When it comes to living an easy and convenient life, having an organized kitchen stacks high on the must-haves. Here are some ways you can design, or redesign, the room that we race into and out of every morning, spend family time in every night and enjoy lazy brunches and cooking adventures in every some weekends:
1. Use open shelving. Not only is it easy to access frequently used items, it also forces you to keep things neat when out in the open. It's also great for small kitchens because it opens up the space.
2. Customize your cabinets. You can do this when you order cabinetry or you can do it yourself with existing cabinets thanks to all kinds of great organizational gadgets now available. Pull-out shelves, dividers for cookie sheets, custom recycling and garbage units, spice jar inserts and towel bars all keep things in their place and easily accessible.
3. Drawer organizers are a must. Every single utensil and kitchen do-dad has its place, and it is in a drawer organizer. Get one. Or many.
4. Use hooks. Hooks for towels, utensils, pots and just about anything else are so useful and help you avoid throwing things on the counters.
5. Use counter space wisely. Keep counters open except for frequently used items. Store cooking utensils in pretty jars near the stove, and snacks in glass containers so you can clearly see what's there.
6. Look up. Utilize the space between your cabinets and ceiling, and on top of your refrigerator by throwing lesser-used items in baskets or pretty bins. Or if starting fresh, customize your cabinets and take them all the way to the ceiling.
7. Utilize awkward corners. Open shelving that goes all the way to the wall in a corner is a more efficient use of space than a corner cabinet (and adds interest).
8. Make better use of lower cabinet space. Open shelving below the counter is convenient for everyday items.
9. Gather appliances. Carve out a spot for all your small appliances to keep them together, ideally one that is handy to an outlet and behind a closed door. An appliance garage (yes, they have been updated) is fantastic for this.
10. Give cookbooks their own space. Keep recipes and cookbooks together and handy on a dedicated shelf.