The key to proper kitchen organization is to store everything while keeping your kitchen looking great and functioning smoothly. Seems simple, but with the grind of daily life and the realities of running a home, bad habits can form and messy kitchens can materialize.

To combat this, designing your kitchen with ample storage means you’ll be put in the absolute best position to succeed in keeping your kitchen well organized and looking great.

In this post, we’ll outline some of our favorite features and strategies for keeping a well organized kitchen in Portland. These will all be focused on beautiful, functional ideas that you can actually use.

 

Well-designed (and located) cabinets

The first step to planning any kitchen is selecting cabinets. This is not only because of their design importance, but because they will dictate how much storage you’ll have and where it will be located. This means you need to be comfortable with both their size and placement within the overall design of your kitchen.

When it comes to size, nobody wants to go overboard with cabinetry. That said, not having enough space in your cabinets can leave you jamming things into them or leaving more appliances or items out on the counter. This means a more cluttered space and a more disorganized life.

When deciding on the amount of storage, visualize where all the things in your current kitchen will go. Will your new cabinets store all of these things?

Where you place them matters, too. Think hard about how you use your kitchen and where you functionally need storage. Place these cabinets strategically to make sure you won’t be traveling across the kitchen regularly to find everything you need.

 

Make sure they look great, too

Cabinets are in many ways the heart of your kitchen. Your choice of floors, appliances, paint, and many other decisions will all be based partly on your cabinetry. Deciding on a design, material, and color you love will ensure your cabinets truly sing.

 

A pantry you love

While you’ll store silverware, dishware, pots, pans, and so much more in your cabinets, you’ll want a pantry in your home for storing food.

Pantries can range anywhere from a large, walk-in style closet to a smaller shelved space with a sliding door. No matter your needs, the inclusion will mean a less cluttered kitchen and a central place for food storage.

Within your pantry, you can include different levels of shelving, more cabinets, racks, or anything else that will fit your unique kitchen needs. We even know some homeowners who place their microwave in their pantries! The possibilities are endless.

 

Kitchen islands

In addition to adding counter space and seating options to a kitchen, they add diverse storage options.

For instance, they present a unique opportunity to add extra cold-temperature storage with the installation of an additional refrigerator. Another popular storage option commonly found in kitchen islands is a wine fridge, where you can keep your wine at the optimal temperature for both drinking and aging.

You’ll also be afforded more general storage space, which further decreases the clutter in your home.

 

What you can do yourself

Even if you’re not ready for a full kitchen remodel, there are still plenty of things you can do to increase the organization in your kitchen.

 

Hanging and vertical wall storage

Your kitchen’s walls will be a blank slate upon completion of a new remodel, and what better way to fill them than with the decor or a true chef. If you are like us and love the look of premium cookware, hanging storage is a great option.

While this does not work with all kitchen tools, many items look great, particularly when they are part of a larger set and are aesthetically cohesive. This includes items like:

  • Pots
  • Pans
  • Cooking utensils
  • Measuring tools

This storage option is also incredibly practical. Everything will be right there when you need it.

 

Store items together by use

It’s important to remember an organized kitchen is not one that simply looks neat and tidy. If you don’t know where anything is, or it takes forever to make your morning cup of coffee, there is work to be done.

One way to streamline your kitchen is to store items together by use. This means you’ll spend less of your life searching for items and more time using them.

A good place to start is organizing items into groups:

  • Everyday cooking items
  • Specialty-cooking appliances
  • Baking items
  • Cups and mugs
  • Bowls and plates
  • Perishable foods
  • Non-perishable foods
  • Spices (we love spice organizer drawers!)

While these are a good place to start, every kitchen and lifestyle is different, so don’t be afraid to store things in a style that reflects your reality.

 

Clear storage containers

While they can get messy at times, when managed right storage containers are great for flour, cereal, sugar, and all types of household items.

The best way to properly use these containers however is to use clear containers. This will avoid opening and closing many containers to find the one thing you need. To take things a step further, utilize a labelmaker to label what’s in each container.

 

Store containers and lids together

Anyone who has ever bought tupperware knows the frustration of losing its top eventually. Fortunately, this can be completely avoided by storing the container with the lid.

This can at times take up space, but when done strategically can lead to less time searching for the right container and avoid the disappointment of filling up a tupperware with leftovers only to not be able to find the top.

 

Have open space on your counter

This one is only possible if the rest of your kitchen is organized, but the cherry on top of a well organized kitchen is a clutter-free and open counter area.

While some well thought-out items have a place on the counter, that stack of bills or jumble of electronic cords can be stored elsewhere. This open space will allow you a clear mind as well as plenty of space to use your kitchen for daily tasks and preparing food.

 

Design a kitchen that enriches your life

At Mosaik Design, we build spaces that inspire. Whether you are looking to just update your kitchen and renovate your whole home, we love designing and building spaces that make Portland homeowners dreams come true.

Contact us today to learn more on how you can improve the organization of your kitchen through a kitchen remodel.