Cluttered kitchen cabinets, a jam-packed pantry, crowded countertops—if your kitchen feels too stuffed to fit another jar of everything bagel seasoning, you need some genius kitchen storage ideas to help you make the most of every inch of space.
Start your reorganization by taking stock of what you have. Pull everything out of your kitchen cupboards and winnow down your kitchen gear where you can—expired spices, snack containers without lids, duplicates, things that are broken or missing parts, and rarely-used small appliances are some good places to start cutting back.
Then, try a few of these genius kitchen cabinet storage ideas from professional organizers and cookbook authors to help you streamline what you’re keeping and make your kitchen organization work for you.
Use Your Kitchen Space Wisely
Tiny kitchen? Be selective about what you buy in bulk. “A five-pound bag of coffee makes sense because you drink it every morning, but a 10-pound bag of rice doesn’t,” says Andrew Mellen, New York City–based organizer and author of Unstuff Your Life! ”Focus on carving out room in your cabinets. Boxed items are filled with air, so you can fit more of those products on shelves if you decant into sealable square canisters. To optimize your small kitchen organization, move mixing bowls, measuring cups, and other kitchen tools off the shelves and into a cart that can act as a food-prep zone. Last, collect loose items—tea bags, snack packs—in clear, stackable bins to keep them from cluttering up your space.”
Declutter the Countertops
“If your kitchen counters are always a mess, you probably have more stuff than space for it. Over the course of a week, take notice of what’s cluttering the counter, and give those items a home. Do you need a mounted organizer for mail that piles up? A basket for schoolwork your kids hand you right before dinner? Smarter assigned spots for miscellaneous pieces coming out of the dishwasher? Once you have those solutions, upkeep is easy if you do it regularly. Every night before bed, do a quick scan of the counter and put away any items that don’t belong.” —Erin Rooney Doland, an organizer in Washington, D.C., and the author of Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter.
Prioritize Kitchen Items
“No question about it: A small kitchen forces you to prioritize. First thing to do is eliminate duplicates. (Do you really need three colanders?) Then think about what absolutely must be in the kitchen and what can go somewhere else. Some of my clients keep roasting pans and lesser-used casserole dishes in the front-hall closet, and plates, silverware, and wine glasses in a sideboard in the dining area or the living room.” And institute a ‘one in, one out’ policy, so you keep clutter creep at bay. — Lisa Zaslow, New York City–based organizer
Create Kitchen Storage Zones
Place kitchen items used for cooking and food preparation in cabinets near the stove and work surfaces; those for eating should be closer to the sink, refrigerator, and dishwasher. And put ingredients near where they’re used—put the basket of potatoes near the cutting board; sugar and flour near the stand mixer.
Find Creative Ways to Store
Look for creative ways to solve two problems at once—like an artful trivet that can be wall decor, then taken down for use for hot pans when you need them. “Only showcase things you find both beautiful and functional—that is, things you want to look at that also serve a purpose!” —Sonja Overhiser, food blogger at A Couple Cooks
Go Vertical
“If you have to inch out items gingerly to avoid an avalanche, it’s tough to keep cabinets neat. A smarter solution is to turn all the cookie sheets, cooling racks, and muffin tins 90 degrees and store them vertically, like books. You’ll be able to pull one out easily without shifting the others. Reconfigure the shelves if you need more room. And keep in mind: Like books need bookends, you’ll need to hold these items in place with dividers.” —Lisa Zaslow, New York City–based organizer\
Personalize Your Command Center
“When considering what to store in the kitchen command center, think about what your family needs to accomplish in this space, then keep only the items that are relevant there. Most people use a command center like a satellite home office to organize bills and mail, plus the kids’ schedules and homework. In that case, you need a shredder, a recycling bin, pens, envelopes, and stamps, plus a message board. Because people tend to drop mail or odds and ends on the desk, I have clients set up in-boxes or cubbies for each family member, just like employees have in an office.” —Erin Rooney Doland
Contain the Clutter
To keep clutter from spreading, use the tray method—corral everything that’s on your counters in it. Mail tends to be the biggest offender. “If you have a hard time keeping mail from piling up, first deal with the discards off the bat. A recycling bin in the kitchen or the garage is the best solution for immediately tossing junk—flyers and unwanted catalogs.
Organize Your Gadgets
“It’s tricky to keep a gadget drawer orderly when the contents are vastly different shapes and sizes, so I like to add an expandable insert with adjustable compartments. First give yourself more drawer space by pulling out long tools, like tongs and spatulas. Those can live in a crock on the counter. Mount a magnetic knife strip on the wall to corral sharp tools (pizza cutter, cheese slicer), and store knives in a slim holder on a countertop. Then fill the insert strategically: gadgets you use the most in front and the rest in back.” —Lisa Zaslow
Maximize the Space
“Once you’ve streamlined, it’s time to maximize the space you have. Often overlooked is the wall area between counters and cabinets; put it to work by mounting a knife strip there, or a towel rod. If you have super-high cabinets, buy a skinny step stool that folds flat. Slip it under the sink or in the crack next to the refrigerator so you can utilize upper areas.” —Lisa Zaslow
Make it Easy to reach the items in the back
Lazy susans, bins and sliding cabinet drawers can all make it easier to see—and grab—items stored deep inside cabinets. Install them to make it easy to utilize every inch of kitchen cabinet storage.
Post time: Apr-02-2021
