10 Tips for Designing a Kitchen That’s Easy to Keep Organized
As the heart of the home, the kitchen is where we gather with friends and family to cook, eat, celebrate and socialize. Spending so much time in the kitchen also means it can easily become messy and disorganized. Fortunately, you can design your space so that it’s easy to find what you need — and return items to their rightful places. Read on for 10 ways to create a tidy, clutter-free kitchen.
1. Create Adequate Storage Space
Open-concept kitchens, which open up to the main living and dining spaces, are popular in many new and renovated kitchens. When considering removing walls in your kitchen, keep in mind that you’ll also be eliminating storage space. Be sure there’s adequate storage elsewhere for all of your kitchen items and food.
2. Think About Island Storage
Many of my clients prefer generous-sized kitchen islands with bar seating because they entertain frequently and enjoy chatting with guests while preparing food. That means they may have to move bar stools to access island storage, depending on the design, which can be cumbersome.
Consider where your bar stools will be if you plan on incorporating storage into an island with lots of seating. Or try to store infrequently used items in the cabinets where there will be seating. (Also consider if your kitchen has the square footage necessary to accommodate an expansive island. In some cases, a large island can impede traffic flow.)
3. Opt for Large Drawers Instead of Lower Cabinets
I recommend using large drawers beneath countertops — like the ones by
Synergy Design & Construction seen here — instead of conventional lower cabinets with shelves. I like this option because access is so much easier. With drawers, you won’t need to stoop down to search for something hiding in the back of a lower cabinet. Also, items can be more easily organized and stored.
Keep in mind that drawers are more expensive than cabinets because of the additional internal hardware. Depending on your budget, the added functionality may be worth the splurge.
A pegboard with adjustable pegs at the bottom of a drawer, like this one by Apple Wood Construction, makes it easy to keep items organized and in place.
4. Reconsider Open Shelving
As a professional organizer, I recommend investing in traditional upper cabinets with doors for most of your upper storage. Unless everyone in your family is extremely organized, open shelves can quickly become cluttered and messy. Also, the items on shelves can become magnets for dust, grime and grease from cooking oil.
A small shelf area, as seen in this kitchen from Glen Abbey Contractors, might be all you need to display a few favorite pieces.
5. Choose Solid Doors for Upper Cabinets
Glass-front cabinets can be tempting, especially if you have beautiful glasses or dinnerware you want to display. However, cabinets can easily look cluttered if everything isn’t organized. If you love this look, perhaps consider installing only a few glass-front cabinets to display standout decor or kitchen items that aren’t used frequently.
6. Place Your Dishwasher for Easy Access to Storage
In most kitchens, the dishwasher is conveniently located next to the sink to simplify loading. When laying out your space, also think about the ease of unloading clean dishes and flatware. Consider where you’ll be standing when the dishwasher door is open and how easily you’ll be able to access drawers and storage.
Since emptying the dishwasher is a frequent task, convenient access to storage should be a priority. I have seen several kitchens where an open dishwasher door blocks access to storage for dinnerware and flatware. Other kitchen layouts require walking across the room to put away dishes. Also make sure there’s plenty of space to stand at the sink when loading the dishwasher.
7. Hide Waste Bins
I suggest including a pullout compartment to stash trash and recycling. If your waste management company also collects compost, consider adding a green waste bin as well. This one by Amazing Spaces also includes a built-in cutting board on top. A handy opening allows you to easily sweep food waste into the composting bin.
8. Splurge on a Walk-In Pantry
I recommend splurging on a walk-in pantry if your budget and square footage allow, especially if you have children at home. Generally, shallow shelves make it easy to see and locate items quickly.
Think about installing a shallow counter with electrical outlets for small appliances, as shown in this project by Bradford Custom Homes & Remodeling. Your coffee maker, toaster and other small appliances can live in the pantry permanently, eliminating visual clutter on your kitchen counters.
9. Consider an Appliance Garage
If a walk-in pantry isn’t in your plans, an appliance garage might be a viable alternative. Small appliances, such as the toaster, blender and microwave, can be permanently stored on the countertop. In this kitchen by Jennifer Radakovic Design, a handy door folds down to keep appliances out of sight when not in use.
10. Add a Drop Zone for Mail and Paperwork
Incoming paper — mail, homework, receipts and other documents — is one of the biggest causes of clutter for many of my clients. I recommend adding a drop zone to sort and organize incoming paper if space allows.
Consider giving each household member an assigned file slot to temporarily store their documents. Put name labels on each slot so papers can be easily sorted and retrieved.
There are so many decisions to make when remodeling a kitchen. I recommend selecting a pro team that listens and collaborates with you during the design process so all of your needs are addressed. An experienced team should be able to create a new kitchen that is both beautiful and functional.