Organizing a Kitchen
We recently helped a client reorganize her kitchen. She had organized it when she moved in a few years ago, and it was functioning just fine, but then along came the pandemic which brought (among other things) working from home, homeschooling, and an exciting new catering venture. So all at once, the kitchen took center stage and what had been working needed to be reconsidered.
She said she loves completely empty counters, which is the very best way to make a kitchen feel inviting and the very hardest thing to accomplish when you are cooking not just for your family every day, but customers, too. So the challenge was to give her realistic solutions that would make it easy for her and her lovely family to access – and then put away – everything they used each day.
Fortunately, the kitchen has plenty of cabinets, drawers and a large pantry, so space wasn’t an issue. Instead, we focused on making the best use of all that space based on their actual needs. These are some questions we asked her, and you can use them to guide your own decisions about how to make your kitchen work for you:
• How do you want this room to feel?
• What’s working?
• What’s frustrating?
• What do the kids need to be able to reach?
• What cooking condiments (spices, vinegars, oils) get used every day?
• What appliances and tools do you use most days?
Here’s the thing. You know what you like and what your habits are. That’s how you decide what stays out and what doesn’t. This family loves bread. A corner of their countertop is devoted to it: toaster, ceramic butter dish, wooden cutting board, and a large wooden bowl for all that carbohydrate goodness. It’s right above the silverware drawer and right below the plates (and a large jar of creamy peanut butter for the win), which means their kids can help themselves (another win).
Their juicer is also displayed on the counter. It’s black and really heavy and not particularly attractive. But it gets used frequently, so it deserves to be out. Would the counter look prettier and less cluttered without it? Probably. Does it make sense to put it away every day for the sake of aesthetics? Probably not.
But maybe you don’t use your toaster or a juicer regularly. Maybe coffee is your thing. So the toaster and juicer/crockpot/food processor get stored in the cabinet (the kind with pull out shelves are made for this – highly recommend), and you designate a beverage zone that is going to bring you all the happiness a cup of coffee creates. Mine is a wooden tray that holds the coffee maker, bean grinder and scoop, and a cup holder next to it with my favorite ceramic mugs.
With all the metal, appliances and hard surfaces in the kitchen, finding ways to introduce softer textures and organic elements is necessary...and fun! Our client seemed to have a knack for this: using a giant seashell as a fruit bowl, keeping herbs planted in terra cotta pots on the island and windowsill, and placing a beautiful Persian rug under the kitchen table. The result? A warm, inviting space that feels like an extension of their living room, which is crucial when you have an open floor plan.
Some other touches that help her kitchen feel loved, lived in and less sterile:
• Her kid’s artwork hung below the cabinets, the first thing she sees when she makes her tea
• More artwork and photos on the refrigerator, both heartwarming and a super way to cut down on fingerprints
• Funky little figures on the windowsill (a furry goat, a pewter mouse!) that tell a story
• A bamboo dish rack and wooden cookbook holder. These are a great example of elevating the ordinary. She needs and uses these all the time, so they are in full view, but they add warmth and style in a way that metal and plastic alternatives could not.
And let’s face it. A lived-in kitchen is going to get messy, because Life. So we left her with an empty cabinet, drawer and shelf space to stash extra stuff on the counters if she wants to clean up in a hurry. Because being able to say yes to friends coming over is the whole point. Note: we’re not suggesting your counters have to be empty to invite people in, we’re just offering a way to tidy up if you feel like it!
Here are some of the products we used that we would recommend, that our client was real happy with, and that cost a whole lot less than some other options. We all want the Pinterest-worthy pantry. We don’t all want the price tag that goes with it. You have options.
• Bamboo drawer dividers:
• Organizing trays for junk drawer:
• Bamboo dish rack:
• Pot rack for cabinet:
• Lazy susan:
• Pantry bins:
• Labels:
• Wall-mounted organizer for brooms/aprons
Remember, it’s okay to start with one drawer or one shelf. Don’t pull all the stuff out and put it on the table – that’s paralyzing! Start small, and work on a section at a time. You’ll get there. We believe in you.
– Carrie + Emily