Organizing Your Kitchen

1. SHOW IT OFF
Celebrate the beauty and functionality of your most-used kitchen utensils and make them easy to access with handsome storage solutions such as a pot rack, wall-mounted rail systems for hanging tools, and knife slots in the countertop. A row of tall glass canning jars filled with a variety of foodstuffs increases storage space while adding lots attractive color, texture, and style.

2. THINK INSIDE THE BOX
From pull-out waste containers and towel bars, to Lazy Susans and shelves that pop your mixer up to the countertop, to slide-out organizers for condiments, and even pull-down shelving systems for hard-to-reach upper cabinets – there is a wide, almost endless, variety of inside-the-cabinet accessories to make your life more orderly. Some other favorites are ironing boards that pop out of drawers and integrated step stools that fold away or slip into the toe kick space below the cabinets. Make a list of your kitchen equipment first; then select the most practical systems for the cabinets you own. And there’ll be no more fumbling for the right kitchen tool if you select shallow drawers and fit them with multiple dividers.

3. PANTRIES ARE BACK
If you have an extra closet in a hallway near the kitchen or extra space under the stairs, consider converting it into a kitchen pantry. Great for bulk items, tall vases, and other awkwardly shaped kitchen leftovers, there’s nothing more flexible than the luxury of the wide-open space that a pantry affords. Remember: If you can’t see what you’re storing, chances are you won’t use it, so wire or glass shelves are always a practical choice.

4. MAKE USE OF EVERY INCH OF SPACE
Even the narrowest wedge of empty space can be transformed into a cabinet for dog leashes and keys. A one-can-deep pantry can be recessed into the kitchen wall between the studs. And the inside of a cabinet door can easily become an attractive and useful bulletin board.

5. BUILDE EXTRA WORKSTATIONS
Now that cooking has become a “team sport,” it helps to have a convenient workspace for each chef in the family. For food prep, be sure to include a sink, cutting board, paper towels and a waste can. Potting areas, message centers, computer desks, and hobby corners are also helpful ways to organize function in today’s busy kitchen.

6. REMEMBER THE PETS
Food and water bowls can be designed into low drawers that pull out at mealtime and then disappear discretely. Toys and pet cushions can be tucked into open lower cabinets or situated neatly under buffet tables. A litter box in a special corner of the pantry can even be ventilated if you plan ahead.

7. HIDDEN STORAGE
Window seats and banquettes with hinged or removable seats provide extra storage for seasonal items like holiday decorations and serving pieces.

8. ORGANIZE THE WHEEL WAY
From facilitating the burden of unloading heavy groceries to everyday tasks like loading the dishwasher and serving dinner, a small cart on wheels can make many jobs in the kitchen much go faster and smoother. Carts can be designed to slide under your countertop, nestle between standard cabinets, or to complement a kitchen island.

9. MULTIFUNCTIONAL APPLIANCES
Microwave ovens that make toast or brew coffee, refrigerators with integrated telecommunications systems, and sinks that morph into dishwashers are just a few of the new options that simplify kitchen complexity. Whenever possible, make choices that do double-duty, such as a salad spinner with a bowl that is pretty enough to serve the salad or a bamboo cutting board that’s nice enough for passing hors d’oeuvres.

10. MODULAR APPLIANCES
Dishwasher drawers, refrigerator and freezer drawers, and even microwaves in a drawer bring new flexibility to organizing your kitchen floor plan to fit the needs of your family.

Do you have any ideas for me? Please share on the Joan Asks You page.