24 Smart Organizing Ideas for Your Kitchen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sliding shelf organizers make frequently used gear easy to access.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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