The kitchen is an area of the home where families and friends come together and spend a lot of time with each other. It is the heart of the home and should be an area that is organised and feel comfortable and inviting.
I remember many happy childhood memories of my mom in the kitchen, cooking a big Sunday lunch roast or baking delicious goodies for us to enjoy as a family. My gran and brother would both often join my mom in the kitchen and so the whole family came together in this special space.
Unfortunately, the kitchen is an area of the home that can often become cluttered with too many items crammed away in cabinets – taking up prime storage space, drawers that are filled to capacity and countertops being scattered with spices, cooking utensils, incoming mail and many other clutter causing objects.
Whether you are an avid baker, love cooking up a storm, or need easy access to Tupperware for quick school lunches in the morning rush, having a kitchen that is organised is vital and can help uplift the feeling of peace in your home. This blog post will guide you on how to create an organised kitchen that flows according to your needs and is easy for the whole family to keep tidy.
1. Remove All Items and Declutter:
Removing the current items from all the kitchen cupboards may seem daunting, but it will allow you to determine whether you need to have a good declutter. By decluttering and only keeping items that are valuable and useful to you, you can maximise your kitchen storage space by getting rid of anything you don’t need. Consider throwing away any duplicate or broken items, or any food that has expired. Relocate any items that have made their way into the kitchen but belong in other areas of the home. This will also give you a chance to give the cabinets a thorough clean.
2. Decide on Kitchen Zones:
Re-assess the flow of your kitchen as it currently is. Is the organising flow working for you the best way possible? Zone out the areas of the kitchen that suit your needs. Devote some time to reflect and think about these zones to obtain the balance between keeping everything you need in easy to reach areas while keeping the kitchen as organised as possible. Items that are used most often should be placed in the most accessible zones of the kitchen. For instance, spices and cooking utensils should be kept near the stove and oven and coffee and tea should be stored close to the kettle. Your pantry should be organised into mini zones so that similar items, such as cereals, are grouped together. Map this out on paper and in your mind before physically sorting the kitchen zones to give your brain time to adjust to the new storage habits you’ve decided on.
3. Purchase Storage Baskets and Containers:
Once you have decluttered and decided on the zones that you will be allocating in your kitchen, my favourite step comes in! Purchasing storage baskets and containers and decanting items will allow you to create that Pinterest-worthy aesthetic that elevates your kitchen and makes it feel like an organising dream. You will need to measure your kitchen cabinets and make sure to choose containers and baskets that will fit those dimensions, otherwise you’ll have to make multiple trips to the shops! Decide on the look and feel that you are aiming to achieve and stick to that theme throughout your storage container purchases. Are you looking for a sleek and elegant look or more rustic and natural vibes? A good idea would be to create a mood board where you gather inspiration for your kitchen before starting the process.
4. Decant and Label:
Transfer your pantry food items, baking ingredients and spices from their packaging into the lovely new storage containers that you’ve purchased. You can do this for cleaning supplies such as dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent and multi-purpose cleaners, too. The decanting process can be time consuming, but the result will be an organised and gorgeous look that is cohesive and elevated. Decanting also helps you to see clearly which pantry items need to be restocked and how much of the items you’ll need to buy. Add labels to the storage containers and baskets so that each member of the family knows where all items live. This will make finding things and then putting them away, much quicker, and easier for everyone.
5. Evaluate and Reshuffle:
Once every few months, re-evaluate and assess if the new organising flow is still working well for your family. Shuffle zones around if you need to, to find what works best for allowing the kitchen space to be enjoyable and easy to use. Remember to limit shopping for new kitchen essentials, such as crockery and pots and pans, as storage real estate is extremely valuable and should be kept as organised, neat and accessible as possible.
I gently encourage you to implement these small but impactful changes into your current kitchen organising flow so that your time spent in this family hub can become easier and more enjoyable. These habits may seem difficult to keep in the beginning of your journey, but I can assure you that they will help restore the tranquillity in your kitchen and home.
If you would like me to help you organise your kitchen and transform it into a space that looks beautiful and that you feel at peace in, contact me to book your free initial consultation.
