Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (2024)

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (1)

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and if it's cluttered and disorganized, everything else is going to feel offbeat.Help the energy flow freely and save yourself some mid-meal headaches by taking control of your kitchen storage. Why not organize your pots, pans, plates, products, and spices in a way that brings you joy and a sense of calm?

Even in the smallest of apartments, if you think creatively, you can find a special home for every item. Whether you're starting from scratch, looking for inspiration for a kitchen remodel, or trying to make a few simple, but life-changing swaps, read on for 14 ideas on how to organize your kitchen space.

01of 14

Commit to Open Shelving

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (2)

Open shelving doesn't have to be just a couple glasses here and a few plates there—your kitchen isn't just for show. You can pile your open shelves full of items and have it still look neat if you think of every category as its own moment. Play with heights, finishes, and shapes as you stack and pile in a way that purposeful, but pretty.

02of 14

Tuck Away Your Appliances

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (3)

Let's just be honest: There's nothing visually alluring about a microwave. You're not about to live without one, but the standard countertop microwave is always going to feel more dorm room than Julia Child's Provence kitchen.

Building a space for your microwave in your kitchen islands or cabinets will look sleek and clean, and it won't waste counter space.

03of 14

Skip the Bar Cart

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (4)

You don't have to give up counter space for a wet bar or floor space for a bar cart to make a charming display out of your bottles. These shelves are attached to the ceiling for a minimalistic look, and the bottles act as the perfectcenterpiece for the neutral room. Plus, guests will always feel invited to get comfortable and kick back.

These 23 Bar Ideas Make the Perfect Addition to Any Kitchen

04of 14

Buy Clear Storage for the Fridge

Let us make a promise to you—we swear that if you buy clear storage, clean out your fridge, begin taking produce out of packaging, and place items in their respective bins, you will never go back.

You can finally see everything—no more wilting greens hiding—and if something does start leaking, you only have to clean one container instead of the entire shelf.

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (6)

OXOGood Grips Smart Seal 12-Piece Container Set$30.00

Shop

05of 14

Recycle Boxes and Packaging Immediately

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (7)

Not only will using clear containers for your pantry goods help keep food fresher and more organized, you will never again open a cereal box to find only crumbs.

Grab a sharpie or a label maker to help you know the difference between baking powder and baking soda without doing an awful taste test.

06of 14

Create a Home for Plastics

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (8)

Glassware can make a beautiful, functional display on open shelving or in clear kitchen cabinets. We have yet to be wowed, however, by a sippy cup or Planet Fitness water bottle. You want to store your plastics away, but travel drink cups seem to be specifically manufactured to tip over inside cupboards.

Prevent the pileup by purchasing drawer organizers, and you'll never lose a lid again.

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (9)

iDesign + The SpruceDrawer Organizer$13.00

Shop

07of 14

Opt for Clear Glass Shelving

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (10)

Glass shelving gives your more storage space without blocking your light or sectioning up a kitchen to make look smaller than it actually is. Store your most-used plates and cups on the first two shelves, and use the top shelf for special occasion pieces or light-loving plants to bring in more color to the room.

14 Kitchen Shelving Ideas Sure to Streamline Your Space

08of 14

Hide Linens in the Breakfast Nook

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (11)

Linens, spare aprons, dish towels, the holiday cookie cutters you only need once a year—these can all live happily in storage that's built into your breakfast nook.These below-bench cabinets are a great way to create more storage and seating at the same time.

09of 14

Install a Wine Rack

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (12)

Turning one of your cabinets into a built-in wine rack is a clever swap that saves you space elsewhere in your kitchen. You can also use the space to store oils, vinegars, and other ingredients to free up cabinet space.

Everything You Need to Know About Storing Wine at Home

10of 14

Add Texture and Storage with Rattan Baskets

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (13)

If you try to avoid plastics at all costs in your home, rattan baskets in various sizes can be helpful for storing all kinds of items. Just don't fill them to the top to give your kitchen a more neat and seamless look.

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (14)

AnthropologieKansas Basket$48.00

Shop

11of 14

Hang and Display Your Pots

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (15)

Pots and pans are the absolute worst to store, so think like a professional chef and hang them for easy access. This brass rail and copper pan setup is as practical as it is beautiful, and it's a great way to organize your kitchen while nailing the French kitchen look.

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (16)

Proper Copper DesignBrass Pot and Pan Rail$128.00

Shop

How to Clean Copper Pots So They Shine Like New

12of 14

Add a Rolling Cart

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (17)

Countertop space can be less than generous in apartments, but you can add more surface to work on and a place to store odds and ends by bringing ina rolling cart or small kitchen island.

Get a cart with wheels if it's a really tight squeeze in your kitchen. That way, you can move it around at will while cleaning or if you have guests playing sous chef.

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (18)

Crate & BarrelBelmont Mint Kitchen Island$599.00

Shop

13of 14

Section Up Your Servingware

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (19)

Having a special home for every piece of servingware makes unloading the dishwasher so much easier and will prevent future fights about where the charger plates actually belong. This wooden peg system keeps things neat and orderly without requiring that you purchase any new plastic containers.

14of 14

Build in Your Plate Storage

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (20)

Most of us don't have much use for a china cabinet these days, but built-in vertical storage for our plates would definitely spark joy.

You can break up the boxiness of a big kitchen by creating one section of open shelving and storage.

51 Kitchen Renovation Ideas to Help You Achieve the Space of Your Dreams

Here is Your Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen Without Sacrificing Style (2024)

FAQs

Where should plates and cups go in a kitchen? ›

Store the items that you use every day, like plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, and silverware, within arm's reach. For most people, that means the lowest shelves in upper cabinets and the highest drawers in base cabinets.

How do I decide where to put things in my kitchen? ›

And if you're wondering, “How do I decide where to put things in my kitchen?,” here's a good rule of thumb for using cabinet space effectively: Upper cabinets: food, spices, glassware, dishes. Lower cabinets: larger serving pieces, small kitchen appliances, pots, pans, mixing bowls, baking sheets, cutting boards.

What to put in top corner kitchen cabinets? ›

Put the Tallest Things Up Top

All those decorative glass pitchers you've collected should go way up top (just adjust your shelves to fit things accordingly). This is especially key if your corner cabinet features a see-through glass panel; it's an opportunity to put pretty cake stands and pitchers on display.

What to put under upper cabinets? ›

You can never go wrong with adding more shelving. Whether free-standing against a wall or attached beneath your cabinetry, shelves offer additional storage and display opportunities. Include wicker baskets, pull-out cubbies, wire racks or other space-saving containers to provide storage for whatever you need.

What goes in the cabinet above the sink? ›

'We usually suggest to our clients that the space above and around the sink are perfect for everyday items like drinking glasses, mugs, plates, bowls,' Di said.

What is the number one rule in the kitchen? ›

1. Kitchen hygiene 101: wash hands. Making sure your hands are clean is at the top of the kitchen hygiene rules list. It's easy for bacteria to be transferred, so wash your hands throughout prepping and cooking food.

Where to put glasses in the kitchen? ›

As a general rule, keep frequently-used glassware in a cabinet or on a shelf that is located next to the sink or dishwasher. "I've cooked in a lot of people's kitchens, and searching for a glass when I wanted some water always puzzled me," she says. "It also makes putting away dishes so much easier!"

How is a professional kitchen organized? ›

Today's professional kitchen is organized into multiple workstations. A workstation is an area in the kitchen dedicated to a particular task, such as broiling or salad making. Workstations using the same or similar equipment for related tasks are grouped together into a work section.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 5820

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.