It’s no secret that the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s where we cook, eat, and socialize.
Because the kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house, organization is key to keeping things running smoothly. When it’s not well-organized, the clutter can make your kitchen feel uninviting and unusable.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to fight back against clutter. Today we’re breaking down two of our favorite techniques: kitchen organization and kitchen renovation.
Enjoy More Space Through Kitchen Organization
With the holidays fast approaching, you could be looking for some quick fixes to make your kitchen feel more spacious before the guests arrive. Through a well-organized kitchen, you can make this communal gathering space feel better in no time.
- Organize Your Fridge
For busy families, the fridge is often ground-zero for disarray.
Over the course of a week, a fridge can fill up with half-eaten fruits and vegetables, and Tupperware containers filled with who-knows-what. Not only unsightly, a disorganized fridge can lead to wasted food and money.
So how can you keep your fridge organized?
- Keep It Clean – Wipe up spills as they happen and give your fridge a deep clean regularly. This will help prevent mold and bacteria from growing and make it easier to see what you have on hand.
- Toss It Out – Make a habit of going through your fridge at least once a week and throwing out expired food or anything that’s no longer edible. This will help you keep track of what you have and make it easier to find what you need.
- Be selective – When you’re stocking your fridge, be selective about what you buy. Only buy what you know you’ll use and try to use up what you have before buying more. This will help you avoid having a lot of unused or unneeded food taking up space in your fridge.
- Organize Your Pantry
While a well-stocked pantry may be a cook’s best friend, a well-organized pantry is any homeowner’s best friend.
The trick is being diligent so that the space you do have doesn’t become an invitation to be lazy.
These are three guidelines we try to follow:
- Airtight Containers – Make sure to keep all food items stored in airtight containers. This will help to keep bugs and other pests out of your pantry.
- Labels – Label all of your containers so that you know what is inside of them. This will save you time when you are looking for something specific.
- Organize By Group – Keep your pantry organized by grouping similar items together. This will make it easier to find what you are looking for and will help to keep your pantry looking neat and tidy.
- Organize Your Drawers
Out of sight doesn’t necessarily mean out of mind.
Utensils, silverware, and other small items can quickly become a jumbled mess.
Here are our ways of keeping our drawers from becoming disasters:
- Keep What You Use – Keep only what you need in your kitchen drawers. This applies to utensils (does a couple really need 14 forks?) as well as the junk drawer. If you don’t use it, get rid of it. This will help to declutter and free up space.
- Drawer Dividers – Use drawer dividers and organizers to help keep things in their place. This will make it easier to find what you’re looking for and to keep things tidy.
- The Kitchen Is For The Kitchen – Because the kitchen is a central meeting place, so much of our everyday junk gets stored in these drawers. Designate other areas in your home – bills go to the office, school papers in a folder – to keep your kitchen clean.
Create More Space Through A Kitchen Renovation
Are you an organization pro, yet you still feel like you don’t have enough space in your kitchen?
Then it might be time to consider a kitchen renovation.
Here are three ways investing in an updated kitchen can help keep it more organized, too:
- Cabinets Create More Storage – One way to make your kitchen more organized is to create more storage. This can be done by installing new cabinets or shelves that are designed specifically for you, like bakers who need to store cookie sheets and cupcake trays.
- Islands Reduce Counter Clutter – Whether your kitchen doesn’t have an island or it needs reimagining, a new kitchen island helps keep you organized – while adding a nice bit of design.
- Under-Sink Space Frees Up Your Kitchen – Tired of having your garbage and recycling taking up precious floor space? Trash and recycling pullouts are a handy way to add more space.
Final Thoughts On Maximizing Your Kitchen Organization
Keeping your kitchen organized doesn’t need to be a daily battle. With a bit of planning, you can set up spaces that organization happens more naturally.
If you’re still finding it hard to get the most out of your kitchen, then a kitchen renovation might be in store.
Get in touch with our expert team at Johnson Lumber. We’ve been helping the Maryland community with their home design projects for 100 years, and we’d be happy to help with yours, too.
