Room by Room - Organizing your Kitchen

The next room in the Room by Room collection is the Kitchen.

 

There are some really great ideas out there for organizing your kitchen. Some require no handy skills at all and others much more. First we will talk about quick installs that will, at most, require a screwdriver or a hammer.

 

Don't use valuable cupboard space for your pots. Install a hanging pot rack. This will help increase the amount of space you have for items that are less attractive to display.

 

 

If you have a kitchen with almost enough room to have a table and chairs, ditch the table with a pedestal and chairs. Opt for a high table that's main support is on the outside and use stools. This way you can place the stools under the table when it is not in use, providing you with more space to walk around and an additional work space.

 

 

Add additional shelving space in your cupboards. This does not have to be as tedious as it sounds. Many stores have prefabricated shelves that either stand up on or hang from your current shelves. They can be found at Dollar Stores, Ikea and many other places.

 

 

Don't assume you have to use space for the expected purpose. A lot of people put their cleaning supplies under the sink but if this is premium space opt to use it for you appliances.

 

Like with the bathroom, use vertical space. Add shelving to bare walls to optimize the amount of storage you have in the kitchen. Use these shelves to store your cookbooks and your nice kitchenware. You can also install magnet strips for knives to optimize this space.

 

 

 

Install rails that you can hang baskets and hooks off of. These can be another great place to store items that usually take up valuable cupboard and drawer space.

 

 

 

Get rid of the junk drawer because it only gives you reason not to find a place for everything. If you have odds and ends that you know you use but don't really have another place to go, get a small storage container and place everything in the box in an inconspicuous area.

 

Use the space on the inside of your cabinet. The possibilities are endless. Add hooks to hang measuring utensils and cake decorating tips and cutters. Install holders to hang your spices or a magazine holder for storing aluminum foil and cling wrap.

 

 

Place similar cupboard items in baskets and other storage containers. For items like spices, it makes it much easier to pull out and find the ones at the back.

 

 

Add storage baskets to your fridge. Do this by gluing magnets to your choice of storage basket and use them for items such as spices and cookie cutters.

 

 

 

Use a file divider to store large flat items, such as cutting boards, upright. Or use them to stack frying pans in an accessible way.

 

 

Now for the more handy projects.

 

Make your drawers more functional by using drawer dividers. You can build your own or buy premade ones.
 

 

Pegboard is not just for shops and retail stores. Buy a sheet of pegboard, screw a one inch frame to the back, paint it a vibrant colour and use it to hang your kitchen wares on.

 

 

There is nothing I hate more than the faux drawers in front of the sink. I have actually, on more than one occasion, gone to someone's house and tried to open them only to realize that they are in fact fake. This trick will let you use this space to hide away every day items and declutter your counters.
 

 

Create a rolling cabinet for the wasted space beside your appliances. Although you can build shelves to store food products, I am going to build one with a peg board back so that I can hang my Swiffer and broom in it. I am opting for peg board so that I have the freedom to rearrange it. When I do this project, I will be sure to post a DIY tutorial.

 

Share your kitchen ideas in the comments.