Kitchens are one of the most used spaces in our homes and are often filled with unsightly clutter. Take a look at how you can reorganize to maximize space while making things more functional.
Start With Your Cupboards
Cupboard space is often limited in the kitchen, considering the average size is only about 10x10ft and much of the space is taken up by appliances. Having well organized cupboards will help you maximize your space.
- The first step in any organization project is to remove everything in said space and sort it. When it comes to kitchens, we are almost all guilty of having too much. Take everything out of your cabinets, pitch anything that’s expired or broken or that you haven’t used in the last year and then sort it by type. This will help you better determine how you want to organize things.
- Get a handle on your Tupperware by investing in a lid organizer caddy. There’s nothing more annoying, or space hogging, than a pile of unruly Tupperware lids. While you’re at it, make sure to do a quick match up. If you have lids with no containers, or vice versa, toss them.
- Add rollout shelves to your lower cupboards or tall pantry cabinets for ease of access to canned and dry goods. Adding such shelving allows you to maximize the vertical space in your lower cupboards making room to store more items, such as pots and pans or Tupperware.
- While we’re talking about vertical space, one often overlooked hack is to store baking sheets and pans on their side. They often fit perfectly this way in lower cabinets and you’ll recoup prime real estate for bulky items like a box of spices.
- Design an appliance garage for your small appliances. Items such as crock pots, coffee makers, blenders, and toasters take up a lot of room on countertops and if you don’t use them everyday, they shouldn’t be sitting out. But, they also take up a lot of space in cupboards so having a designated spot to house them is ideal. Bonus if you can create a space that allows you to simply plug it in and use it right where it is.
- Don’t neglect the space under your kitchen sink. To organize this space, invest in some standing metal file organizers. They accommodate cleaning supplies nicely and fit perfectly side by side or two deep in one of the most neglected spaces in our kitchens.
- Put a lid on it, or in it. Those metal file organizers are also handy for storing lids for pans or Tupperware and can be used to store cutting boards or small baking sheets.
- Invest in uniform storage containers. Cereal, baking supplies, and other dry goods, such as crackers or oats, can be transferred to airtight, stacking storage containers to tidy up the space and extend their shelf life.
- Utilize the inside of your cabinet doors. You can add spice racks or a shallow shelf for household items like tin foil and plastic wrap to the inside of your cabinet doors to further maximize cupboard space.
- Move your pans. Pots and pans take up an obscene amount of space in our cabinets and there’s not really any good way to organize them. If you can, install a hanging rack!
Tackle Your Drawers
For most people, it’s out of sight, out of mind when it comes to kitchen drawers. If you’re tired of your potato masher preventing you from opening that one drawer, take a look at these tips.
- Use dividers to maximize space and tidy up your kitchen drawers. There’s no shortage of kitchen drawer organization tools available but just like with cupboards, you’ll need to empty, purge, and organize before you know what you need.
- Pool noodle to the rescue! Tired of your silverware container sliding to the back of your drawer all the time? Cut a pool noodle to size and stick it behind the tray to keep it in place.
- Move your utensils. If you have minimal drawer space, a quick and easy DIY tip is to install an under-the-cupboard utensil holder. Take to Pinterest for ideas or purchase one online. You’ll thank yourself.
- Try to avoid having a junk drawer. This one is tricky but if you can, use a basket and put it under your sink to free up prime drawer space.
Free Up Your Counter Space
Counter space, like cupboard space, is prime and limited real estate in kitchens. While you can’t increase the space easily, you can organize it more effectively.
- That appliance garage we talked about earlier is one way to do this. Another method is to store items that are bulky but infrequently used on a shelf somewhere else. Nesco? Store it in the garage or basement. Crockpots? That cupboard above your refrigerator is a great place for that.
- Add floating shelves. If you have unused wall space (let’s face it, who actually uses wall space purposefully), consider hanging some shelving to display dishes, small appliances, or vases. Just make sure they’re sturdy and can withstand the weight of the items.
- Make better use of the kitchen island, if you have one. If you have an island but nobody ever sits at it, that space is just wasted. Add a bookshelf under the overhang and use it to store small appliances or cookbooks. It’s genius, really.
No matter the size of your kitchen, we can all use a little help making the best use of our space. There’s endless possibilities, so find what works for you and get on with it!