tupperware . Use Joseph stackable containers( fit inside each other ) for tea bags , etc. Large one usually in fridge for precooked meal for first night away . Refill containers on return.

Right cupboard, can see plates,cereal bowls, cups etc. Bottom shelf pans ,washing up stuff.

Large drawer under seat . See thread.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/finally-our-very-own-room-with-view.14526/#post-154456

 

[Paulro]

Here’s where we have our kitchen roll.

 

[Azteccamper]

Mrs Itguy here

No, we don’t really get rattles, but can hear stuff moving around and occasionally open the cupboards and stuff falls out (usually on the dogs head )

I’d like it to be more organised, and I’m sure there are better / more well thought out ways of storing things. I’m happy with saucepans, but mugs, glasses, general food (tins, bread etc) just seems to be difficult to sort. All ideas welcome - thanks in advance

We use two of these: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-cool-bag-12-5-litre-p321580 in each of the lower cupboards. Brilliant for food storage and cups, glasses, plates, etc. Perfect fit. They are padded cool bags. So easy. No noise.

 

[2into1]

This could run and run....
For starters, the kettle lives in the sink, in the bowl.
I've given up on kitchen roll and use cheap small white serviettes from ikea, stored in a brandrup seat pocket. They serve as... Kitchen roll, serviettes, emergency loo roll etc.

 

[Auberg-ine]

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...r-interiors-your-own.19968/page-4#post-263855

Ikea rules IT Guy!

 

[Hotel California]

Sorry to say but that looks messy....
Tin cans , pots&pans you better keep in the large drawer under the seat , you only have to acces them once a day for dinner (or twice , breakfast)
The storage under the sink/cooker needs to be organised , specially when the table is up you hardly can not "see in there" becose the table is in the way .
I just slide open the door reach in without looking and know where to grab a glas , plate or whatever...
Got this rather older post on how i organise things in the Cali , must say it's three years since that post and some things have changed slightly but the general layout is still thesame.
It does takes a few trips to figure out what are your needs and what things you need/use frequent , much is personal preference.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/inside-the-hotel-california-for-your-eyes-only.9776/

 

[BillyCasper]

I tend to use Muji polypropylene storage

http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=17&Sub=80

http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=9&Sub=38



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Pete_Hampton]

@itguy and @Sarah Legge nothing special or clever to offer, but this seems to be working for us so far.

Left hand cupboard is used as the larder: for all food stuffs that don't belong in the fridge, tins, packets, air tight containers (Tuppaware - other brands are available) - mainly square/rectangular as they pack together better. When they are emptied during a trip they can be nested together to be even more tidy. Open top plastic boxes for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Re-using stackable same sized sturdy 1L ice cream tubs is also working well for keeping smaller items together, we reuse several small screw top herb jars to contain coffee, olive oil, salt, pepper, cornflour, gravy powder, herbs, spices etc. [A Sainsburys herb jar is just the right height to sit upright inside a Sainsburys 1L ice cream tub, 10 jars fit ok]

Decant what you need from the purchased packaging into smaller containers for just the right quantity/volume for the trip you are catering for, especially bulky items - rice, pasta, cereals.

Right hand cupboard is used for: utensils, plates, bowls, cups, mugs, chopping board, kettle, coffee pot, saucepans, cutlery and cleaning materials, tea towels, kitchen towel roll, shopping bags, bin bags, pegs and washing line.

Remember to adjust the shelves up or down to suit what sized items you want above or below. Some 'California Engineers' on here have made extra shelves - very neat. [Sorry I am struggling to find the thread - @hotel california may have been the Engineer in this case.]

See the OCD thread - nearly everything is labelled - labels facing front, with everything in its place so 'if we have got it, it's where it always is!'

Enjoy the Continuous Improvement process!

 

[Hotel California]

@Pete_Hampton , i did re-drill holes under the sink to fit the PP toilet.
There are others who even added drawers .
All personal preferences.

 

[2into1]

I tend to agree with @Pete_Hampton on the left hand / right hand split.

For tea / coffee / pasta, I tend to take two smaller containers of each item. One stored easily to hand, the 2nd initially less accessible. If I use up the first, the empty container goes into 'the hole', for refilling as soon as I get home. The second gets promoted to the easily accessible space. There is no point filling up the best space with 160 tea bags.

Don't forget to take some 'space' with you, otherwise known as 'the hole'. If you don't take some space with you, the living space starts to get untidy. The bottom of the left hand cupboard is a good hole, for dirty clothes / tea towels, empty food containers (see above).

 

[Velma's Dad]

ITGuy+MrsITGuy, if you haven't already done it, try searching the forum for 'IKEA' and you'll find a lot of threads where people have found IKEA boxes, trays etc that fit neatly in the Cali cupboards.

A must-see for inspiration has to be the lovely video by @yuchili who Calis with his Ocean in Taiwan:
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/ikea-inside-my-vw-t6-california-ocean.23342/

(The segment about kitchen cupboard storage is at about 4:30 mins but the whole video is extremely watchable and has some great ideas).

 

[GillianC]

When parked up my kitchen roll goes on the handbrake.
Got the idea from someone else here and makes me smile. Little things....

 

[Zebedee]

Bottom left cupboard is for saucepans/gas kettle etc and are contained in an Outwell Collapse rectangular washing up bowl which doubles up for the washing up as well.

Top left cupboard has 3 storage baskets with a variety of foodstuffs always packed and ready to go eg flour for pancakes, pasta, sugar, pasta sauce, soup so can always rustle up a meal acceptable to the teenage fraternity at no notice.

Right hand cupboard took the drawer organiser out so more space in the drawer for essential utensils. Top of cupboard cutlery posh fabric cantina, electric kettle, Collaps colander and bowl. Then bottom of cupboard is the plates, mugs, wine glasses etc.

Tried and tested for the last four and a half years....works for us.

 

[Kevin&Becci]

Bottom left cupboard is for saucepans/gas kettle etc and are contained in an Outwell Collapse rectangular washing up bowl which doubles up for the washing up as well.

Top left cupboard has 3 storage baskets with a variety of foodstuffs always packed and ready to go eg flour for pancakes, pasta, sugar, pasta sauce, soup so can always rustle up a meal acceptable to the teenage fraternity at no notice.

Right hand cupboard took the drawer organiser out so more space in the drawer for essential utensils. Top of cupboard cutlery posh fabric cantina, electric kettle, Collaps colander and bowl. Then bottom of cupboard is the plates, mugs, wine glasses etc.

Tried and tested for the last four and a half years....works for us.

Wait! Removing the cutlery tray? Hmmmm, seems pretty radical but i’m liking it. How is it working out for you... have you replaced it with another, less bulky tray?

 

[2into1]

Wait! Removing the cutlery tray? Hmmmm, seems pretty radical but i’m liking it. How is it working out for you... have you replaced it with another, less bulky tray?

There maybe more space but the idea is triggering my ocd, and I’m lying in bed at home.

 

[PudnBob]

I love cooking and food so we have taken the utensils tray out and We store herbs and sugar etc in plastic business card boxes, perfect size. Loose in the draw is one of each for instant access, knife, teaspoon, grater, mini chopping board etc and the rest of the cutlery is in a roll stored below.
If it can be stored on its side like a book then I do that as I find its easier to slide out rather than lift and grab!
We are though going down the 3drawer route, that’s genius for the way we camp/travel. Pictures to follow

 

[PudnBob]

The grey tub bags have been upcycled from an old pair of trousers and hold any item which I think may leak, stain or mark the shelves. They hold the bottle of red wine when we are camping!

 

[Kevin&Becci]

View attachment 31312 View attachment 31313 View attachment 31314 View attachment 31311 View attachment 31310 View attachment 31309 View attachment 31308 The grey tub bags have been upcycled from an old pair of trousers and hold any item which I think may leak, stain or mark the shelves. They hold the bottle of red wine when we are camping!

View attachment 31315

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I like the storing on the side idea - especially for plates etc. As you say, must be so much easier to get stuff out of the cupboard.

 

[2into1]

I was enjoying those photos until I saw the upturned tap!

 

[WelshGas]

K.I.S.S.