Top 6 Tips For Organizing A Kitchen
Kitchens are truly the heart of the home, whether you are a cook or like to gather with friends and family. Because so much time is spent there, it’s important to create an efficient space that fits your lifestyle. Every kitchen and person/ family is unique; however, organizing a kitchen can be as simple as putting the right things in the right places. Here are a few tips anyone can use to get started.
Group “Like” Things Together
Make your life easier by grouping similar items together. For Example, coffee and tea drinkers shouls have a designated brew station, putting mugs, coffee/tea, coffee maker, and sweetener all together in one place. If your machine requires filling water often or washing of equipment, consider locating everything near the sink.
Manage Your Space Like A Pro
In order to ensure your kitchen functions in a way that supports your life, make sure to think strategically about how you use the real estate in your kitchen. My generic advice is to stand at your dishwasher. Now, think about unloading your dishes, one sign of an efficient kitchen is taking the least amount of steps in order to unload your clean dishes and utensils. This type of thinking fuels the “systems” of efficiency that professional organizers are all about.
Sort Kitchen Supplies According to Usage
Choosing a smart place for your belongings is the name of the game. Truly think about placing everything with intention. For example, place baking supplies that you may only use twice a year in the highest cabinet and leave the lower cabinets/ drawers available for your everyday items. Especially after my experience organizing city kitchens, it’s important to keep an open mind on storage. If you have small people in your home, and you want to promote independence, make sure they can reach their items in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to try something new and interesting, like plates or cups in a drawer that everyone can reach.
Use Storage Solutions to Maximize Space
When it comes to food storage, create categories, and place similar items together, contained if possible in drawers/ shelves or bins. Food should be easy to access and easy to take inventory of. By seeing what you have, people can easily see and therefore use what they have and also know when they are out of and need to purchase. Nothing is worse than buying something you already have and realizing the one you have has expired because you didn’t realize you had it.
Donate What You Don’t Use
Personally, I respect minimalist but can’t say I practice a minimal lifestyle. I consider myself a dreamer or course but also a realist. And realistically, space is something that we often feel a shortage of. (Especially in New York). So one easy thing to do is free up space by donating anything you have multiples of or items you aren’t using. Real estate is way too valuable to waste it.
Remove Items That Don’t Belong
Try to avoid the “junk” drawer in the kitchen if possible. For a room that usually is the center of the house, it’s no place for junk. Items not explicitly related to the kitchen, don’t need to live there. Also, keep counters clear by creating a designated spot in your home for things like office supplies or mail. Just be sure that the chosen place makes sense so items can be found easily and therefore minimizes the daily search for the things you need.
Just remember that organizing is about function and feeling. The goal is for homes to function efficiently and feel good.