Kitchen Organization Ideas for Homeowners of All Ages

Kitchen Organization Ideas for Homeowners of All Ages

Feel like there just isn’t enough space in your kitchen?  Yeah, we hear that alot.  You’ve come to the right place for kitchen organization ideas no matter what size kitchen you have.

There’s a few “big picture”, obvious organizational methods like purging what you don’t need or storing it elsewhere. But we’ve got some innovative ideas about things you can add and change in order to help you get organized in the kitchen!   

We’ve certainly got something for everyone in this kitchen storage and organization article!  Read on to find out what ideas might work for you!

Purge Underused Kitchen Items

Any solid kitchen organization effort is going to have to start with a purge. For some, saying goodbye to your precious Keuring is like giving up a pet, while others will happily rid themselves of their noisy Bullet.  

Probably the best example of an underused kitchen item is a plastic container; specifically all that extra tupperware. Unless they’re bought in a matching set, plastic containers are oddly shaped and sized making them difficult to fit neatly in your cabinets. Most likely, you have them piled up and ready to topple out as soon as you open that cabinet!
Get rid of what you don’t use! If you just can’t part with your beloved tupperware, use it for food storage. Pasta will stay fresher in an airtight tupperware container better than a thin plastic bag.

While we’re on the subject of purging, do not feel obligated to devote an entire cabinet to items you only use once or twice a year, such as feastware and serving platters. Pack ‘em up! Place them in a box or plastic container, and put them in a storage closet, or the garage.

Photo Courtesy of Ewan Roberts via Flickr

Toss Expired Food

Let’s look inside your fridge. Bet you there’s a few things hidden deep behind your milk carton or lettuce that’s growing fur. Take the time to clear out your fridge, shelf by shelf, and throw away all expired food or outdated leftovers.  Once you’ve emptied all that, wipe down the shelves themselves with cleanser or remove them to wash them in your sink. 
After you’ve washed the refrigerator shelves, strategically move your condiments, beverages, lunch meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, yogurts, salad dressings and whatever else you love (that’s not expired) back into the clean fridge. 

Same goes for your pantry. Generally, canned goods and assorted pantry items have long shelf lives. It’s great that you’ve stocked enough beans and rice to last you through the winter, but does it have to be stored in the pantry? We’re willing to bet that you won’t need more than a couple of cans to be accessible at any given time. Consider storing the excess cans in a different area of your home, perhaps a basement or unused utility closet. 

Organizational Racks, Bins and Shelves for your Kitchen

Now that you’ve downsized the tupperware and old food, it’s time to consolidate what you have left to maximize underutilized space.   

If you have a massive, wrap-around kitchen, then an island is a great way to take advantage of underused space. They add more counter space, and a lot more storage space as well.

Without an island, scan around your kitchen to determine where you could possibly add a rolling cart.  Rolling carts stand neatly against the end of your kitchen counters.  They’re also great for a makeshift bar space for guests.  Lastly you can store plates and dishes in them.

Replace Decor with Shelves

Did you go a little cray cray with the kitchen slogan signs? “Live Life with a Little Spice” or “This Kitchen is Seasoned with Love”?  Super cute, but occupying valuable real estate in a cluttered kitchen.  We recommend that you replace wall decor with simple shelves.  Open shelving is a hot trend in modern kitchens.  It’s an especially great option for collectors who can proudly display glassware, fancy china patterns, serving sets, salt and pepper shakers, vintage mugs or anything in between.   

If you really want to get utilitarian with the walls, consider getting a pegboard backsplash. This is a great option for renters because it can be removed in mere minutes. You simply add hooks to the pegboard for hanging utensils or dishware. 

Photo Courtesy of Fabrice Floran via Flickr

Stackable Racks and Utensil Trays

The best kitchen cabinet organization idea comes from stackable racks.You can find a decent set between $10 - $50 online. The racks help you find everything you're looking for much easier than if it were stuffed into the cabinet without rhyme or reason.  You can use stackable racks in your pantry too.  Sold in varying strengths, some stackable racks are strong enough for heavy, restaurant-grade plastic wrap. 

You can easily rework the shelves to your desired heights to accommodate cans or spices.  Sliding racks are also fantastic for deep cabinets, making everything easily accessible. 

You can’t help but laugh as we pull out the ol’ tried and true lazy Susan.  Trust us when we say to put a lazy Susan in a corner cabinet….at last you can finally reach the back of that cabinet with just one spin!

Nowadays they make utensil trays and organizers for even the smallest of drawers.  Thank goodness for that,  but some items will ever fit in a small utensil tray. For those, hang baskets behind the pantry or underneath your kitchen sink. 

Kitchen Organization Basics

Keep similar items together.  For example, if you’ve got a coffee maker, then create a coffee “station”. Clustering all coffee-related items together prevents you from having to visit six different drawers and cabinets just to make a cup of coffee.  There’s some great, trendy examples of kitchen coffee stations on Pinterest for inspiration. 

We also fully support the addition of ceiling pot racks. This is one of the most functional pieces of kitchen furniture that is used to hang and store your pots and pans.  Ceiling pot racks come in steel, wood, wrought iron among other metals that can really accent your kitchen decor. 
As for those kitchen counter clutter bugs such as blenders and food processors, consider breaking them down to fit into tinier areas. We know, it’s not desirable to have to put them back together every time, but sacrifices must be made.

Hopefully you’ve gained an idea or two (or ten) about how to organize your kitchen. If you spend multiple hours everyday, or some time everyday in the kitchen, having it clutter free makes a huge difference. Make your life easier, and enjoy the time you take to prepare delicious food for you and your family.

Still unsure how you want to organize your kitchen? Get help finding the best kitchen organization ideas with Little Green Kitchens.