24 Smart Organizing Ideas for Your Kitchen

By Real Simple
Updated April 24, 2018
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Credit: Bed Bath and Beyond
As these photos show, what makes a kitchen great is how you organize it.
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Turn to a Lazy Susan

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Contain messes by housing sticky or spillable food items on an easy-to-clean lazy Susan.

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Give Cookbooks Space

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Cookbooks are fine on open shelves, so long as they're not exposed to humidity and grease from the fridge or stove.

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Start Hanging

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Hang aprons, pot holders, and dish towels on pegs (mount them at least two feet away from the stove).

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Store Items by Use

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Arrange your kitchenware by frequency of use, with everyday dishes on an easy-to-reach lower shelf and special-occasion pieces up above.

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Group Similar Objects

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Group objects by purpose and assign them to specific cabinets, as with the bakeware centralized here.

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Designate a Cooking Zone

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Create a cooking zone around the stove, storing pots and pans as close to the range as possible.

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Stash Like Items Together

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Keep plastic bags, wrapping together, and kitchen utensils in a drawer near the refrigerator to make quick work of storing away leftovers.

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Stow Tools Efficiently

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Stow essential tools together within easy reach of your cooking area for efficient food prep.

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File Plastic Containers

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“File” plastic containers and their tops in orderly zones within the same drawer to keep them readily locatable.

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Contain Lids

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Lid racks neatly collect the tops to various pots and pans.

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Install Shelf Organizers

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Sliding shelf organizers make frequently used gear easy to access.

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Divide Drawers

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Drawer organizers keep cutlery neatly separated, so you never have to rummage around for what you need.

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Think Double-Duty

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For no-fuss buffet service, present cutlery to guests in mugs or small pitchers.

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Light it Right

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Even under-the-cabinets space can be well utilized, whether for lighting, an appliance, or, in this case, a dish-towl rod.

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Color-Code Kitchenware

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Pots and pans double as artwork when like-colored kitchenware is put on display.

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Put China on Display

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Use glass-front cabinets to showcase your good china, antique bowls, or even canisters filled with pasta.

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Introduce Baskets

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Keep open shelves uncluttered by stashing items in airy rattan baskets.

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Categorize Food

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Organize your pantry shelves as you would a library, with food items grouped by category.

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Consider See-Through Storage

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Make it a snap for kids to grab snacks on the go with see-through wire baskets.

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Stash Items Over-the-Door

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Stash pantry items in the see-through pockets of an over-the-door organizer to virtually eliminate search time.

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Roll in a Cart

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Invest in a cart that can transport heavy dishes from kitchen to dining and act as extra counter space for cooking and entertaining.

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Hang Pots and Pans

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Another way to conserve precious storage space: Hang pots and pans, if your kitchen allows.

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Try a Retractable Book Stand

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A retractable book stand keeps a recipe at eye level while you're working, then folds back under a cabinet when you're done.

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Declutter Counters

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Declutter kitchen counters by mounting basics–calendar, phone, to-do lists–on the wall.

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