It’s humbling to admit when you’re not inherently gifted at something — I spend so much time in my kitchen, and while I consider myself a proficient cook, the space in which I do so is an utter disaster. Spices topple over constantly, bags of dry goods barely held together by kitchen clips lean against one another, bowls and cups sit stacked just waiting for one wrong move to knock them all down. It was time to admit someone needed to intervene in the lack of organization in my life, I mean, kitchen.
I went straight to the pros. I contacted Julian Thomas, a home DIY expert, and sent over a few photos of my haphazard kitchen situation. I needed advice on how someone like myself can make my kitchen feel less cluttered (especially in my pantry), and his advice surprised me with how simple a few pieces can help anyone at any organizational skill level.
These are the three biggest tips Thomas shared with me that forever changed my kitchen storage, proving you don’t need the gift of organization to have a put-together kitchen.
Clear bins are the way to go!
I quite possibly have one of the most packed pantries on the planet. I have almost every spice, condiment, and vinegar you could think of. It’s fantastic for how much I cook, but less so for my not-so-organized mind. That’s where bringing in clear bins helps a ton to section off all the various bags and cylinders of pantry goods without getting overwhelmed on how exactly to place them, and helps to “create zones so things don’t blend into one big pile.”
Thomas recommended adding a few clear large Command caddies, and I used them to section my pantry off into snacks, bulk spices, bottled spices, baking goods, and miscellaneous items to “streamline the chaos and keep things accessible.” Just to make things extra accessible in my kitchen, I added another one above my stove to place some of my most used condiments and spices!
Where before I was constantly reaching into a sea of clutter, there are now manageable sections from which I can easily know where I should look to grab various pantry items. And even more helpful — doing this freed up almost an entire shelf in my pantry, which will play a key role in the next big tip.
Open shelving shouldn’t do the heavy lifting.
Before, I had so many heavy bowls sitting on my shelves. I figured they just needed to go somewhere accessible and they stacked there nicely. But not only was this rendering a ton of visual clutter, but it was weighing down the wire rack next to my stove.
“The open shelving is doing too much heavy lifting,” Thomas said. “I’d recommend relocating bulkier cookware (like bowls, appliances, or pantry backups) into the pantry closet so the metal shelf can be dedicated to daily-use items only. That frees up the kitchen to breathe.”
Luckily, as a result of my efforts from tip number one, there was an entire shelf where I could transfer not only all the salad bowls from my wire rack, but also all the bowls from the open shelf above my fridge! It’s still accessible, and so much space was cleared to allow me to just have my cutting boards and a bowl of rags, plus other items I use daily. How neat!
Free your counters!
It’s simple, really: “Keep as many items as possible off the countertop.” At least, it seemed simple. One of the biggest offences I committed in my kitchen was keeping almost everything I could on every counter surface available (which was limited to begin with). This made daily cooking stressful as I was always at risk of knocking things over. On top of that, I overpacked my crock with all of my bigger cooking utensils, which not only meant it visually looked cluttered, but almost every time I took a spatula out, a ladle or pair of tongs came flying out with it. Annoying!
I took Thomas’ advice and shuffled some things around. I managed to move a bunch of my coffee supplies into my new bins, and hung my four most used ladles and spatulas on some general-purpose Command hooks to not only make it easier to access my most-needed tools, but to visually clear up my counter space. I also hung my paper towel holder above my sink as opposed to having it take up counter space, freeing up even more workspace for cooking.
Phew! Now, my kitchen is simply so much more breathable. Trust me, I totally get not having the picture-perfect organization gene — that’s why following a few simple rules can make the process of refreshing your kitchen much less overwhelming. And even if you don’t consider the looks of your kitchen, you’d be surprised how much easier it is to find and use everything when you know where it is. Who would’ve thought?