One of the most common mistakes people make in their kitchens is aiming to have all the useful things they use close to hand. This just leads to cramped worktops that make both cooking and cleaning more difficult. They’re not very useful ‘work’ tops if you have to clear them before using them!
What actually helps in the kitchen is seeing where everything is stored and having clear surfaces to use.
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"It may seem like a contradiction, but you don't need to aim for simplicity in the kitchen. What matters is the ability to be able to see where everything is stored" - Marie Kondo
Decluttering and organising kitchens is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work, as it instantly transforms how my clients enjoy their kitchens. A well-organised kitchen makes meal planning and cooking easier and more enjoyable, and will also save you money and look great. What's not to love about that? Here are some of my favourite pantry and kitchen storage ideas.
There's no sense in organising things you don't need, use, or that don't belong in the kitchen. The first step to a tidy kitchen is decluttering and removing unnecessary items.
Unopened, in-date food can be donated to your local food bank and charity shops usually welcome spare plates, mugs or kitchen equipment.
Decluttering your kitchen can be a daunting task so take a look at my step by step guide to decluttering your kitchen using the Marie Kondo method.
Once you've decluttered, the fun part begins - organising your kitchen to suit how you and your family use the space.
2. Create zones in your kitchen
Consider where you store things in your kitchen and whether that fits with the natural flow of how you use your kitchen. I use Post-it notes to plan out where to put things as it’s much easier to move these rather than pack and unpack cupboards whilst I figure things out!
- Put crockery and cutlery close to the dishwasher and out of the way of the cooking zone. This allows other people to set the table without getting in the way of whoever's cooking.
- Group all your breakfast items together in one cupboard to make the morning rush easier.
- Store things you don’t use regularly in harder-to-reach places (high up or the back of corner cabinets)
- Create a coffee station with tea, coffee, mugs and the kettle close together.
- Store all the baking ingredients and equipment together.
3. Kitchen cupboard organisation - make use of height in your kitchen
A quick win in most kitchens is to move the cupboard shelves around and use shelf risers to divide taller spaces. If you didn’t do this when you moved into your home take 5 minutes to see if this makes a difference – you’ll be surprised how much more you’ll fit in with ‘bespoke’ shelf positioning that fits your stuff.
Make space for taller items to fit
Move shelves down so you can easily reach the items that you use every day.
Store frequently used items on lower shelves, leaving less used glassware for higher up.
4. Use vertical storage in your kitchen wherever you can
Storing items vertically is a great way to maximise the storage in your kitchen and make things more accessible. This can work for baking trays and pans, tea towels, food packets and even your vegetables! You’ll be able to see exactly what you have which means you'll be more likely to use it.
The back of pantry doors can also offer useful storage for herbs and small jars.
If you struggle to work out the best way to store baking pans, trays and saucepans take a look at this video - I'm a big fan of these pan organisers which you can buy from my Amazon store.
5. Pantry baskets and containers are functional and stylish
One of my favourite tips for organising kitchen cabinets is to use baskets to keep small items like snacks, crisps and packets together. This doesn't just look attractive, it often takes up less space than the original packaging. Plus, keeping everything in one place, prevents items from being scattered across the shelves, making it easier to see what you have so you know when to restock.
If you keep your rice and pasta in their original packets, it’s a good idea to store all the packets together in a container. That way, if a packet splits, the mess will be contained in the tub rather than spilling out into your cupboard.
I also use tubs or baskets to organise bottles, travel mugs, food processor attachments and baking utensils. This allows you to pull out and grab what you need without everything falling over – especially helpful for deep cupboards or those pull-out 'kidney shaped" kitchen carousels.
6. Use storage carousels for corners
Pantry turntables are great for making the best use of space in corner cabinets, as they make it easier to access items stored right at the back of the cabinet. However, I tend to avoid using them on regular pantry shelves as you can usually fit more items directly on the shelf than on a carousel.
7. Is decanting dry ingredients worth the effort?
Instagram is full of stunning photos of perfectly organised larders, with food decanted into labelled jars. While this looks great—removing packaging clutter so you can easily see what you have—it does require effort to maintain.
Choosing the right containers can save space compared to the original packaging. I prefer to use square-based jars over round ones because they make better use of shelf space.
Decanting also allows you to easily monitor how much of an item you have left, reminding you to restock when needed. But there is a chance that you'll have something left in the packet after you've filled the container so you need a plan of what to do with the leftovers - I keep the 'spares' in a basket at the bottom of my pantry.
Before investing in new storage containers, test your new kitchen system using boxes, baskets or Tupperware you already have. If you decide to upgrade your storage, take a look at some of my favourite containers, like OXO Pop storage, glass with bamboo lids or clear plastic iDesign tubs available through my Amazon store (I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you).
8. Use labels to maintain your organisation
Labelling is a great way to ensure that your new organisation system has a chance to work in a busy household as it (may) encourage people to put things where the label says they should go (it can be a temporary fix until people get used to the system.
If you are investing in printed labels for storage jars use generic names (pasta rather than tagliatelle/penne, biscuits etc) it allows you to switch contents around without too much hassle - my labels were from Print Tailors on Etsy.
Lids on or lids off - how do you store your plastic containers?
I'm often asked this question and whilst it's a personal preference I prefer to stack my tubs and keep the lids separate.
Organising your kitchen doesn't stop with your pantry cupboards, there's nothing more satisfying than opening up an organised fridge.
An organised fridge doesn’t just look great, it will help you eat more healthily and will save you money and cut down on food waste. Want to know more? Take a look at my Fridge organising tips that Marie Kondo would approve of.
Kitchen Maintenance – Things To Do Each Day
Now that you've got your kitchen organised and looking great let's make sure that you keep it that way!
Wipe down surfaces or clean the kitchen sink whilst the kettle is boiling so it doesn’t become an additional task.
Put things away as soon as you’ve used them – it takes less than a minute and will prevent a bigger tidying up task later on.
Do an evening reset before bedtime – 10 minutes spent tidying up the kitchen, popping the dishwasher on and wiping down surfaces means that you’ll start the next day with breakfast and coffee in a clean and organised kitchen.
Take this opportunity to remove anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen – the hub of the home can easily become the catch all place for items on their way somewhere. A quick look at my kitchen found parcels to be posted, letters and suntan lotion. It’s a good idea to have a small basket to collect these things in and redistribute the items to their ‘homes’ at the end of each day (or week if that’s a better fit for you). Take the basket of things that don’t belong in the kitchen and rehome them elsewhere in the house.
I’m Sue, a professional home organiser and Master KonMari Consultant based in Hampshire.
I trained with Marie Kondo & the KonMari team to help busy people declutter, organise & simplify their homes so they can get on with the important job of enjoying life.
m: 07740 782575
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