Getting organized at home is something that I am constantly striving for. I like to consider myself pretty organized, but I admit that if you open up some of our kitchen cabinets or drawers, the contents are in terrible disarray. I'm going to come clean and share that the below photo is the current state of one of my kitchen cabinets.
.jpg?width=600&name=20180309_141503%20(002).jpg)
Not too organized, right? Let's add this to my spring organization work! In the meantime, I've scoured the internet and picked my friends' brains for their best organizational solutions for kitchens:
Use Your Kitchen Cabinets Effectively
From what I can tell, using cabinet space (a-hem) more effectively is a wonderful organizational tool. Risers are especially helpful, as you can stack your tupperware, sports bottles, and dishes that can otherwise get cluttered. Prior to doing that work, of course, going through and recycling any items that don't have lids or bottoms is a great way to level the playing field. You can find inexpensive risers and cabinet trays that pull out (and are easily installed) and almost immediately feel a sense of accomplishment. Note to self: follow own advice ASAP.
Make Some Updates To Utilize Dead Space
Nowadays kitchens are designed with many useful components, but if you still have a corner cabinet where you store the "never to be used pasta pot" in the far corner, then you might want to consider updating your kitchen. Installing a lazy susan or corner drawers helps to organize your pots and pans and makes life a lot easier. Tabletop lazy susans can be used in your pantry as well to organize cans, spices, and many other pantry items that would otherwise be relegated to the far back. Another great idea is to better utilize the wall at the end of your cabinets. We have hooks installed for the kids' backpacks, but, you can also use that space for a hanging magazine rack to store cooking magazines or install a towel bar to hang more dish towels.
Kitchen Organization 101: Storing All The Spices
Spice storage is a hot topic these days. I can absolutely attest that my spices are stored helter skelter in a cabinet and I'd love to implement a better system. Some great ideas for better spice organization in the kitchen include:
-
Using a shoe organizer over the inside pantry drawer to store spices individually
-
Built-in spice drawers in cabinetry
-
Using a lazy susan in your pantry so you can use dead space (see above!)
-
Storing spices in or even ON the fridge with magnetic backs
-
Installing a slim spice shelf next to the refrigerator if you have that splice of space.
Organize Your Knives
As a parent, I have (for years) stored my knives lying on their sides on a cabinet shelf (I will not amuse you with a photo of this) so as to keep the kitchen childproofed. Since my children are older now, I could probably utilize a better way to store knives. Using a portion of the wall, you can install a magnetic rack for knives, as Martha Stewart demonstrates here. Another option would be an in drawer with a slotted organization system, allowing the knives to be safe but also keeps them from potentially dulling each other. Another note to self: fix knife storage issues.
Add Deep Drawers
Having had deep drawers at one point in time makes me long for those days. Several of my pots and pans have permanent residence in the oven. To that I say: I am truly sorry. If I had my druthers, I would absolutely have deep, wide drawers in my cabinets in which to store my pots and pans. Included in that, I would install a lid organization system, so there's never any fumbling about! Deep drawers (with risers!) would also be helpful with my (lack of) plasticware organization. Other ways to store pots and pans include hanging them from the ceiling or from hooks on walls (using dead space! See how this is all connected!?) or even hanging them on the wall at the end of your cabinets (again, see above!).
Organizational solutions abound when talking about kitchen organization. Clearly my kitchen and I have a lot of work ahead of us! Stay tuned this spring as we at Moss Building & Design share more tips, tricks and tried-and-true ways to keep your home organized. For today, take this away: making the best use of your space may take some tools and a bit of time, but it will be worth it.
If you'd like to speak with someone at Moss Building & Design about updating or organizing your kitchen or other parts of your home, please call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.
