How to Organize Your Kitchen
Kitchen design is where form and function collide—
—and since it’s one of the places we spend the most time in our everyday lives, it’s important to find the perfect balance between the two. As the heart of the home, a well-organized kitchen can make or break the experience of cooking and eating and doing homework and paying bills and all the other things that go down on the bar stools. There is a lot that happens in the kitchen, and let’s face it, it’s easy to get unorganized quickly without the right tools and systems in place. Even with them, it’s key to maintain.
Although we’re not organizing experts, we have learned a few helpful tips and tricks about designing spaces that house the home-life routine over the years of working with our clients. Here, Shea shares her top ten favorite items, plus we share some of the best organizational practices and essentials for creating a kitchen space that’s just as beautiful as it is functional.
Tip No. 01 | Jars for Containing
Tip No. 02 | Baskets for Easy Access
Tip No. 03 | Crocks for Utensils
Tip No. 04 | Trays for Grouping
Tip No. 05 | Intentional Display
Tip No. 01 | Jars for Containing
We love using jars and canisters to display everyday ingredients or seasonal treats that have a unique hue or shape. The key here is choosing items that are pleasing to look at. You can style them anywhere from the pantry to your kitchen countertop to open shelving. Bonus: they’ll keep your dry ingredients fresher longer!
Tip No. 02 | Baskets for Easy Access
Use baskets like they’re a drawer. Choose ones with handles so you can easily slide them in and out, and place them together in sets across the bottom row of open shelving for a more uniform storage look.
Tip No. 03 | Crocks for Utensils
We love the look of a crock on a kitchen countertop. Vintage ones bring an element of time-worn tradition to your space, while ceramic or stoneware ones feel natural and organic. Inside your crock, store the utensils you use most often (not every single tool you’ve ever bought) for easy everyday access.
Tip No. 04 | Trays for Grouping
One of our favorite ways to bring form and function to the kitchen is by corralling our most-used kitchen objects on a tray. We love having olive oil, balsamic, honey, or sea salt next to the sink or stovetop. Styling fruit, garlic bulbs, or fresh herbs alongside them is a great way to add some color.
Tip No. 05 | Intentional Display
This is all about choosing to have open shelving in your main kitchen space. On the shelves, pick your prettiest platters and bowls and arrange them artfully to let useful kitchen objects become art. If you’re short on storage options, think about ways you can display the rarely used china or dinnerware you use only alfresco. One of the most important keys to a well-organized kitchen is knowing what to keep out and tuck away. It’s all about finding a balance between things that you both often use and want to display.
Tip No. 06 | Utilize Spaces
Think smartly about the shape of those funky side cabinets or bottom drawers and use them to store items that are similar shapes and sizes. A tall, narrow cabinet tucked into leftover space could be the perfect spot to store upright cutting boards or sheet pans.
Tip No. 07 | A Rolling Cart
The workhorse of a small kitchen has got to be a rolling cart. The key word is “rolling” as it’s essential that you can push it out of the way or to the corner of the kitchen (or to a whole new room if you’re entertaining) when it isn’t being utilized.
Tip No. 08 | An Essentials Shelf
If you’re taking on a kitchen remodel, think about ways to incorporate a shelf above your stove or sink in the design, this allows for easy access to everyday products when you’re in the middle of a meal. If you’re just wanting a refresh, hang a beautiful shelf between your stove and vent to store salt and pepper and oils.
Tip No. 09 | Hang it Up
Consider going vertical for items that are capable of being hung—aprons, pots and pans, measuring cups, brooms and dustpans, etc. A pot rack can be beautiful if styled right and a cute set of hooks can make an empty kitchen wall feel designed.
Tip No. 10 | Display Recipes
We love the idea of displaying some of your favorite recipes, or the ones most commonly used. You can do this a few different ways—in a beautiful box sitting on the countertop or if it’s a handwritten heirloom recipe, frame it and think of it as art for your kitchen walls.
