The kitchen is an important cog in the machine that is your home – if the kitchen is cluttered, rusty and disorganized, you’ll quickly feel like you can’t get anything done. 

So the goal for today is to create an organized and functional kitchen you can rely on. One where you can find what you need, without unnecessary clutter, and made with function over form in mind – but not forgetting the form, obviously. 

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. – Carol Burnett

Optimize your storage

Optimizing your storage makes a huge difference. Source: GHK
Optimizing your storage makes a huge difference. Source: GHK

Optimizing your storage is a great first step that virtually costs nothing, but what exactly does that entail?

The idea is to make your storage as functional and clutter-free as possible, meaning things should be easy to find, easily accessible, and anything that’s just taking up precious space should be taken away.

This practice will make it much easier to measure exactly how much space you have to work with, which in turn, makes organizing much easier overall.

Use containers to group together items of the same nature. It simplifies your shelves into small sections that are easier to manage!

Hide unnecessary appliances

Appliances can take up a lot of space. Source: House Beautiful
Appliances can take up a lot of space. Source: House Beautiful

We all need appliances in the kitchen, that much is true, but with how big and bulky they are and with how many wires can get tangled invading your working area, it can be messy.

It’s OK to have a place for your most used appliances (like a toaster or a coffee maker you use every day), but for others, it’s better to take them out when you need them and store away when you don’t. This also prevents accidents caused by the clutter, where you bump into a blender and drop it on the floor, for example.

Organize the garbage

Garbage bins are great additions to your kitchen. Source: DigsDigs
Garbage bins are great additions to your kitchen. Source: DigsDigs

Properly separated trash bins are superb for a healthy kitchen. It’s better for environmental reasons, as you can easily separate organics from other materials, but also for better efficiency with bags. A smaller separate organic bin makes it easier to clean when you need to, without having to use up an entire bag that wasn’t even half full.

These drawer bins are great for optimizing your space, but you can also simply invest in smaller bins for a strategic corner, as long as you have one for each kind of trash.

Open shelves

Open shelves are great for a simpler time in the kitchen. Source: The Spruce
Open shelves are great for a simpler time in the kitchen. Source: The Spruce

We’ve talked about open shelves before and for a good reason! While cabinets certainly have their place in the kitchen, open shelves can help you reduce clutter and make things more visible and accessible.

The thing about cabinets is that it’s easy to fill them with stuff you don’t need or even use – it won’t bother you because you never see it when the doors are closed. Open shelves however force you to only display what you actually use, which is great for a more practical kitchen!

Label stuff

Labeling stuff is fun! Source: Architecture Art Design
Labeling stuff is fun! Source: Architecture Art Design

Organization buffs will have no problem seeing why this is amazing, but let’s break it down: spices come in a variety of containers, and it can make a mess of your kitchen, what with all the different sizes and similar looking spices. 

It’s much better (and satisfying) to invest in a collection of spice containers and label each one. Now you can place them all in a row in one place and always find what you need at a glance. 

Set up your cooking place

Don’t forget setting up a place to cook! Source: Country Living
Don’t forget setting up a place to cook! Source: Country Living

Every kitchen needs a prep area. If you have a kitchen island, then you’re basically all set – you have to do is make sure it’s clean and that the things you’ll use are within reach.

If you have a smaller kitchen however, you can improvise. A small section next to the oven should be enough, but you can also open a drawer and place a cutting board over it to make some quick extra room to put things on. 

But hey, need some extra room in your kitchen? Check out some budget ideas!

Need more help with a kitchen project? Talk to a kitchen expert today and get free quotes in your area!


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