Great Kitchen Ideas to Maximize Space

If you’re anything like me then you love to cook. Or at the very least you eat takeout and still use your kitchen to eat most if not all of your meals. With that being said, the kitchen is by far one of the most used spaces in your home. It can be very unpleasant when it is a cluttered mess instead of clean and organized. So I have compiled a list of my favorite kitchen organization ideas that I hope will help you have a more organized kitchen!

I remember our kitchen in our apartment was a very comfortable size with a huge pantry. Being a young married couple with a toddler and one on the way, we definitely utilized all of that pantry space. We upgraded to our starter home and while the home provided much more space and a backyard for our children, that kitchen was TINY! Fast forward a few years, and now we’re in a bigger home with more space than we need and a much bigger kitchen.

This was the TINY kitchen in our starter home!

So as you can see, everyone's kitchen space will be different to accommodate your specific needs. It’s totally okay if all of my kitchen organizing suggestions don’t work in your kitchen, make adjustments as needed.

1. One of the first things you need to do is declutter your kitchen cabinets, drawers, etc. The more you can toss or donate the better. I promise you don’t need three spatulas and three or four big spoons. You surely will live without more than two dish sets. Neither do you need twelve coffee mugs and water bottles. Pick your favorites and donate the rest.

After you’ve decluttered you'll want to group “like” items together to make putting them away much easier.

2. Let's start with the big bulky items that we seldom use like our deep fryer and crock pot. I store my deep fryer in a lower cabinet on the other side of my island that is not in use. If you have the space you can store your bulky items in your pantry on the floor or top shelf. You can also utilize the empty space above your cabinets if you have it. Another option would be to store these bulky items in the basement on a shelf or even a shelf in your garage.

3. Next, I like to organize and store my pots and pans. I personally stack my pots and pans inside of one another so as not to take up too much space. I stack my lids inside the pots because that's what works for me. But I definitely love the look of the drawers that pull out to reveal a collection of pots and pans neatly divided. It is completely up to you. I store my glass baking dishes in a different cabinet, and I utilize shelf risers to maximize the cabinet space.

Metal Shelf Risers in one of my kitchen cabinets.

Whenever possible utilize shelf risers to maximize the entire cabinet space. You would want to use shelf risers for your dishes too to stack them neat and organized. Shelf risers are a game changer and one of the best ideas to make the most of kitchen space.

4. I've never been a person to store a lot of food in my cabinets, I typically will use my pantry. I do store our tea and coffee in the cabinet and a few seasoning packets. I use small glass storage containers for the tea and coffee, and a very slim container for the seasoning packets. If you do need to store food in your cabinets it is best to store in bins to keep everything neat. It is much easier to pull a bin out of your cabinet, rather than pulling out each individual item to get what you want.

Be sure to measure your cabinet space before purchasing any organizing products. Purchase containers that are the same (all glass or all plastic) to make the storage look more aesthetically pleasing.

5. Speaking of seasonings, I store my seasonings in a built-in Lazy Susan in my kitchen. I'm a huge fan though of the Lazy Susan turntables that allow you to see everything you have. Those can be easily stored in a cabinet or pantry shelf. I don't have a preference of decanting all of your spices into matching jars or leaving them in the store containers. I have some of my bulk seasonings still in the store container.

6. Moving on to food storage containers. Stack containers neatly inside of one another and not just tossed up in the cabinet. If you only have a few storage containers I would put the lid with the container, or if you have a lot you should store the lids upright in a bin for easier access. You don't need to keep any containers that are warped, microwave burned, or stained. That should have been a part of your decluttering process.

7. Now let's tackle those drawers. After you've tossed or donated the extra spatulas and spoons you can organize the drawer based on items you use more frequently. For instance, in my kitchen I have two drawers with utensils. One narrow drawer with the rolling pin, baster, seafood cracker, and other utensils that aren't used daily. Then I have a bigger drawer that holds the silverware and utensils that are used almost daily for preparing meals. This drawer is located closest to my stove while the seldom used drawer is a little further away but still in reach if needed.

You want to use drawer dividers when organizing your kitchen drawers. It’s honestly the only way to keep everything organized so that it doesn't become cluttered. The idea is to make sure everything has a designated space in the drawer. I love using the bamboo dividers or clear heavy duty plastic dividers with my clients. The color and material is just based on your preference.

Bamboo dividers pictured here in one of my drawers

8. Last but not least we need to organize under your kitchen sink. I can't think of anyone that hasn't been in search of a better idea to maximize the space under the sink. Cleaning caddies are perfect for storing cleaning supplies. You can take the caddy out when it's time to clean and carry it with you to every room in the house. Storing your cleaning supplies in bins is also another great option. My cleaning supplies are in bins under the kitchen sink and I simply take the bin out and take it with me to each space. Another trick is to label the cleaning bins by what's in them; wood floors, carpet, tile, etc. This way you're not pulling out what you don't need for that day.

I hope this wasn't too much to digest and you found these tips helpful for organizing your kitchen!

It is my hope to bring you a little humor, sarcasm, and knowledge to live a more intentional and organized life. Share this blog if you found it useful or comment below. Be sure to subscribe to receive more helpful tips for staying organized!