Step up to the sink

We remodeled our kitchen when my daughter was 3 years old. She needed to be able to reach the sink, but we decided that a footstool would constantly be in the way. Instead, we came up with the idea of a pullout step under the sink.

The contractor used poplar for all the cabinets. For the step, he installed a shallow drawer upside down on side-mounted drawer slides rated to carry 75 lb. When my daughter outgrows the step, we plan to turn it over and use it as a regular drawer. My one caution would be that little feet should wear shoes when using the step to avoid bumped toes if the drawer slides.

Small dishwasher. This clever step allows little ones to reach the sink, and disappears when not in use.