Where to Store Your Glassware
Follow this guide to keep everything from water to cocktail glasses safe, clean and in easy reach
Many of us have a huge collection of types of glassware stashed away in the kitchen – from crisp wine glasses, and ‘the special crystal collection’, to everyday tumblers and once-in-a-blue-moon cocktail glasses. Question is, how can we tailor our storage to suit our collection, and most importantly, keep our glasses crack- and dust-free and accessible when we need them. Read on for popular storage solutions, their pros and cons, and the glassware they suit.
Pros: Your glasses will remain dust-free and out of harm’s way. Cabinets with glass doors allow you to create visually interesting displays that break up the sometimes heavy appearance of a row of overhead cabinets with solid doors.
Cons: The downside to displaying glassware in this way is that you will be forced to keep them neat and tidy as they sit for all the world to see. You will also need to add the glass doors to your weekly cleaning routine.
Good for: Glasses that you use on a regular basis.
Cons: The downside to displaying glassware in this way is that you will be forced to keep them neat and tidy as they sit for all the world to see. You will also need to add the glass doors to your weekly cleaning routine.
Good for: Glasses that you use on a regular basis.
In a display cabinet
A display cabinet with glass doors is a great way to showcase both beautiful crockery and glassware reserved for special occasions, either in your kitchen, dining area or lounge room. A display cabinet can be a freestanding piece of furniture, either custom made or bought directly from a furniture store, in a style to suit your space. Alternatively, consider incorporating a recessed built-in display cabinet into your new kitchen design for a cohesive look.
Tip: The rim is the most fragile part of most glasses, particularly for delicate crystal. It’s best to store stemware with the rim facing upwards so that the glass doesn’t weaken and become more prone to breakage.
Pros: In a display cabinet, you can see everything that’s in the cupboard at a glance. Plus, you may also want to use glass shelves to make it even easier to see. Add some downlights to the top of the cabinet to let light shine through in a stunning visual feature.
A display cabinet with glass doors is a great way to showcase both beautiful crockery and glassware reserved for special occasions, either in your kitchen, dining area or lounge room. A display cabinet can be a freestanding piece of furniture, either custom made or bought directly from a furniture store, in a style to suit your space. Alternatively, consider incorporating a recessed built-in display cabinet into your new kitchen design for a cohesive look.
Tip: The rim is the most fragile part of most glasses, particularly for delicate crystal. It’s best to store stemware with the rim facing upwards so that the glass doesn’t weaken and become more prone to breakage.
Pros: In a display cabinet, you can see everything that’s in the cupboard at a glance. Plus, you may also want to use glass shelves to make it even easier to see. Add some downlights to the top of the cabinet to let light shine through in a stunning visual feature.
Cons: A display cabinet can take up space that might be better used as pantry or everyday crockery storage, depending on the size of your kitchen. Likewise, in your lounge or dining room, a freestanding display cabinet will take up valuable floor space.
Good for: Glasses reserved for formal occasions, such as cocktail glasses and crystal stemware.
Good for: Glasses reserved for formal occasions, such as cocktail glasses and crystal stemware.
On open shelves
If you really want to show off your glassware while still keeping it in arm’s reach, then consider open-shelf storage.
Pros: Open shelves are a great way to add visual interest to a kitchen and are becoming a popular replacement for cabinets with doors. Storing glasses on an open shelf keeps them within easy reach and eliminates the need for opening doors to find what you want.
If you really want to show off your glassware while still keeping it in arm’s reach, then consider open-shelf storage.
Pros: Open shelves are a great way to add visual interest to a kitchen and are becoming a popular replacement for cabinets with doors. Storing glasses on an open shelf keeps them within easy reach and eliminates the need for opening doors to find what you want.
Cons: Glasses will gather dust when they sit out in the open, so try to reserve this method for the glasses you use every day – this way they won’t all have time to collect dust.
Good for: Everyday water glasses
Stylish (and tidy) ways to arrange open shelves
Good for: Everyday water glasses
Stylish (and tidy) ways to arrange open shelves
Inside a pull-out pantry
The pantry may not be the first place that you think of looking for glassware, but it’s certainly one to consider, particularly if you don’t have any overhead cabinets or drawers that you can spare for glasses. If you can, position the pantry near your prepping stations and fridge for easy access.
Pros: Storing glasses in a slim pull-out pantry will enable you to see every glass at a glance. If you have young children who are old enough to use glasses, store the ones that they use down low so that they can be independent and help themselves.
Cons: Because of the pull-out movement glasses may rattle around when the pantry is opened. Choose a pantry that has a solid base as opposed to a wire one so that glasses can sit on a sturdy flat surface. You can also place a non-slip mat underneath them to prevent them from sliding. A pull-out pantry is also a more costly alternative to simple adjustable shelves.
Good for: All your glasses except crystal as glasses can be more fragile and prone to breakage when knocked together.
The pantry may not be the first place that you think of looking for glassware, but it’s certainly one to consider, particularly if you don’t have any overhead cabinets or drawers that you can spare for glasses. If you can, position the pantry near your prepping stations and fridge for easy access.
Pros: Storing glasses in a slim pull-out pantry will enable you to see every glass at a glance. If you have young children who are old enough to use glasses, store the ones that they use down low so that they can be independent and help themselves.
Cons: Because of the pull-out movement glasses may rattle around when the pantry is opened. Choose a pantry that has a solid base as opposed to a wire one so that glasses can sit on a sturdy flat surface. You can also place a non-slip mat underneath them to prevent them from sliding. A pull-out pantry is also a more costly alternative to simple adjustable shelves.
Good for: All your glasses except crystal as glasses can be more fragile and prone to breakage when knocked together.
Inside a drinks cabinet
Who doesn’t dream of having a designated drinks cabinet or bar in their kitchen? If you enjoy a glass of red after work or to mix up a cocktail or two at the weekend, this may be exactly what your kitchen needs.
Pros: Keeping all of your un-chilled beverages and glasses together makes preparing drinks easier. It also saves having to move glasses from one area of the kitchen to another, or from one room to another.
Cons: A drinks cabinet or bar will take up extra space in your kitchen. If you don’t have room in your kitchen, then consider a separate piece of furniture or a cabinet in your dining room or lounge area.
Good for: Beer, spirit and cocktail glasses
Design ideas to steal from bars
Who doesn’t dream of having a designated drinks cabinet or bar in their kitchen? If you enjoy a glass of red after work or to mix up a cocktail or two at the weekend, this may be exactly what your kitchen needs.
Pros: Keeping all of your un-chilled beverages and glasses together makes preparing drinks easier. It also saves having to move glasses from one area of the kitchen to another, or from one room to another.
Cons: A drinks cabinet or bar will take up extra space in your kitchen. If you don’t have room in your kitchen, then consider a separate piece of furniture or a cabinet in your dining room or lounge area.
Good for: Beer, spirit and cocktail glasses
Design ideas to steal from bars
Inside under-bench drawers
Many homeowners are choosing not to have any overhead cabinets in their kitchens these days, and are instead storing everything in convenient easy-to-reach pull-out drawers under their benchtops. Drawers can be used to store glassware just as easily as plates and bowls.
Pros: It is much easier to see and reach glasses that are stored in drawers as opposed to overhead cupboards, particularly for those who can’t reach very high and for children. Choose smooth-running soft-close drawers and line them with non-slip mats.
Cons: There is also a distinct and obvious disadvantage to children being able to access glassware, so use child safety locks to keep young hands out until they are old enough to use glasses. Also, stemware risks tipping over when drawers are pulled open. Add dividers inside the drawers where you intend to store wine glasses to help prevent them from falling over and breaking.
Good for: Glasses for everyday use
10 kitchen drawers that’ll make life easier
Many homeowners are choosing not to have any overhead cabinets in their kitchens these days, and are instead storing everything in convenient easy-to-reach pull-out drawers under their benchtops. Drawers can be used to store glassware just as easily as plates and bowls.
Pros: It is much easier to see and reach glasses that are stored in drawers as opposed to overhead cupboards, particularly for those who can’t reach very high and for children. Choose smooth-running soft-close drawers and line them with non-slip mats.
Cons: There is also a distinct and obvious disadvantage to children being able to access glassware, so use child safety locks to keep young hands out until they are old enough to use glasses. Also, stemware risks tipping over when drawers are pulled open. Add dividers inside the drawers where you intend to store wine glasses to help prevent them from falling over and breaking.
Good for: Glasses for everyday use
10 kitchen drawers that’ll make life easier
Hanging upside down
Experts recommend that one of the best ways to store stemware, apart from sitting flat on its base, is by hanging them upside down. Just like you see in restaurants and bars, specially designed metal racks can be used to hang stemware under a shelf inside your kitchen cabinets.
Experts recommend that one of the best ways to store stemware, apart from sitting flat on its base, is by hanging them upside down. Just like you see in restaurants and bars, specially designed metal racks can be used to hang stemware under a shelf inside your kitchen cabinets.
Pros: Hanging glasses upside down prevents dust and dirt from collecting inside them while still allowing air to circulate around. It also separates the glasses, thus preventing them from knocking together.
Cons: Hanging racks are designed to prevent glasses from hitting each other by allowing plenty of space around them. The downside of this is that you may not be able to store as many glasses using this method as you would if they were simply sitting on a shelf.
Good for: Wine and champagne glasses.
Cons: Hanging racks are designed to prevent glasses from hitting each other by allowing plenty of space around them. The downside of this is that you may not be able to store as many glasses using this method as you would if they were simply sitting on a shelf.
Good for: Wine and champagne glasses.
Behind solid doors in overhead cabinets
One of the most common places to store glassware is inside cabinets that have solid doors. Always store your glasses in an area that makes putting them away easy after they have been washed up, and try to keep at least your water glasses close to the fridge.
Pros: Concealing your glassware behind solid doors means that they are out of sight and you don’t need to worry about storing them neatly and in order. They will also be protected from dust in the air and well out of the reach of curious toddlers.
Cons: The downside of solid doors is that guests in your home usually end up opening a few cupboard doors before they locate an eagerly sought goblet. Try to store glasses in an obvious place, such as in an overhead cabinet closest to the fridge.
Good for: All glassware, especially fragile crystal or everyday glasses that you don’t necessarily want to have on show.
Reasons to ditch your upper kitchen cabinets
One of the most common places to store glassware is inside cabinets that have solid doors. Always store your glasses in an area that makes putting them away easy after they have been washed up, and try to keep at least your water glasses close to the fridge.
Pros: Concealing your glassware behind solid doors means that they are out of sight and you don’t need to worry about storing them neatly and in order. They will also be protected from dust in the air and well out of the reach of curious toddlers.
Cons: The downside of solid doors is that guests in your home usually end up opening a few cupboard doors before they locate an eagerly sought goblet. Try to store glasses in an obvious place, such as in an overhead cabinet closest to the fridge.
Good for: All glassware, especially fragile crystal or everyday glasses that you don’t necessarily want to have on show.
Reasons to ditch your upper kitchen cabinets
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Where do you store your glassware? Share a photo and your tips in the Comments
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Where do you store your glassware? Share a photo and your tips in the Comments
MORE
Browse more creative kitchens
Show off your sparkling glassware in all its glory in kitchen cabinets with glass doors. Aim for tall cabinets, to the ceiling if possible, for maximum impact and storage space (the less you use them, the higher you should put them). Adjustable-height shelves are always preferable to give you lots of flexibility to move them around as needed.
See more gorgeous glass-fronted cabinets