Kitchens vary greatly in size depending on your living situation. In large kitchens, there is often cabinet space or other space that is not maximized for optimal storage; in a small kitchen, simply finding enough room to keep all your items can be a challenge. There are efficient ways to make sure every square inch of your kitchen is put to use to make your life easier. Here are some of our favorite kitchen organization and storage tips.

kitchen organization

Step one: Declutter
Over the years, you may collect accessories or items that you find you never use. The first step to creating a more organized kitchen is to go through all your drawers and get rid of anything that is no longer used or useful in your home. You’ll likely find that this task alone frees up a good amount of space.

Step two: Kitchen Cabinet Maximization
Each of us has been guilty of just shoving Tupperware or other items into cabinets wherever they fit. Make a habit of routinely going through your cabinets to re-stack dishes and get rid of old containers. Many tupperware sets these days have lids and containers that snap together so that they can be neatly stacked without toppling over. There are also pull-out racks that can be installed in minutes–no more will you need to crawl halfway into your cabinet to reach items in the back!

Cabinets are often a bit too tall to be practical. You may stack your dishes as high as you’re comfortable with, but still have 5 to 10 inches of space left above them. If you find that your cabinets have unused space, you can purchase shelves to hang that add extra storage space.

Step Three: Optimize Ease-of-Access
No one enjoys rooting around and knocking items over while trying to reach the back of a shelf. Pull-out shelves or miniature lazy-susans are easily bought and quickly installed to make your life a lot easier in the long run. They’re excellent for organizing your spices or for easily-accessible cleaning products stored underneath your sink.

Step Four: Compartmentalize Your Drawers
We all have a drawer or two where random items just end up. To combat the predictable messiness, run by your local dollar store and pick up small baskets. Use these to create separate compartments within your drawers so that your junk drawer can be turned into an organized chaos at the very least. Small baskets are so useful, you’ll likely find they become central to your kitchen organization.

Step Five: Kitchen Organization Revolves around Your Family’s Needs
While tips and tricks are a great starting point, ultimately you are the only one who knows what will work best for your home. Allow yourself to create a unique storage configuration that suits your needs. If you are a family of tea drinkers, maybe you need to devote an entire shelf or section of countertop for your tea accessories and prep area. If you love to entertain, a drawer or cabinet where you can store bulk items (napkins, straws, extra glassware) will go a long way. Heck, maybe you just love collecting mugs or oven mitts–in this case, find a cute way to display them and free up space for less-fun items in your cabinets.

If your kitchen organization plans include renovation or remodeling, your best call is to West Coast Design Build Florida. We are the Sarasota area’s kitchen and bathroom design experts – call today!