Organizing your kitchen cabinets can help you access supplies faster and easier, making meal preparation and cleanup much simpler. Building or renovating a kitchen is the perfect opportunity to reorganize and optimize space in your cabinets. Continue reading to learn how to organize kitchen cabinets.
If you are building or remodeling your kitchen, it’s important to consider what kind of storage you need for your kitchen supplies. Excessive storage space is not the best kitchen solution, so it’s better to build your cabinets according to your kitchen needs rather than adding as many cabinets and drawers as possible.
Start your organization with empty cabinets for the best results. Emptying your cabinets makes the process easier and allows you to begin with a clean slate. It also provides an opportunity to deep clean your cabinets before reorganizing them. If you’ve just completed a kitchen remodel, this is a great time to rethink your cabinet organization before placing all of your kitchen supplies back in your cabinets.
After clearing your cabinets, you can start sorting and organizing your kitchen supplies. Sort your utensils, appliances, pots and pans by separating the items you want to keep and the items you want to discard. You can also make a list of items you might need to add to your supply. Next, separate your supplies by size and type of item. Create separate piles for the following items:
Once you sort your items, you can begin planning how to organize them. This is a great time to take inventory and determine which items need more space than others.
Knowing where to put things in kitchen cabinets can help you optimize your space. Optimized item placement can make your kitchen supplies easier to access, give you more space to work with and make your kitchen appear more organized.
Your upper cabinets should hold items you need to access easily while preparing meals or cleaning up after meals. Plan to store the following items in your upper cabinets:
Storing food above your food preparation counter space allows you to easily access it while preparing meals. If you have a counter space you typically use to put food in storage containers, try to place all of your food storage containers in a cabinet above this space.
You should place dishes and glasses in a space that makes it easier to put them away. The best space for these items is above your drying rack or your dishwasher. You can store cookbooks in a cabinet that is farther away from your food preparation spaces because you will most likely need to access them less frequently than other items.
Lower cabinets are best for non-cooking items and larger, heavier items such as the following:
Cleaning items should always be on a separate shelf and level from food items. Storing cleaning supplies above food items is unsafe, so they should always be in a cabinet lower than your food cabinet. The best space for cleaning supplies is in the cabinet below your sink.
You should store kitchen appliances below your main food preparation counter space so you can easily access them to prepare meals. Try to store pots and pans in a lower cabinet near your stove so you can quickly access them for stovetop cooking, and place your baking sheets in a lower cabinet near your oven if it’s in a separate space from your stove.
Purchasing racks for lids and baking skeets can help you maximize space because they allow you to store these items vertically. You can also nest pots and pans together according to size to save space, stacking small pots and pans in one space and large pots and pans in another.
You can place cutting boards and mixing bowls in a lower cabinet near the dishwasher or drying rack. This makes them easy to access and easy to put away after washing.
When you open your cabinets, you should be able to easily locate the items you need to use. You can emphasize visibility in your kitchen cabinets with the following tips:
Labels make it easier to identify items in your cabinets and pantry. This is especially true when you have multiple containers that hold similar items. While looking at the contents inside a cabinet can help you locate what you’re looking for, labeling items makes the search mentally faster and easier. You can label items such as spices and pasta containers to make reaching for ingredients easier.
Color-coordinating your kitchen items can also make them easier to locate. Color-coordinated items are typically more visually appealing and organized than items of various colors. Try to choose items in the same item category that also have the same colors. When your items are visually organized, you will have more motivation to keep your cabinets clean and organized.
Adding some creative additions to your cabinets can also help maximize space. You can utilize items such as the following:
Utilizing the exteriors of your cabinets can also maximize space and increase item accessibility. You can hang racks and hooks on the sides of cabinets or underneath them to hang items such as utensils and cups. You can also store items on the top of your cabinets if there is space.
You don’t have to place every kitchen item inside a cabinet. You can also set items out in the open if you are able to do it neatly. Placing a couple of items on the counter or hanging cutting boards on the wall can save space in your cabinets and make other items easier to access.
Knowing how to organize your kitchen cabinets makes cooking easier because you can access the items you need quickly and easily. Planning and building the storage space you need is an important part of organizing your kitchen. Bath Kitchen & Tile offers quality kitchen cabinets with competitive pricing. We also offer a fit guarantee service, which is a measurement check to ensure your cabinets fit as designed. Considering a kitchen remodel in Bethany Beach? Visit our showroom for design inspiration!
You can also take advantage of our complimentary design service when you trust Bath Kitchen and Tile Supply as your cabinet supplier. Our experienced designers will help you choose the best cabinets for your home from our wide selection of options in various colors and styles. Contact us to learn more and start planning your kitchen remodel.