Low drawer, high reach: step up your storage with SPACE STEP

January 26Storage space, Ergonomics
A person in jeans and black socks standing on a SPACE STEP
SPACE STEP, the hidden toe kick solution from Blum, allows you to easily reach storage space at the very top of the cabinet while also providing an extra drawer for storage at the base of the cabinet. With just a light touch, SPACE STEP glides out of the cabinet in kitchens and living areas throughout the home. Keep reading to see how Kristina, Barbara, Ingeborg and Günther use this clever storage idea in their Austrian homes, and let their experiences inspire you to incorporate SPACE STEP in your next cabinet design.
An older man in a dark red shirt with his arm around an older woman wearing glasses and a pink blouse
Our three storiesKristina, Barbara, Ingeborg and Günther have SPACE STEP in their homes. They share their experiences and different uses for this clever toe kick solution.
Woman with dark blonde hair and a beige shirt
Woman with dark brown hair and a black blouse

Story 1: How to grow taller fast

Two-year-old Luisa is sitting on the small "stool" in the hallway, putting on her rubber boots. Mom Kristina is waiting with baby Samuel in her arms, bundled up and ready to go. The three of them want to go out for a walk. Luisa gets up, gives the drawer a gentle push and watches how it disappears into the toe kick of the cabinet. Off they go.

"Luisa likes to sit on the step to put on her shoes. And it makes it easier for me to store things in the cabinet above or see exactly what we've got up therefor instance, winter scarves and gloves," says 34-year-old Kristina. The low drawer with a built-in step stool can be incorporated in toe kicks that are from 150 mm (5-7/8") to 250 mm (9-13/16") high.

A little blonde girl sitting on an extended SPACE STEP and putting on a blue rubber boot

SPACE STEP makes putting on shoes easy for Luisa. Once they are on, the retractable platform quickly disappears back into the cabinet toe kick so she has extra space to race around.

Luisa can stand on the toe kick platform when she wants to help me with the cooking. I'm glad she's safe and I don't have to worry about her falling off a wobbly stool.

Useful toe kick drawer

Kristina's family has already installed nine SPACE STEP units in their kitchen and hallway. "I use the toe kick drawer storage to keep items that I seldom use and yet need to have easily accessible," explains the Austrian mom-of-two.

A woman standing on the SPACE STEP to take something out of the top cabinet in a closet as a little girl sits on the floor and watches her

SPACE STEP allows Kristina to easily access wall cabinets and provides additional storage space underneath the surface of the drawer.

Story 2: Not an inch wasted

Barbara is another big SPACE STEP fan. "As soon as I saw the toe kick solution, I wanted to have it," she says, thinking back to when she first experienced Blum's SPACE STEP. That was in 2017 when the product was first presented at a trade show.

When the 38-year-old moved into a new apartment, she originally wanted an island in the middle of her new kitchen. "Unfortunately, we couldn't have an island because of the layout of our apartment. So we opted for a classic row of kitchen cabinets instead," explains the young woman from Vorarlberg, Austria. "That's why it was all the more important to me to use every inch of storage space available—and even create extra space."

A woman with dark hair reaching up for some plates in an opened wall cabinet

Barbara didn't want to waste any space in her kitchen, so the cabinets go right up to the ceiling. She is able to reach even the highest shelf in the wall cabinet using the SPACE STEP.

Extra storage within the low drawer

Barbara has solved two challenges with one solution by installing the toe kick step with an integrated drawer. The kitchen has been outfitted with cabinets that reach up to the ceiling. As she's 5 ft 5 inches tall, she wouldn't have been able to reach the top shelves without a step stool. But thanks to SPACE STEP, she has easy access to all storage items.

What's more, the low drawer provides extra storage for kitchen items in the otherwise unused space behind the toe kick. And the step has yet another advantage: the sports enthusiast does a 7-minute workout every day at home using the SPACE STEP for one of her exercises. "It makes my workouts more interesting, although the toe kick step probably wasn't intended for exercising," adds Barbara with a wink.

A woman with dark hair opening the storage space in the SPACE STEP in the cabinet toe kick of a kitchen

SPACE STEP turns the cabinet toe kick into extra storage space.

Story 3: Ergonomic and age friendly

When Ingeborg and Günther's children moved out, they decided to downsize. "Thankfully, we're still quite fit for our age," says 78-year-old Günther. "But when we moved to our new apartment, we thought about the future and wanted all the furnishings to be suitable for our needs in old age," he adds, explaining their thinking.

The apartment is in a central location, is accessible and has an ergonomic design. "We moved from a house to an apartment, so it was important to me to lose as little storage space as possible," chimes in Ingeborg. The 690 square foot apartment has been outfitted with cabinets that extend up to the ceiling. The couple uses Blum's SPACE STEP toe kick solution in the kitchen, bedroom and hallway. 

An older woman standing on the SPACE STEP as she takes dishes out of a wall cabinet and hands them to an older man

"I'm not particularly tall and so I've always had problems reaching the top shelves of wall cabinets. Not any more thanks to SPACE STEP," says the 76-year-old.

Electrical opening support system

Kitchen cabinets are used daily, so it is important that they are easy to open and close—with or without a handle. That's why Ingeborg and Günther also opted to use Blum's electrical opening support system for both the lift systems and drawers in their kitchen. "That might sound a bit luxurious, but it could make all the difference in a few years' time. It'll enable us to use our own kitchen when we grow old," says forward-thinking Günther.

The electrical and mechanical opening support systems allow you to open drawers with your hip, knee or foot. A light touch is enough—no hands needed and no bending down.

All SPACE STEP advantages at a glance:

  • Can be created with all box and runner systems from Blum

  • Can be combined with an electrical or mechanical opening support system

  • Choice of different toe kick options makes for easy planning

  • Toe kick heights from 150 mm (5-7/8") to 250 mm (9-13/16") are possible

  • Creates additional storage behind the toe kick of cabinets

  • Retractable step provides easy access to wall cabinets

  • Activated by a weight of 18 pounds, the anti-slip system securely locks the step platform in position

  • Step surface can support up to 330 pounds

Got a question or ideas you want to share?

We'd love to hear from you!
Karen Smith
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Low drawer, high reach: step up your storage with SPACE STEP | Blum Inspirations