11 Smart Storage Ideas for an Uncluttered Kitchen
These clever organizers help calm your kitchen so you can focus on the real business: dinner!
Having an organized kitchen can make cooking much more enjoyable. It allows you to focus on the recipe and the joy of creating a meal — rather than on finding out where your kids put your favorite cookie sheet when they emptied the dishwasher the night before. If you’re considering an upgrade to your kitchen, here are some fun storage options that can help keep your cookbooks, spices and appliances where they belong.
2. Built-in cookbook shelf. Even if you’ve moved mostly to online recipes, you may still have old standbys in paper form. And yes, you can put these cookbooks in a pretty shelving unit in the kitchen island or above your desk area, if you happen to have one. But why not place them front and center? Keeping cookbooks within sight might even inspire you to try that exotic recipe from the beautiful cookbook you bought but never touched. A great location for your collection is one that you frequently face, such as over your ovens, as shown in this pretty kitchen design.
Tip: To minimize the need to dust cookbooks on display, store them behind a glass cabinet door.
Tip: To minimize the need to dust cookbooks on display, store them behind a glass cabinet door.
3. Labeled shelves for appliances. I love the idea of labeling pullout shelves. Perhaps you’re wondering why you’d bother, since you can clearly see what’s sitting on each shelf. But the purpose of labeling isn’t to identify what’s sitting there. The goal is to indicate to your kitchen helpers where everything goes — avoiding the issue of many hands in the kitchen constantly inventing new storage spots. This particular photo has been wildly popular among Houzz users, as evidenced by it being saved to 180,000 ideabooks.
Tip: You can accomplish this look by purchasing chalkboard labels, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Make sure the label is removable so that you don’t damage your cabinets. Fair warning: Once you get started, you may get label-happy and start labeling all your containers in your cabinets too.
Tip: You can accomplish this look by purchasing chalkboard labels, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Make sure the label is removable so that you don’t damage your cabinets. Fair warning: Once you get started, you may get label-happy and start labeling all your containers in your cabinets too.
4. Cutlery divider drawers. I enjoy organizing utensils in custom, built-in cutlery divider drawers like these, which are typically used for storing silverware, but are also helpful for storing cooking utensils. Keep in mind that you may want these spaces to be bigger than what you would have for your daily-use forks, knives and spoons. I love this double-tier divider — and so did 360,000 other people who saved this photo to their ideabooks.
Tip: If you are looking for ways to organize your existing kitchen, you can purchase store-bought dividers for your silverware. Be sure to measure the interior of your drawers before you go to the store. Also, look for adjustable trays that will fit snugly within your drawer. If the spaces in ready-made silverware dividers are too small to fit your large cooking utensils, you could instead lay a cushioned grip liner at the bottom of a shallow drawer. The liner will prevent your cooking utensils from sliding on top of one another so that everything stays visible.
Tip: If you are looking for ways to organize your existing kitchen, you can purchase store-bought dividers for your silverware. Be sure to measure the interior of your drawers before you go to the store. Also, look for adjustable trays that will fit snugly within your drawer. If the spaces in ready-made silverware dividers are too small to fit your large cooking utensils, you could instead lay a cushioned grip liner at the bottom of a shallow drawer. The liner will prevent your cooking utensils from sliding on top of one another so that everything stays visible.
5. Pullout knife drawer. If you don’t have an entire cabinet to devote to your knife storage, a drawer like this could serve the same function. Knife storage also can be incorporated into the utensil drawer I described above.
Tip: Notice the lock on this drawer — it’s a great feature when you have curious little kids around. A lock also would be a practical solution on the knife cabinet in the next photo, where the knives are at kid-height. Even if you don’t live with kids at home, it’s a good safety precaution to take for visiting ones.
Tip: Notice the lock on this drawer — it’s a great feature when you have curious little kids around. A lock also would be a practical solution on the knife cabinet in the next photo, where the knives are at kid-height. Even if you don’t live with kids at home, it’s a good safety precaution to take for visiting ones.
6. Pullout knife cabinet. This cabinet eliminates the need for a chopping block on your countertop, holding knives in an easy-access pullout next to the oven.
Tip: Knife blocks are typically made out of hardwoods (maple, walnut) or bamboo. The one disadvantage of this type of knife storage is that you often can’t clean inside the holes — but you can get around this problem by choosing blocks with open ends on the bottom, as in this photo. If you aren’t designing a new kitchen, you might instead consider using a magnetic knife strip to store knives on your backsplash wall.
Tip: Knife blocks are typically made out of hardwoods (maple, walnut) or bamboo. The one disadvantage of this type of knife storage is that you often can’t clean inside the holes — but you can get around this problem by choosing blocks with open ends on the bottom, as in this photo. If you aren’t designing a new kitchen, you might instead consider using a magnetic knife strip to store knives on your backsplash wall.
7. Wall racks for pots and pans. When we think about kitchen storage, we tend to associate it with cabinetry. However, there are plenty of ways to use your vertical space as storage as well. This designer used the wall next to the cooking area to conveniently hang pots and pans. The racks are not only easy to access, but they also double as an interesting accent wall that lends personality to the space.
Tip: Use a pegboard to accomplish the same effect, but with the flexibility to move the hooks to accommodate different sizes of pots and pans. Pegboards come in a variety of colors to add pizazz to your kitchen.
Tip: Use a pegboard to accomplish the same effect, but with the flexibility to move the hooks to accommodate different sizes of pots and pans. Pegboards come in a variety of colors to add pizazz to your kitchen.
8. Deep pot drawer. Deep drawers can be a very practical place to store pots, pans and their accompanying lids — and you’ll want to use the full height of the drawer. Nest your pots and pans with the lids on top of one another to get the most out of the width, depth and length of your deep drawer. To ensure that your lids don’t topple, turn them upside down with the handle facing the inside the pot. Nest smaller lids in larger ones.
This setup is a great alternative to another one that looks appealing but that actually has drawbacks from a space-saving perspective. These are the cabinet organizers that divide the pots and pans from their lids. This is certainly a nice feature if you have the extra space in your kitchen, but sometimes extra organization comes at the cost of actual storage. To understand what I mean, imagine dedicating space for the lids in a deep drawer like the one pictured, say to the back or side of the drawer. Doing so would take away valuable drawer floor space — where you could instead be neatly laying out your pots and pans. Nesting the lids solves this problem.
Tip: In this same photo, notice that the handles of the pots and pans are staggered, rather than lined up in the same direction. This strategy also maximizes space. However, if you have so few pots and pans that you’re concerned they will collide each time you open and close the drawer, add a cushioned grip liner, as I suggested for the cutlery drawers. No more sliding!
This setup is a great alternative to another one that looks appealing but that actually has drawbacks from a space-saving perspective. These are the cabinet organizers that divide the pots and pans from their lids. This is certainly a nice feature if you have the extra space in your kitchen, but sometimes extra organization comes at the cost of actual storage. To understand what I mean, imagine dedicating space for the lids in a deep drawer like the one pictured, say to the back or side of the drawer. Doing so would take away valuable drawer floor space — where you could instead be neatly laying out your pots and pans. Nesting the lids solves this problem.
Tip: In this same photo, notice that the handles of the pots and pans are staggered, rather than lined up in the same direction. This strategy also maximizes space. However, if you have so few pots and pans that you’re concerned they will collide each time you open and close the drawer, add a cushioned grip liner, as I suggested for the cutlery drawers. No more sliding!
9. Cookie sheet dividers. I find that the best way to store cookie sheets is vertically, and the best place to do this is either over the fridge or over the ovens — that is, if you have a cabinet available above them. Keep in mind that, as for the cutlery dividers, you can custom-design the width of these dividers to suit your needs. I recommend making each slot big enough so that you can comfortably store a few trays or a large platter. Leaving 4 to 6 inches between the dividers is ideal.
Tip: Remember that the more dividers you have, the less space you actually have for storing cookie sheets and platters — because the dividers themselves take up room.
Tip: Remember that the more dividers you have, the less space you actually have for storing cookie sheets and platters — because the dividers themselves take up room.
10. Pullout spice cabinets. These pullout spice cabinets allow you to view what’s on each side of the stove at a quick glance. The middle shelves are typically adjustable and can accommodate the height of cooking oil bottles. When choosing this option, be sure to consider what you plan to store. Bear in mind that the width of the cabinet plays a key role in what you can fit. Common, comfortable sizes for this type of cabinet are 12 and 15 inches wide.
Tip: When designing a new kitchen, the look of a pullout spice cabinet on both sides of your cooktop is very pretty. However, you may not actually need that much space for spices and oils. If that’s the case, you could use the second pullout cabinet for canned goods. Or you could install the same-size cabinet but make it a regular cabinet door with the knob or handle at the top — voilà, you’ve created the look of a pullout.
Tip: When designing a new kitchen, the look of a pullout spice cabinet on both sides of your cooktop is very pretty. However, you may not actually need that much space for spices and oils. If that’s the case, you could use the second pullout cabinet for canned goods. Or you could install the same-size cabinet but make it a regular cabinet door with the knob or handle at the top — voilà, you’ve created the look of a pullout.
11. Sliding spice backsplash. This designer created a sliding backsplash wall to store spices. The sliding backsplash idea could be used to store many items: spices, oils, knives, cooking utensils, glasses or canned goods among them.
Tip: If you like this idea, speak with your kitchen designer during the design stage because this needs to be planned in advance so that you don’t give up counter depth to achieve this extra storage.
More
The 10 Most Popular Kitchen Photos of 2016
The 15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas on Houzz
Amp Up Your Storage With Pullouts
Tip: If you like this idea, speak with your kitchen designer during the design stage because this needs to be planned in advance so that you don’t give up counter depth to achieve this extra storage.
More
The 10 Most Popular Kitchen Photos of 2016
The 15 Most Popular Kitchen Storage Ideas on Houzz
Amp Up Your Storage With Pullouts
Tip: An alternative is a book stand that you can simply put on your countertop and easily move from prep area to cooking area.