40+ Sensible Kitchen Group Concepts to Maximize Your Area

These good kitchen group concepts will assist maximize your cupboard space and hold it neat and tidy!

Organizing the kitchen is usually a little bit of a bear. There are normally tons and many gadgets we need to retailer and never a lot room to do it. Or even when we’ve the area, it rapidly will get unruly and appears like a cluttered mess.

Since we have to eat, we frequently spend an honest period of time in our kitchens, and that point feels far more nice when every little thing is tidy and arranged. So I believed I’d spherical up all of my most favourite kitchen group concepts in hopes that a few of them might be useful for organizing your kitchen area!

Kitchen Group Concepts to Maximize Your Area

This publish incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. For extra data, see my disclosures right here.

I’ve lived with kitchens of all sizes and shapes. From a really, very small galley-style kitchen in my first one bed room condo to our pretty small townhouse kitchen…

…to our present kitchen that’s on the larger aspect, every area has had its personal distinctive challenges relating to group.

The “excellent” kitchen group setup will differ based mostly in your area, your routines, your preferences, and the wants of the folks in your family. Issues which have labored completely for me might not work in any respect for you (and vice versa), and that’s okay!

However hopefully the concepts that I share beneath will act as a spark of inspiration you can take and tweak to suit your personal area as you see match.

Normal Kitchen Group

Earlier than I get into nitty gritty kitchen group concepts, there are two methods that I’d suggest for each single kitchen if in any respect attainable. (And each single area in the home, for that matter!)

1. Declutter like loopy.

It does us no good to simply rearrange all types of stuff that we’ll by no means ever use. If the litter remains to be there– even whether it is hiding in cute bins and baskets– it would nonetheless take over finally and derail our different organizing efforts.

So earlier than I purchase one bin and even determine on the everlasting placement of 1 merchandise, I wish to undergo and do away with as a lot stuff as attainable. I usually seize three rubbish luggage or cardboard bins and label them “trash,” “donate,” and “promote.” Then I’m going by means of my total area and put something I now not love or use typically into the suitable bag.

Whereas I’m decluttering, I additionally search for any gadgets that needs to be relocated. For instance, if I’m going by means of my kitchen cupboards and are available throughout some motion figures that my boys have stashed in there, I’m going to maneuver them again to their playroom and out of the way in which.

After I do away with something that I don’t love or use typically, I then…

2. Put like gadgets collectively.

By storing like gadgets collectively, it turns into simpler to search out what I want after I want it. It is usually extra apparent to different members of my family the place issues go to allow them to put gadgets again of their designated spots too.

This photograph is from after I was decluttering our townhouse kitchen and placing like gadgets collectively. Who knew that such a small kitchen might maintain a lot stuff?!

Taking the time to place like gadgets collectively additionally exhibits us precisely what we’re working with and the way a lot area we’ll want so we will make educated choices about the place to place every little thing.

Kitchen Cupboard Group

Kitchen cupboards may be among the hardest areas to prepare within the kitchen. Let’s take a look at some concepts for maximize area in them.

3. Nest or stack pots and pans.

After making an attempt a bunch of various strategies for storing pots and pans and their lids, I all the time appear to come back again to nesting them inside each other with the lids on high. I just like the concept of different strategies like submitting them or hanging lids on backs of doorways, however in observe (at the very least for me), that is one occasion the place the only resolution was the perfect resolution. It additionally takes up the least quantity of area.

We’ve just a few pans that we wished to ensure didn’t get scratched, so for these we bought an organizer like this one. It makes the a lot of the vertical area whereas nonetheless conserving the pans from scraping in opposition to each other.

4. File pans and slicing boards.

If I’ve a selection between “submitting” issues upright or stacking them flat, I’ll virtually all the time select submitting.

It permits me to have the ability to see the entire gadgets without delay. And I’m not all the time unstacking and re-stacking to get to the merchandise I want. To provide my pans and slicing boards slightly additional help when submitting them, I take advantage of an organizer like this one.

Most of us have the problem of not having sufficient cupboard area, so we have to profit from each inch! I’ll typically use riser cabinets so as to add one other layer in a cupboard so I can retailer extra gadgets neatly and effectively.

I used a wire riser shelf on this cupboard, however I truly like these strong ones higher.

6. Use bins to corral small gadgets on cabinets.

Generally we’ve a whole lot of little gadgets that we have to retailer collectively in our cupboards. Quite than having a bunch of small stuff floating round making a multitude, I wish to put like gadgets collectively in a bin to maintain them tidy.

Bins are particularly helpful on greater cabinets. Quite than having to awkwardly attempt to root round within the very again to attempt to discover what we’d like, we will merely pull the whole bin down, seize what we got here for, and put the bin again.

7. Use all the identical kind of meals storage containers so that they nest neatly.

That is considered one of my kitchen pet peeves, so if you happen to don’t really feel as strongly about this one as I do, be happy to disregard me. 😉 However I completely want all of my tupperware / meals storage containers to be an identical set in order that they nest neatly inside each other. (I presently have double of this set.)

When I’ve mismatched units, they don’t all the time match collectively nicely and the tupperware cupboard turns into a multitude. It’s additionally more durable to maintain observe of the lids, which drives me nuts. And talking of lids…

8. File meals storage container lids in a bin.

Once more, I attempt to use the least quantity of area attainable whereas conserving every little thing organized, so submitting the tupperware lids upright in a bin has labored finest for me. Tons of lids. Teeny little bit of area. Everyone wins.

Now this can be an unpopular organizing opinion, however I don’t usually love utilizing the again of the door for storing issues. It typically feels actually clunky and may mess up different gadgets within the cupboard that it hits.

Nevertheless, I notice that typically in small areas, we actually want the again of the doorways to work exhausting for us. So in some circumstances, when we’ve sufficient area to make use of the again of the door with out disrupting the opposite gadgets within the cupboard, it may be resolution.

It is a image from my mother’s kitchen the place she makes use of {a magazine} file to carry gadgets on the again of considered one of her cupboard doorways. This works completely as a result of she has her cleansing provides in a bin that sits far again sufficient that the journal file won’t disturb the cleansing provides when the door is closed.

10. File fold kitchen towels to maintain them tidy.

Right here is one other instance of my “file when attainable” mantra! I really feel like I can match extra towels/washcloths in an area. AND I can see all that I’ve extra simply when they’re file folded reasonably than stacked.

This photograph is from our IKEA kitchen within the townhouse, and I like their choice of getting a transparent drawer divider to separate the area.

11. Corral youngsters’ dishes in a bin to present boundaries.

Children’ stuff is all the time difficult to maintain organized. It’s undoubtedly a stability between wanting to present them independence and wanting their gear to remain tidy!

When attainable, I wish to hold the youngsters’ dishes down low to allow them to attain them on their very own. (It wasn’t attainable in our townhouse kitchen, and that was tremendous too! However since we’ve the area in our present kitchen, I put the youngsters’ stuff inside their attain.)

I’ve discovered that the boys will hold their gadgets quite a bit tidier if there are extra boundaries. So for instance, if I put their plates, cups and bowls straight on this slide-out shelf, they might in all probability not be neatly stacked. They might be sliding round all over the place and falling off the perimeters. And they’d be a basic sizzling mess.

However by merely including slightly basket, there’s now solely room to stack the stuff neatly, it doesn’t fall out, and it’s clear precisely the place every little thing goes.

12. Use stacking bins to profit from shelf area.

One other technique to maximize area within the cupboards is to make the most of stacking bins. I don’t love lidded stacking bins as a result of it may be a ache to get to those on the underside. However I do actually like stacking bins with an open entrance that you just don’t should un-stack and re-stack to get to what you want.

At one level, we used stacking bins to carry pods in our espresso station, they usually labored very well for us.

13. Seize a caddy for cleansing merchandise.

I like to prepare. I don’t love to wash. However cleansing will get only a tiny bit higher if I’ve a cute caddy for my provides!

I like the caddy choice as a result of I can simply take all of my provides with me all through the home, wherever I might have to wash.

14. Maximize area below the sink with stacking drawers.

The under-the-sink cupboard is usually tall and deep, so using vertical area is of the utmost significance! These clear stacking drawers are a few of my favorites for holding small gadgets. We’ve had ours for years, they usually’ve held up superbly.

15. Use stacking containers to make the most of under-the-sink vertical area.

And talking of maximizing vertical area below the sink, stacking containers may help with that too! I’ve these ones. These ones are comparable however are a inexpensive choice!

Organizing the Kitchen Drawers

Drawer area may be at a premium within the kitchen, so we’d as nicely profit from what we’ve bought! Listed here are my finest suggestions for conserving the drawers neat and tidy:

16. Add drawer liners to guard the insides of the drawer.

That is clearly optionally available, however I like to make use of drawer liners as a result of they’re straightforward to wipe down and may rapidly get replaced if there’s an enormous mess or they get worn out. (Whereas it will be far more troublesome to exchange the precise backside of the drawer or the whole drawer itself.)

I additionally love the lovable pop of sample that peeks out! That is my favourite drawer liner that I take advantage of throughout our home.

17. Use organizers to corral Ziplock luggage, foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, and extra.

Our drawers had been too shallow to accommodate the bins that the ziplock luggage, foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, and parchment paper got here in.

I didn’t have a fantastic system in place for them till I discovered some bamboo organizers made particularly for that goal! I take advantage of these for the Ziplock luggage, this for the two gallon Ziplocks, and this organizer for the foil and different rolls.

18. Make the most of drawer organizers for silverware and utensils.

At any time when I’m organizing smaller gadgets particularly, I strive to ensure I divide up the area so every little thing has a devoted spot. I discovered these specific drawer dividers years in the past, so I don’t assume the teal-bottomed model is on the market anymore, however these are comparable.

Some folks have checked out my kitchen gadget drawer (above) and have mentioned, “That’s all you’ve got?! The place are the remainder of them?!”

That’s not all I’ve. However the one little devices I hold within the drawer are those I take advantage of typically. (And I’m not an enormous prepare dinner, so there aren’t many.) For devices that I nonetheless must hold round for infrequent use, I hold a basket greater up in considered one of my kitchen cupboards to retailer them.

That approach, I nonetheless have the devices after I want them, however my drawer stays tidy and uncluttered and may open and shut simply.

(I notice that is within the cupboard, but it surely’s associated to the utensils within the drawer, so I figured I’d put it on this part! 😉 )

20. Select an in-the-drawer knife rack.

I used to maintain a knife block on the counter, however after I went on a mission to clear the counters as a lot as attainable, I discovered this in-the-drawer knife rack and adore it. (I’ve two of those within the drawer pictured.)

The blades are tucked away so nobody by chance will get lower, and I can retailer a bunch of kitchen knives in not a lot area in any respect.

21. Tidy up the junk drawer.

Whether or not it’s proper within the kitchen or someplace shut by, most of us have a “junk drawer” the place we hold workplace provides and different requirements that we attain for occasionally. However although it’s a junk drawer, it doesn’t should be a cluttered mess!

I added some dividers to our junk drawer and labeled the bottoms of them so everybody might see what goes the place, they usually keep neat and arranged!

Maintaining the Kitchen Counter tops Tidy

Surfaces are magnets for litter, so it’s straightforward for our kitchen counters to rapidly turn out to be overrun with stuff. Right here’s just a few methods I attempt to hold them as uncluttered as attainable…

22. Use a cake stand to maintain the sink space uncluttered.

As I did with my youngsters’ dishes, the cake stand limits the realm obtainable to carry gadgets. We hold absolutely the requirements on it however know that when we’re out of room, the rest must be tucked away out of sight. Plus, cake stands are so fairly too!

23. Make the most of a tray to corral small home equipment on the counter.

I’ll not love the look of my home equipment on the counter, however for those I take advantage of each day, it’s an excessive amount of of a ache to take them out and put them away on a regular basis. I hold ours on a tray that sits out on the counter. But when we’re having firm over or I want extra counter area, it’s straightforward to simply decide up the entire tray and tuck it away someplace.

24. Corral utensils in pitchers or crocks.

One other approach I hold my gadget/utensil drawers from turning into overstuffed is to corral our utensils in some kind of container on the counter. This makes them straightforward to succeed in whereas we’re cooking, they usually double as cute decor too!

I’ve used these pitchers to carry our utensils…

Or little crocks like these ones can work nicely too…

25. Use a divided lazy Susan for smaller gadgets.

I’m all the time on the lookout for methods to make use of lazy Susans as a result of I feel they’re superior! Regardless that I don’t drink espresso, I bought very excited when Donnie bought his Nespresso machine as a result of I wished to prepare the entire totally different pods! 🙂 The lazy Susan labored superbly for this.

A divided lazy Susan is also choice for making slightly snack station. Kiddos can simply discover what they want and seize it themselves. I present it on the counter right here, but it surely might additionally work nicely within the pantry.

Kitchen Pantry Group Concepts

I like, love, love an organized kitchen pantry as a result of I really feel like when the pantry is organized, the remainder of the kitchen stays quite a bit tidier too!

Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to prepare the pantry:

26. Use risers to prepare spices and/or cans.

Many pantries have deep-ish cabinets the place gadgets can simply get misplaced within the again and turn out to be unorganized. One technique to fight that is to make use of risers like these in order that gadgets within the again may be seen extra simply and don’t get forgotten about within the black gap!

27. Group like gadgets in bins.

Right here we’re again to grouping like gadgets once more! Within the pantry the place there are sometimes a number of cabinets, it’s simpler to maintain every little thing tidy when like gadgets are grouped collectively. I wish to hold smaller gadgets collectively in bins in order that they don’t get unruly and float round all around the pantry, making a multitude.

The bins proven right here maintain my boys’ faculty snacks (our college prefers that they bring about individually packaged gadgets so there’s a label for figuring out allergens), some miscellaneous gadgets like taste packets for drinks, and a bin for seasonings.

28. Decant dry items for a streamlined look.

Decanting— or taking gadgets out of their authentic packages and placing them in uniform containers as an alternative– is essentially a private desire factor, however I’m a fan! I like the streamlined look of it. I like that I can do away with a whole lot of extra packaging. And I actually love that I can see precisely how a lot of every little thing I’ve so I do know after I want to select up extra on the retailer.

I personally decant pasta and dry items like flour and sugar. I don’t decant snack meals like chips and cookies or cereal as a result of I don’t really feel like they stick round lengthy sufficient to make it value it. However once more– that is completely a private desire factor!

I presently use these containers (pictured above) for decanting. I labeled them myself utilizing my Cricut Discover slicing machine and adhesive vinyl.

29. Use clear adhesive enterprise card holders to retailer directions and expiration dates.

After we determine to decant a few of our pantry gadgets, we even have to determine how we are going to hold observe of knowledge from the unique packaging, like directions and expiration dates.

The best way I’m doing that presently is by utilizing clear adhesive enterprise card holders on the again of my containers to carry any pertinent data.

The directions keep clear and tidy, and I don’t have to succeed in into the meals to retrieve the instructions/expiration information.

30. Hold a clipboard and moist erase marker shut by to doc expiration dates.

One other approach I’ve solved this downside is by making a printable to maintain observe of the dates. I laminated mine and use a moist erase marker to maintain it up to date in order that I don’t must print a brand new one each time one thing adjustments.

31. Select built-in scoops.

One among my favourite options of the OXO pantry containers is their means to carry a half cup scoop on the underside of the lid!

The news attaches to a small round disk on the lid and is available anytime I must measure out no matter I’m storing within the bin.

32. Use a wine rack to corral water bottles.

Water bottles used to drive me insane! It appeared like it doesn’t matter what I attempted, they had been all the time falling over and making a multitude. Just a few years in the past, I noticed the thought to make use of a wine rack to retailer them on their sides, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

This method additionally retains us from accumulating water bottles in extra. We solely hold what we’ve room to retailer.

33. Benefit from vertical area with a tiered lazy Susan.

Earlier than we switched some issues round in our townhouse, we solely had an itty bitty pantry that was about 9″ deep. Yikes. You’d higher wager I did every little thing I probably might to make the most of each inch of that little area, together with utilizing these nifty tiered lazy Susans.

Through the use of the lazy Susans to carry our cans and spices, I used to be in a position to get rid of a whole lot of the useless area I’d have had if I had solely been storing one layer of things on the shelf.

34. Hold greater bins on the ground of the pantry to corral luggage and overflow.

One other downside folks come throughout when decanting is that their container isn’t large enough to carry a complete bundle of one thing, so that they find yourself with some extra that they’re unsure what to do with.

I resolve this downside by conserving two deep bins on the backside of our pantry. If I open a brand new bundle of flour, for instance, and never all of it would slot in my container, I shut up the remainder of the bag and put it in considered one of these backside bins. Then I take advantage of it first the following time I make a recipe that requires flour, and it’s usually gone fairly rapidly.

I additionally use these bins to carry bigger gadgets (like cereal bins) and issues that might sit awkwardly on the cabinets (like luggage of chips and popcorn).

35. Add labels!

Labels are all the time optionally available, however I’m a fan! They make gadgets simpler to search out, may help give an area a streamlined look, they usually simply look plain cute!

Within the picture above, I used clip-on labels for the bins. I then used my Cricut Discover + adhesive vinyl to label the containers and spice jars.

Generally folks can really feel like including labels causes visible litter. (I truly don’t love labels in my fridge for that purpose, so I don’t use them.) If that is you, be happy to make use of labels very sparingly or in no way!

No pantry? Get concepts for organizing baking provides in a kitchen cupboard.

36. Maximize area within the pantry with a closet system.

Now this one requires a little bit of a funds, however it will possibly additionally make a huge effect.

I’ve usually discovered that almost all pantries usually are not arrange for optimum effectivity. As such, in each properties I’ve owned, we’ve ripped out the prevailing system and put in a brand new closet system to make absolutely the a lot of the area. And it has been a complete sport changer!

(On this closet we used IKEA’s ALGOT system. They lately discontinued ALGOT and changed it with the BOAXEL system, which could be very comparable.)

The “pantry” proven above was truly the coat closet in our townhouse, however we used the closet system to transform it right into a full pantry and relocated our jackets. Don’t be afraid to get artistic together with your area if the area you’ve got isn’t working!

Organizing the Fridge

The fridge is one other a type of areas the place I’ll go in opposition to widespread organizing opinions. I do know that there are tons of gorgeous fridges on Instagram and Pinterest with tons of bins and organizers and coloration coded meals and all types of stuff.

I’ve discovered, nevertheless, that in actual life, I don’t truly like to make use of a whole lot of bins within the fridge in any respect. As a result of I don’t purchase the identical actual gadgets each time I’m going to the shop, the bins take away a whole lot of wanted flexibility and simply find yourself getting in the way in which for me.

(When you like them and located some that work nicely for you, by all means hold utilizing them! It’s all about discovering the system that works nicely in your particular person area!)

There are two little exceptions to my “much less is extra” bin coverage within the fridge, and they’re…

37. Divide up the deli drawer.

Our fridge has this shallow drawer that spans the entire width of the fridge. It was driving me loopy as a result of each time I’d go to seize meats and cheeses, I must search by means of a bunch of stuff I didn’t want earlier than I discovered what I used to be on the lookout for.

I used to be thrilled, then, after I got here throughout these organizers and two of them simply occurred to suit completely collectively in our deli drawer.

This allowed me to divide up the area, conserving like gadgets collectively, so we might extra rapidly and simply discover what we wanted.

38. Divide up freezer area with containers if wanted.

I applaud the individuals who designed our present freezer, as a result of it has a bunch of nifty dividers and sections in-built that make it straightforward to maintain every little thing tidy. Our townhouse freezer, nevertheless, didn’t have that.

To assist hold it slightly neater, I added a bin to corral luggage of frozen veggies and fruits. This allowed them to face upright, conserving them in a neat row reasonably than being piled up haphazardly.

As a basic rule of thumb, take note of the issues which are driving you nuts once you go to get one thing out of your fridge or freezer. If there’s one thing that could be a ache each time, that’s when it could be time to provide you with one other system for it or strive including some kind of organizer.

If it’s not driving you nuts, it could be higher to protect the pliability of your fridge area and go together with much less organizers reasonably than extra.

Methods to Herald Further Kitchen Storage

Generally irrespective of how a lot we attempt to set up and the way typically we transfer issues round, the kitchen we’ve is just not large enough to accommodate the entire gadgets we have to retailer there. When that’s the case, it’s time to get artistic and use different storage options to assist us keep organized.

If that is so in your house, listed here are some issues you could possibly strive…

If there’s open wall area within the kitchen, floating cabinets might be a fantastic resolution. They might maintain pantry gadgets or dishes or espresso and occasional mugs– so many choices!

When you’re nervous about gadgets on the cabinets trying messy, take into account corralling them in a cute basket. They’ll nonetheless be proper at your fingertips whereas nonetheless trying tidy.

40. Cling pots and pans from a pegboard to unencumber area within the cupboards.

One other technique to profit from wall area could be to hold a pegboard or two. (I like these ones.) Hooks can maintain every little thing from pots and pans to kitchen utensils to racks for spices and extra.

41. Select a light-weight fixture with added storage.

My mother lives in a fantastic older home with tons of character, but it surely has virtually no giant decrease cupboard storage within the kitchen. To retailer her pots and pans, she selected a light-weight fixture that was additionally a pot rack, and her kitchen provides now double as cute decor as nicely!

42. Create a backup pantry in a close-by area.

If kitchen cupboard area is minimal, take into account making a “backup pantry.” Earlier than we created a much bigger pantry utilizing the closet at our townhouse, I had a backup pantry space within the basement that held gadgets that I used often however didn’t want entry to on a regular basis.

My sister did one thing comparable utilizing a bookshelf in a mudroom space close to her kitchen.

Utilizing the backup pantry technique is nice as a result of it helps the kitchen cupboards from being overstuffed, which makes it simpler to maintain them tidy.

43. Construct a cupboard to cover the trash can.

Generally the trash can can eat up useful cupboard area, so as an alternative of taking on an present cupboard, take into account DIY-ing a cupboard particularly for the trash can to unencumber some area within the kitchen.

We constructed this trash cupboard to match the kitchen in our townhouse. You’ll be able to see the tutorial right here.

44. Herald a sideboard or rolling cart for extra storage.

Are you able to usher in a bit of furnishings for some added storage? In our townhouse kitchen, the window wall was sort of a waste storage-wise as a result of there was no approach so as to add cupboards to it.

Someday I used to be transferring stuff round and occurred to push our entry desk in entrance of the window to get it out of the way in which, and I spotted that it was an ideal match! I ended up utilizing it as a kitchen sideboard, giving me some additional drawers and extra floor space as nicely.

One other piece to think about bringing in is a rolling cart or island on wheels. These are particularly nice for small areas as a result of they’ll simply be pushed out of the way in which when wanted. AND additionally they add some much-needed storage.

45. Use hooks on a rail to maintain utensils close by.

I like this little rail on the finish of our island as a result of it’s useful and exquisite on the similar time. There are lots of several types of equipment that may hold from it as nicely.

When you don’t have an finish cupboard or island, these rails will also be used so as to add storage within the backsplash space, significantly if it isn’t tiled.

Whew! That was a whole lot of kitchen group concepts in a single publish! I hope you discovered some inspiration to make use of in your personal area.

I additionally know that this publish was nowhere close to exhaustive, so please let me know your favourite kitchen group concepts within the feedback beneath!

Thanks a lot for following alongside! Have a fantastic day!

This publish incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. For extra data, see my disclosures right here.