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40+ Kitchen Organization Ideas To Simplify Your Space

By: Andrew Saladino | min

Kitchen organization ideas hero.

Your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house, so keeping it clean and organized can be a big feat. To avoid piling up pots and pans or losing your favorite kitchen utensil, create an organizational system that you can stick to while removing and replacing items.

If you're considering a complete overhaul in your kitchen, contemplate how you will configure your cabinets keeping in mind the height and depth of the shelves before the cabinet installation stage. That way you can come up with an organization strategy in advance. To help you get inspired, we came up with 40 kitchen organization ideas you can follow in your home and included some beautiful inspiration images of perfectly organized kitchen spaces.

Kitchen Cabinet Organization Ideas

Keeping your base and upper cabinets organized is no easy task. Since your upper cabinets are at eye level, they're the best place to store everyday items. To maximize your space, implement an organization system that allows for easy access and clean up.

While the cabinets above the backsplash are perfect for holding everyday items such as dishes and storage containers, your cabinets below the countertop are perfect for storing items used less frequently. Your bottom cabinets are typically deeper, so consider how you can consolidate items to create ample space.

1. Stack Heavy Items On The Bottom

Make removing and replacing dishes easier by positioning your heaviest items on the bottom shelf. This tip also goes for sizes, place larger plates on the bottom and smaller ones on top to maximize space and allow for easy access to everything in your cabinets.

2. Alternate Glasses

Create more space on your cabinet shelves by stacking oddly shaped glasses facing upward and downward. This works well for beer or wine glasses. You can also stack glasses of the same size and shape to utilize the height of your cabinets.

3. Hang Measuring Spoons

Make use out of the inside of your cabinet door by applying adhesive hooks that can hold your measuring spoons. This is also a renter-friendly tip as you can remove the hooks before moving out without damaging the cabinets.

Base kitchen cabinet organization ideas.

4. Hang Lids On Hooks

Easily manage the lids of your pots and pans by hanging them on the back of your cabinet door with adhesive hooks. This trick will make stacking pots and pans easier and prevent the lids from falling all over the place when you take them out of the cabinets.

5. Use An Organization Rack

Use adjustable dividers to file away plates that you use less often in your lower cabinets. You can also file away cookie sheets, cupcake tins, or cooling racks this way -- allowing for easy access since you won't have to dig for something that's at the bottom of a pile in a drawer.

6. Repurpose A Magazine Holder

An old magazine holder is the perfect size to adhere to the inside of your cabinet door. Use a strong tape or hooks so the magazine holder can store items like saran wrap, aluminum foil, plastic bags, or cleaning spray bottles.

7. Use Multi-Tier Shelves Or Racks

Store spices, condiments, or cans on multi-tier shelves or racks so you always know what's in the back. Always store the tallest or biggest containers in the back so everything is easily accessible and looks neat.

8. Use Turntables

It's easy for items to get lost in the back of the pantry or cabinet, especially if they're deep. A turntable or lazy susan is a great way to use up all of the space and find everything effortlessly. You can store spices, cooking oils, or condiments that way. Pro tip: They're also great for organizing corner cabinets!

9. Use Vertical Pot Racks

Vertical racks will help provide more space in your cabinets, which is helpful if you have larger pots and pans. You can attach the rack to the side of the cabinet wall to make sure it doesn't fall over. Store the heaviest pans or pots at the bottom and work your way up to the lightest to make sure they stay stable.

10. File Your Tupperware

Few things are more aggravating than trying to pack a lunchbox in the morning and having to dig through your tupperware to find a matching lid. Decluttering your tupperware is the first step to organizing it. Get rid of any pieces that don't have matching counterparts and then sort lids and containers separately by size. This will keep your cabinet tidy and allow you to quickly find matching pieces.

Kitchen Drawers Organization Ideas

Kitchen drawer organization ideas.

Since you're likely to grab utensils like spatulas, ladles or oven mitts on the fly, position those items closest to your oven and stove top separated by dividers. In a different drawer, use a silverware organizer to separate your forks, spoons and knives.

11. Hide Your Cords

If you have extra space in your drawers, install a power cord so you can charge your phones, tablets, and more without taking up counter space. This works great for a junk drawer (let's be real, we all have one) but also works for kitchen appliances that need to be plugged in to work.

12. Use Dividers

Dividers will help separate your items, so you can swiftly grab what you need. Designate a spot for every item to avoid misplacing anything. If your drawers aren't deep enough to fit your utensils, divide them vertically to maximize space. Store things like bag clips, measuring cups, or rubber bands in the smaller compartments.

13. Separate Your Items

For smaller items such as bottle openers, a carrot peeler, or garlic press, use small containers to keep them conveniently in one place. This also works great for a junk or miscellaneous drawer where you store anything from post-it notes to pens, koozies or piping bag nozzles.

14. Create A Tea Drawer

If you're an avid tea drinker, store your tea bags and other supplies in a drawer close to your kettle. Divide the drawer with small containers and organize your tea bags by color or type so you can always have an eye on how much you have left. This also works great for coffee if you use cups or pads to brew your life elixir every morning.

15. Line Your Drawers

To avoid items from rolling around in your drawers, line them with a cork board or grip liner. This is also great when you're renting and don't want to damage the drawers in the kitchen. If you opt for a grip liner, make sure to take everything out every few months and clean the drawer from anything that's fallen through the cracks.

Kitchen Pantry Organization Ideas

Kitchen pantry organization ideas.

If you have a big space like a pantry or closet, use it to your advantage by keeping it clean and organized. Use baskets, containers, and labels to create a designated space for all of your items.

Your pantry is the perfect place to store "back stock" which refers to any items that need refills or that you use a lot of. This can be anything from cereal to flour or apple sauce. Having a designated shelf or area for back stock is a great way to keep your life organized because you'll always know how much you have left by glancing at your pantry.

Here are our favorite tips to keep your pantry organized.

16. Hang Reusable Shopping Bags

Use hooks to hold your reusable bags in a convenient place, so you'll never forget them on the way to the store. Storing them in the pantry will also make it easy to put them away after you unpack your groceries.

17. Use Door Space

Install a shoe rack or adhesive bins to make use out of the inside of your cabinet door. You can store anything from cleaning products to spices in this extra shelf and make the most out of every inch of your kitchen with this affordable solution.

18. Use Baskets

To avoid letting items fall off the shelf or get stuck in the back, use baskets to keep similar items together. You can store onions or potatoes in wire baskets, fruit packs in wicker baskets, and spices in stackable baskets so everything is always neatly organized and easily accessible.

19. Rely On Gravity

Invest in a gravity-feed can rack so you never have to reach to the back. Whether you store soda cans, beans, or fruit cocktails in your can racks, always fill it from the back after you get new groceries so the items with the earliest expiration date are at the front.

20. Label Containers

Find everything you're looking for in a pinch by labeling clear containers and stacking them at eye level. If you don't like the look of clear containers, you can also add labels to wicker baskets or white plastic containers. The labels will also create a clear system that everyone in your household can follow.

Kitchen Countertop Organization Ideas

Kitchen countertop organization ideas.

Your countertop can easily get cluttered without making sure every item has a place. Whether it's bread that's just lying around, dish soap that keeps falling into your sink or towels and rags that don't have a designated place -- with a few simple hacks, you can display items you use on a regular basis in a pretty and organized way.

21. Utilize A Spice Rack

Make it easy on yourself while you're cooking by using a spice rack that will allow you to quickly locate the spice you're looking for. You can opt for a lazy susan style spice rack if you own a lot of spices or a multi-tier rack so you can read the labels on each bottle. If you want to create a pretty and cohesive look, purchase new spice bottles, transfer your spices and label them with cute stickers.

22. Hang Mugs

Are you an avid coffee or tea drinker? Hang up your mugs to avoid taking up counter space and create a unique design touch. In a rental home, use adhesive hooks so you can easily remove them before moving to a new place.

23. Install Open Shelves

Whether you want a place to hold your flour and sugar, or a spot for your favorite decor, installing a shelf will offer a way to keep items off the counter. Open shelves are aesthetically pleasing when they're organized properly and are super functional if you need to grab and go things like coffee mugs, plates, or glasses.

24. Organize Your Coffee Station

If you brew coffee on a daily basis, create a space designated for the coffee maker and coffee beans. We already covered the idea of a tea or coffee drawer, but creating a pretty display of coffee cups or tea bags can make your daily ritual even more rewarding.

25. Use Magnets

You can use magnetic strips to hold several different items on doors, under wall cabinets, or on your backsplash. They're a great way to store your knives and other cookware if you attach it behind your stove. This will also keep these items out of reach from little fingers.

26. Hang Your Fruit

Utilizing every inch of your kitchen is key, especially if you don't have a lot of space to work with. A fruit hammock or multi-tier basket allows you to store your fruit without taking up too much counter space. Another plus: You'll be more likely to eat your fruit when it's out in the open and easily accessible so you're actually making it easier on yourself to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

27. Keep Cookbooks In One Place

We know that you can find almost any recipe on the internet these days, but sometimes it's nice to dig out grandma's casserole recipe or open up the book you got for Christmas when you were still in college. Having a designated space in your kitchen for all of your cookbooks will make it more likely for you to use the books and they're a pretty piece of decor if you display them next to your stove or on an open shelf.

Organization Ideas For Below The Sink

Under sink kitchen cabinet organization ideas.

It's typical to store cleaning supplies and less frequently used products under the sink, so it's easy to forget about that area of the kitchen. Avoid spills and unwanted clutter by creating an organizational system under your sink that utilizes every inch of the cabinet.

28. Adhere Containers To Doors

Use containers on the inside of the door to hold commonly used items such as a sponge, a dish scrubber, microfiber cloths, and more. Use containers that you can hang over the cabinet doors or adhere them with tape to the doors. Make sure to place the containers in a way that the doors can still close without hitting anything inside.

29. Use Multi-Tier Drawers

Use stackable or multi-tier drawers to organize things like sponges, towels, and rags. Drawers allow you to utilize the full depth of the cabinet without having to dig all the way through the back for the things that you need. Stacking drawers on top of each other makes use of the vertical space in your cabinet too—it’s the best of both worlds!

30. Install A Tension Rod For Bottles

Hanging your bottles will help clear space on the bottom of your cabinet and allow for easy access to the cleaner you're looking for.

Small Kitchen Organization Ideas

Small kitchen organization ideas.

The smaller your space, the more difficult it can be to keep everything organized. Decluttering your kitchen on a regular basis will help keep your inventory at a size that your kitchen can handle. No matter how much stuff you're trying to fit in your kitchen, there's likely some untapped potential for extra space that you're not yet aware of. Here are our favorite tips to make the most of your small kitchen.

31. Maximize vertical space

If the footprint of your kitchen is tiny, utilize the vertical space! Hang as much as you can on walls or cabinet sides (and doors) to keep your counters free and cabinets organized. You can hang anything from cookware to mugs to free up that valuable space in your cabinets.

32. Use A Rack For Pots

If you don't have room for your pots in the cabinets, hang them up for a unique look and easy access. If your ceilings are high enough, you can hang them from a pot rack but if you’re worried about bumping your head, simply install a rack on the wall and hang your pans there for easy access.

33. Get An Island On Wheels

Your kitchen may be too small for a regular sized island but if you invest in a small one on wheels you gain extra storage and usable counter space! You can roll the island over to your cooking space when you need it, or remove it from the kitchen when you have guests over.

Check out these kitchen island ideas for more inspiration on extending your kitchen storage and counter space.

34. DIY Storage Space

If you live in a rental apartment, there’s a good chance you can find a little gap between your fridge and the cabinet next to it. Craft a storage rack on wheels to roll between the cabinet and your fridge to make use of this space. There you can store spices or condiments like oil, vinegar, and sauces that don’t need to be refrigerated.

35. Use All Sides Of Your Cabinets

Don’t limit your cabinet space to just the shelves. You can hang items from the doors, attach hooks or rods underneath your cabinets and if there’s space between the top and your ceiling, use that space too! Try to store seasonal items like cookie jars or serving platters in hard to reach places so you don’t find yourself climbing on top of your counters all the time.

Refrigerator Organization Ideas

Fridge organization ideas.

It's easy to get home from a grocery trip and pile all of your items into the refrigerator, but if you have an organization system in place you're going to save yourself stress, time, and money. Creating a system that allows you to see everything you still have will help you avoid overbuying (or forgetting things you really need) and also prevent foods from going bad because they're hidden in the back of the fridge. Here are a few sure ways in which you can organize your fridge to work for you and your family.

36. Transfer Beverages

Cartons can take up a lot of horizontal space and aren't see through. To make more room in your fridge, transfer your milk or juice into tall glass or acrylic bottles. They don't just look pretty in your fridge, they also make organizing easier because all of your bottles will be the same size. If you're worried about expiration dates, use a label and write the date on the bottle.

37. Use Binder Clips

To keep your bottles from moving around, attach binder clips to your fridge shelves to keep them in place. If your shelves are solid (glass or plexiglass), you can keep bottles from rolling around with dividers.

38. Use A Reusable Egg Carton

Just like milk cartons, egg cartons aren’t see through and have an odd shape that takes up precious space in your fridge. Invest in a clear egg container that allows you to stack items on top of your eggs too. They will also make it easier to consolidate cartons if you have two at one time.

39. Wash Your Produce

Make a habit out of washing your fruits and vegetables before storing them away. This may take a few extra minutes after you come home from the grocery store but it will save you time during the week and make healthy snacking so much easier.

Read our study on how many Americans wash their produce and find out how dirty your crispy drawer can get if you skip this step.

40. Label Foods

Avoid letting food expire in your refrigerator by labeling your leftovers and frozen food with an expiration date. You can just write the date on your containers with a water-based marker or get cute labels to make your fridge look like it’s straight from a Pinterest board.

Kitchen Organization Inspiration And Quotes

If you're struggling to envision the potential of your kitchen, take a look at these beautiful results! Taking the time to declutter and organize everything from your dishes to your spices will help you feel more comfortable in your kitchen and will make cooking or baking more fun because you'll always know where to find everything.

41

What A
Dream Pantry

"Organizing isn't the goal; simplifying your life is," says chief organizing at Neat Little Nest, Michelle Vig. This pantry is the perfect example of implementing this advice in the real world. It is well organized, functional, and not full of clutter. The baskets and glasses help maintain this system and look absolutely stunning.

42

Keep It
Clean

Have you ever seen a cleaning cabinet this organized? By attaching clear shelves to the cabinet doors, placing a turntable below the garbage disposal, and using a multi-tier shelf with a drawer, every inch of this space is utilized. Follow these tips and you'll never have to dig for a new sponge in the back of your cabinets again.

Labeled glass containers in organized kitchen cabinet.
43

#Labelgoals

Labeled glass containers in organized kitchen cabinet.

If you haven't already seen season one of "The Home Edit" on Netflix, you should give it a go! Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer are organizing queens and their rainbow color-coded cabinets, fridges, and pantries will certainly put a smile on your face. Besides organizing everything according to rainbow colors, they also use labels to clearly mark the territory for each and every item they store away. Their cheerful and energetic spirits may just inspire you to tackle your own kitchen until you yell at the top of your lungs: "It's a system!"

44

Look At
That Fridge!

"Organizing is a life changer but having less to organize is a game changer" (unknown). If your kitchen constantly feels like a mess, the key may be to buy less stuff. Leaving extra room in your fridge will make your life a lot easier because you don't have to worry about stuffing leftovers into an already crowded space. If your fridge is always full, think about storing less drinks in it, not putting all your fruit in the fridge (like tomatoes or cherries), and unpacking smaller items from bulky cardboard boxes into clear storage containers.

45

Clearly
Organized

This bottom cabinet doesn't just look pretty, it's also super functional. By all the items in clear containers, you can always reach everything by simply pulling the container out of the cabinet. Storing everything in containers also contains spillage and will protect the cabinets from fluids and dirt which is great for renters and homeowners alike.

46

Neat
Countertop

Marie Kondo, tidying guru and founder of the KonMari method advises that "we should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of." This is the perfect mentality when deciding what to keep on your countertops and what to store away. Some greenery for decoration and a pretty tray to contain soap and a dish brush is all that's needed next to this sink.

Organized boho pantry with glass containers.

Source: Ashley Johnson

47

Contained
Clutter

Organized boho pantry with glass containers.

Source: Ashley Johnson

Your pantry doesn't have to look flawless, as long as everything has its designated spot, you're golden. If plastic canisters aren't your style, look for pretty glass jars and fill them with dried goods like pasta or beans and baking supplies like sugar and flour. As long as everything is labeled and you can reach it well, it's still an organized space!

48

Breathing
Room

The secret to a pretty pantry and neatly organized kitchen is to leave space. While this may sound counterintuitive because you're trying to maximize every inch of the space you have, it will make your kitchen a more calming place. Regularly clean out your kitchen and get rid of spoiled food, ingredients you bought for a special occasion and never used again, and kitchen gadgets that haven't seen the light of day in months. The more extra space your cabinets have, the easier it will be to store things away after your run to the grocery store.

Kitchen Organization FAQs

If you still have any open questions about kitchen organization, read on! We answer four of the most frequently asked questions people have who like to create a better system in their kitchen that works for the whole household.

What is the best way to organize your kitchen?

The first step to an organized kitchen is a clean slate: declutter the room and get rid of anything that's broken, incomplete, or never in use. Create work zones in your kitchen for cleaning, cooking, preparation, dishes, and food. This will make it easier to figure out which items to store where. Determine a place for every item in your kitchen and use labels so your household knows how to follow your system.

Where should I put everything in my kitchen?

You should organize your kitchen in a way that suits your lifestyle and the way you work in your kitchen. Tea and coffee should be close to your water kettle, dishware in reach of your dishwasher so it's easier to put them away, and spices close to your stove. By putting items in categories like cookware, bakeware, dishes, condiments, or snacks you can create an organizational system that makes sense in your kitchen.

How can I organize my small kitchen?

The best way to organize your small kitchen is to check your inventory first. Do you have any kitchen machines that you don't really use? Put them in a storage unit, sell, or donate them. Only keep things that you really need and cut down on the number of items too (it's much easier to store four mugs than 14). Utilize height by stacking items in cabinets and attach hooks to walls and cabinets to hang items like mugs or measuring cups and save space on your counters.

How do you arrange dishes in kitchen cabinets?

To arrange your dishes in the cabinets, first take everything out and use the opportunity to wipe the cabinet clean. You'll want to organize similar items together. Plates, saucers, and bowls should go in the same area. The same applies to cups, mugs, and glasses. Place the heaviest or tallest items at the bottom.

Once you have an organization system in place, make sure to return each item to its place after cleaning. This way you'll never have to worry about misplacing something in your kitchen again. If you're considering remodeling your kitchen, select cabinets that will align with your organizational ideas.

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