Spring is in the air at last! Like most of us your thoughts are probably turning to spring cleaning and getting your kitchen organized.
Your kitchen should make it easier to store, cook and clean up – not harder. If you find yourself moving things to get at other things (especially in pantries) or worst of all taking things out of cupboards and stacking them nearby, then it’s time for a rethink on your storage.
I’ll assume you follow the golden rule of decluttering: if you haven’t used it in more than a year, then it’s time to get rid of it. But if you use everything you have, the solution may lie in better storage.
Kitchen Organization Ideas that Work
Here are some time tested ideas our clients love. They’re not only practical, they look great too.
1. Pull Out Drawers Work for Everything
From small items to large, pull out drawers make our lives easier. Put spices in drawers near your prep area, and put large pots in cabinets near the stove, a common tactic in spice kitchen designs. Not only are pull out drawers time savers, they’re back savers too: you’ll avoid the reach-and-lift that can be difficult or damaging as we age, especially for large, heavy pots.
2. Use Corner Cabinets
Put potentially awkward corners to good use with half moon shelves that are a clever update on the lazy susan idea. The shelves slide out to display everything you’re storing in the cabinet.
3. Play Peek a Boo with Small Appliances
If there are some appliances you use too often to store away, but you want them to be invisible when you’re cooking a meal, try a peek a boo shelf. You can tap them with your finger, and they open up to reveal appliances that are ready to go. These work best when there’s an electrical outlet inside the cabinet so you don’t have to move the appliance to use it. LED lighting that turns on automatically when the cabinet opens makes it easy to see what’s inside.
4. Show and Tell: Display Your Favourites
Glass-fronted cabinets and even open shelving has been popular in the last year in design magazines. But do you really want to spend all your free time polishing pots and making sure your ingredients are beautifully staged? Compromise with a combination of visually open and closed cabinets, and display only your most cherished items.
5. Use Racks and Dividers for Thin Items
For cookie sheets, trays and even plates, install rails to there’s a slot for each item. This prevents stacks from toppling over when you reach for an item.
6. Use an Island
An island is more than a place to put your sink, they present a lot of wonderful storage opportunities too. If you like to entertain, try storing your wine in a chic glass cabinet like this one.
7. Keep the Area Under the Sink Clean…Then Put it To Work
Of all kitchen spaces, the area under the sink is one of the most poorly used. It’s often where garbage is stored, so if that’s not well contained it can get dirty too. But when garbage and recycling is kept in its place, a rack for cleaning supplies can be the icing on the cake.
Make Your Kitchen Work With You, Not Against You
It’s amazing how much time and aggravation the right storage can save you. When your kitchen is organized, you’ll find you enjoy cooking more, and spending more time on the fun part: enjoying your meal.
Interested in looking at some other organization solutions? We provide an incredible variety of ways to turn even the smallest space into a handy storage area.
