The kitchen is full of stuff that you've accumulated over the years. Various appliances, a mismatch of housewares, and probably a hundred food storage containers take up valuable storage space in your kitchen. While clearing out some of these things is the best solution, what about storing the things you really need to keep?
Below, we've collected seven great ideas to help keep your kitchen organized and flowing nicely. From utilizing negative space to makings your open cabinets look both organized and stylish, there is something for every kitchen on this list.
Many rooms have unused air space just begging to be noticed. Air space is a great way to make the most of your space, especially if you have a room on the smaller side. This is especially true for a kitchen which tends to focus more on cabinet space rather than the entire room. If you have a kitchen island, chances are you have plenty of space above that can be used to house pots and pans or whatever else you may need. Having a pot rack is a great way to free up cabinets and use the negative space in your kitchen.
A lot of people think that the key to a successful kitchen is either L-shaped or with a kitchen island in the middle. But what if you combined the two to make a U-shaped kitchen? The result would be a ton more storage space with the same look of a kitchen with an island. This U-shaped kitchen features lots of cabinets surrounding the space and up above, as well as a breakfast bar, just like you would get with an island. The result is beautiful as well as functional and you will never complain that you won't have enough space for all of your stuff.
If you have a kitchen on the smaller side, having traditional cabinets will make your space feel more cramped. While most people still opt for them and they work fine, why not try a new trend in kitchen storage? Open cabinet shelves are all the rage and make a kitchen feel a lot bigger and more open. To keep things looking neat and organized, baskets are used to store items while some appliances are left out for display. This idea is not only beautiful but is also much cheaper than traditional cabinets because you don't have to buy doors and handles.
Small kitchens can be difficult to work with since they are often cramped but with a bit of maneuvering they can be just as spacious and functional as a regular sized kitchen. Using an L-shaped design without an island is the best way to achieve a workable kitchen without taking up a lot of space. There are cabinets both above and below the countertops, which leave plenty of space for storage and doesn't make the space feel cramped because it is only on one side of the kitchen. The L shape also leaves plenty of counterspace to work on and can be increased by the use of an electric stovetop range rather than a gas one.
Big spaces tend to come with more stuff which also means they tend to feel like they have less room to store things. While this is just a mental mind trick, there is a very easy way to get more storage in a big kitchen without making it feel smaller. Open shelves are a great way to divide spaces, such as the kitchen and living area, while adding plenty of storage for plants, spices, or whatever else you may need to store. The result is trendy and makes the space feel more open and airy than a traditional shelf or a dividing wall.
For those out there who are a bit more visual, having a grocery list on the fridge or a posted meal sheet for the week is a great way to keep yourself organized. But keeping notepads around the kitchen or stuck on the fridge can make the space feel cluttered and unorganized. Rather than buying a chalkboard or putting your notes in another room in the house, why not make use of the backsplash for all your needs? By simply painting the backsplash with chalkboard paint, you can make a fun and stylish note pad or drawing board that will keep you organized and add a fun element to your kitchen.
We've already talked about making use of negative space for pots and pans, but what about smaller items like utensils? You can use the same concept of the pot rack for hanging your utensils along the backsplash! A series of hooks or a simple metal grid, as you see here, will do the trick and ensures that your utensils are always at reach. This also means that your utensils should have a curved edge or a hole at the top to make it easy to hang, but there are plenty of options on the market to achieve this look with ease!