Get Inspired by Deborah von Donop's Strategies for a Kitchen That’s Functional and Beautiful.
Let's Get Organized!
Create a perfectly organized pantry.
No matter what size your kitchen is, staying organized can be challenging. Whether you're navigating tiny cabinets, narrow drawers, or just a small space, there will be something here that will help you maximize storage and reduce the clutter.
How To Organize My Kitchen: Smart Storage Hacks That People Swear By
Since January is National Organization Month, let’s celebrate new beginnings and focus on removing clutter from our homes one area at a time to help increase our productivity and create a peaceful environment and happiness at home.
If you’re looking for ways to declutter, then try these smart storage solutions to transform your kitchen. I have some great tools and tips for you to get your kitchen organized and working for you, big or small, don’t worry. Today’s post features easy ways to organize and design your kitchen.
If you’re interested in some other posts about kitchen design tips, you will enjoy reading the following posts:
See my post “no-fail” paint colors for your kitchen: “Paint Colors For Kitchen Cabinets You Will Love”
Our 2-Hour Virtual Kitchen Design Consultations are affordable solutions from an expert while managing your own renovation.
Best Kitchen Storage Ideas for New and Existing Kitchens
The organization of one area or workspace is the key to getting the most out of one's kitchen; These ideas and resources will enable you to create an original solution for your new or existing space to use best with what you already have.
The Pantry:
For Existing and New Kitchens, we see the kitchen “Pantry” becoming more and more important in the kitchen. The ideal arrangement is to have two pantries and maybe even additional refrigerated storage for a kitchen.
You might want a kitchen pantry filled with neatly arranged and labeled glass containers to hold all your dry goods, but you must sort and organize to create an orderly, functional pantry space.
The ultimate dish pantry via Heather Bullard.
These days, the frequency of cooking and how we purchase groceries has forced us to rethink how we organize and the best food storage options. We are thinking more about how to maximize the efficiency of the kitchen with all of its extra use. during our “shelter in place” period and going forward.
Expect to see more orderly kitchen storage, larger pantries, and specialty appliances, such as bread machines, larders, additional cold storage, and cold-brew coffee machines, that help amateur chefs achieve restaurant-style results at home. I love having an organized, stocked pantry, especially when feeding my family of 5, and the thought of going to the market after work, or a full day of running around, is not always an option.
For me, the best part of having a stocked pantry is when I find myself researching recipes to make for the week, only to discover I already have most of the ingredients on hand!
Above: This is our Happy Cabinet design for a client in Rye, NY.
This client has a pantry but we included this second pantry in the kitchen or our client to house her coffee station, serving dishes, and entertaining supplies in addition to easy-to-reach snacks for kids. You may have seen it in my Rye Project Reveal last week. This couple entertains often, especially in the summer, during holidays, and when the kids come home. This mamma loves to prepare and cook for her family, so pantry storage was one of the driving design factors in the planning of this kitchen.
Not all kitchens are blessed with space for a dedicated pantry (or two), so the organization of kitchen cabinetry is the key to maximizing your space. Whatever the size of your kitchen, good food storage is important. With the right accessories and a little time spent organizing, you can change the way your kitchen works for you.
3 Tips for the best pantry storage :
Make sure it’s easy to access
Everything is visible at a glance
Ideally, your pantry is located near your prep area
Having a pantry or two is great for renovations or new builds, but what if you don’t have space for walk-in pantries?
How do I start in creating an organized kitchen, with optimized storage space in my small kitchen?
Here are my top tips and resources for creating the best storage solutions for your kitchen.
Take a look at these other solutions for great storage.
See great shelving resources like this set below ……
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Clean it out
Organizing your pantry and/or cabinets will go a long way to making meal prep faster and easier. Like most organizing projects, sometimes it takes a little push to get started. But once you begin the effort, oh how good it feels. From cluttered countertops to overflowing junk drawers, its time to clear a few things out.
Empty all the items out of your cabinet and clean your cabinet with a good product to remove dust and such. Check all the dates: you may be surprised to find that jar of tomatoes is 2 years past expiration!
Get rid of seldom-used cookbooks and appliances take up space and aren't always worth keeping! We all have lots of those, and we don’t really need them.
Sort through your utensils, spatulas, and gadgets, and remove all of the ones you're not regularly using. Minimize the collection to only the tools you use every day. All others can be hidden away.
If you have shelving, make sure you have coordinated items on display. If it is packed, then shelving is probably not the best type of storage for you. Remove seldom used or mismatched items. Having them on display takes away from your kitchen’s aesthetics.
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Glass Storage Jars
Just because items are stored behind closed doors doesn't mean they should be housed in unsightly containers and lack organization. Select and fill containers. I like to put some of my pantry essentials in tall glass jars, so I can see the content, without them sitting in plastic with any potential chemicals seeping in over the months of storage. Just a few moments of your time to clean, contain, and add labels can yield easy access to the items stored in your pantry. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment.
I like to use any of these glass containers for $12 each, containerstore.com. or here on Amazon
More Storage organizing IDEAS
Modern Pantry Labels
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Organize the little things
Put a label on it! If you are going to have your pantry items in glass jars, then consider beautiful, easy to read labels. You can print them yourself or buy them on Etsy from some pretty clever graphic designers.
I just love these Modern Pantry Labels • Available on ETSY, Customization Available • Durable, Water & Oil Resistant • Square or Round, they fit most Mason Jars
or here: Modern spice labels - shown are the 1.8″ square labels
Here are three options for clear acrylic shelving for your pantry: iDesign which is great, or this one or this Clear acrylic spice rack.
Spice jars with bamboo lid (also here) I bought the 3 oz. size
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Organize like items together
Pantry Storage is growing. There are more uses for the main and/or secondary pantry, as dishes have moved from overhead cabinets to pull-out drawers. I like to group items by type for easy access. I place canned goods, different kinds of vinegar, oils, preserves, and jams on one shelf. This cuts down on search time when I am cooking.
READ MORE
Read these related posts to learn more…
Get Inspired By Deborah’s Strategies for a Kitchen That Is functional and Beautiful. Check out my resources and suggestions for getting organized in the kitchen.
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5 Kitchen Remodeling Tips and a Guide. Planning a kitchen renovation? Our kitchen downloads will help guide you through the process. From kitchen appliances to selecting contractors.My downloadable kitchen remodeling checklists and templates are a great place to learn how to organize the process so you can manage your own remodeling project.
I like to use turntables, using them for smaller items that I can easily see with a quick spin. Note the white double doors that match the kitchen’s style and hide the collection of dry goods.
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Pull-out shelves and drawers are the best accessories for kitchen storage and are easy on the back.
Traditional shelves can be replaced with sliding drawers/shelves for easier access.
Pull-out drawers in base cabinets and shelving in your pantry offer great storage and access. You don’t have to have a new kitchen, or a custom kitchen to have pullout shelving and smart storage accessories. The best part about these is they can be installed into your existing cabinetry!
Like this one from Costco that is easy to install and aesthetically very attractive. This makes the kitchen work better for you, saving time you would’ve spent searching through your lower cabinets for something - not to mention saving your back! These oversized shelves are stylish too. Pots live on the bottom and without having to deal with doors or sides of cabinets you can pull out your go-to scrambled eggs pan without any obstacles.
Here’s another pull out shelf basket unit available on Amazon.
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Baskets and Trays
Wicker baskets and trays are a great accent to any kitchen decor. Baskets are available in both free-standing and pull-out models, perfect for dry storage like onions, potatoes, and other root vegetables. One of my favorite baskets is by Hafele, with the wicker woven over solid beech wood frames.
Visit My Kitchen Shop on Amazon for more Kitchen Essentials
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Maximize Your Kitchen Storage: The “corner cabinet “
Fill your corner, and design it so you can see everything. A Corner Storage system can be added to new and existing kitchen cabinets. Sometimes, we will even install lighting so you can see what you have.
This is the bomb!
Hafele 548 Magic Corner II Base Corner Unit System Frame for Left Hand Swinging Door
via BUILD.com
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Add Shelving
Shelving at work areas is a great way to put common objects within reach while you are working. Try not to create too much clutter and consider grouping like items and colors together for added aesthetics.
Where do you find shelving for your kitchen? There aren’t as many choices as custom, but I did find this one on Amazon. It’s perfect for a farmhouse kitchen or coastal cottage.
Galls and Brass Series
Brass shelf in wood or glass : shown 65” x 72” H x 16” D
I do have some beautiful shelving units available to the trade, and my favorite picks are here. If you see anything that you like, I can send you a quote. Get in touch at dvd2design@gmail.
Custom Shelving With Glass:
Metal Finish: Brass, Shelf available in Wood or Glass, Size Made to any size
For pricing on your size: email me dvd2design@gmail
Bonus Tip:
Organize your drawers!
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase something, I may receive a small commission from the vendor at no cost to you. I only share things that I love and hope you will too!
Recap: Best Storage Solutions for Your Kitchen
Clean it out.
Glass storage jars
Organize like items together
Organize times with easy-to-read labels.
Add pull-out shelves to your lower cabinets and pantry shelves.
Use baskets and trays to organize your items
Maximize corner storage
Add shelving to display cherished kitchen plates, trays, and objects, and increase your storage.
Use the back of a door. Fitting narrow shelves on the back of a door is a great way to add pantry storage. This is particularly great for small items like spices, oils, and teas.
BONUS: Add organizing inserts into your drawers
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Get Inspired by Deborah von Donop’s Strategies for a Kitchen That Is Functional and Beautiful
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