Kitchen cabinets are responsible for storing all the things you don't want to show in your kitchen. With so many items to store, including pots, pans, dishes, appliances, and dry goods, kitchen cabinets can quickly become cluttered. If this is the case in your kitchen, you may have a hard time navigating through them, whether you're looking for a particular spice or your favorite dish. To streamline this space, we spoke to experts who share their tips for organizing your kitchen cabinets.
- Nikki BellShe is a professional organizer and founder of Just Us Organizing, a service that offers in-person and virtual decluttering assistance services.
- Darla DeMorowShe is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of HeartWork Organizing, a commercial and residential organizing service.
- Jamie HoadFounder of Horderly, a professional home organization company that specializes in organizing, decluttering, and unpacking.
Overlapping parts
If you haven't organized your cabinets in a while, you probably have some duplicate items or items that you haven't used in a while. It's best to invest in one quality item rather than keeping three or four items that all serve the same function.
Consider frequency of use
When organizing your kitchen cabinets, think about how much you use the items in them: Store items you rarely use (like holiday dishes) in a less accessible place than items you use regularly (like everyday drinkware).
Organize based on layout
Always organize your kitchen cabinets based on where you will use the item – for example, things you need for cooking should be placed near the countertop or other work area.
Using labels
Label each cabinet so you know exactly what's in it: “You can put bin-lip labels on cabinet shelves, drawers, or on the inside of any boxes you use for storage,” says Jamie Hord, founder of professional home organization company Horderly.
Buy a spice rack
Martha Stewart
If you store spices in your kitchen cupboards, the best way to keep them organised is to store them in a spice rack. Place them in a cupboard near where you prepare and cook your food for easy access.
Try a turntable
If you have the space, rolling shelves are great for deep cabinets because they bring contents forward, says Darla DeMorrow, certified professional organizer and owner of HeartWork Organizing. Use them to store spices and other small pantry items.
Adjusting Cabinet Shelves
If your cabinets have adjustable shelves, move their side pegs to customize shelf heights and take advantage of vertical space. “By grouping tall items on one shelf and shorter items on another, you can reclaim wasted space you didn't realize you had,” says DeMorrow.
Increase height with risers
Don't have adjustable shelves? No problem! Instead, install risers within your cabinets to take advantage of wasted vertical space. “Risers allow you to create two shelves in one space,” says Nikki Bell, professional organizer and founder of Just Us Organizing.
Installing the Slide Basket
Slide-out baskets are easy to install yourself; most products can usually be screwed directly into your cabinets. “They're especially great for organizing smaller items within larger cabinets, like storing sponges in a slide-out basket under your sink,” says DeMoreau.
Try vertical spacers
Courtesy of Home Depot
Vertical spacers are handy when storing party trays or platters: “These items are typically unique in size and would be damaged if stacked improperly,” says Bell. “The dividers make them easier to store and retrieve.”
Consider over-the-door storage
Maximize your cabinet space by storing thin, compact items over the doors—for example, you could install baskets to hold food storage container lids or tumbler straws, says Bell—but you want your cabinet doors to open and close easily, so make sure you have adequate door clearance first.
Get stackable drawers
Another great option if you don't have adjustable shelves are stackable drawers, which allow you to take advantage of vertical space while still organizing your items, Bell says. For example, if you store dry goods in your kitchen cabinets, you can better organize your items by keeping pasta in one drawer and baking essentials in another.
Choose a pot lid organizer
Pot lid organizers can keep your lids in one place, as long as they fit your particular cabinet. “Vertical sorters are easy to use, but they take up a lot of space in your cabinets,” says DeMorrow. “A lid organizer that hangs on the inside of a cabinet door seems like a good idea, but not every home's cabinet doors are large enough for a lid holder. A single slim sliding basket near the bottom of your cabinet will allow you to hold lids vertically and make them easy to pull out when you need them.”
Transfer the dry goods
Sarah Ligoria Trump, Verinda Helen Design
By removing food from bulky grocery store boxes and transferring it into neater storage containers, you can free up space in your kitchen cabinets. “Transferring dry goods allows you to control how much space you're using,” says Bell. “Removing packaging also creates a uniform look.”
Nesting Pots and Pans
Nesting pots and pans is essential for saving space in your cabinets. “You can buy sets that are made specifically to nest, but the ones you already have probably nest, too,” says DeMoreau. Try not to nest more than three pots or pans at a time, or they'll be hard to reach.
Store cleaning supplies in boxes
If you store cleaning supplies in a kitchen cupboard, such as under the sink, protect the cupboard from spills and leaks by putting all your products in clear containers. This also makes it easier to grab cleaning products together and move them to dirty areas, says DeMoreau.
Stack the plates
Nest your dinner plates to save space in your kitchen cabinets, and it also makes it easier to see how many plates are in a set, says Bell.
Install an appliance garage
Andrea Rug Photography/Kate Loos Design
Tired of your appliances taking up too much space in your cabinets and countertops? Save space by setting up an appliance garage. “An appliance garage can be a great place to hide the appliances you use every day, like a blender, toaster, or even a large air fryer,” says Bell.
Use the toe drawer
If you have limited cabinet space, toe drawers are a great choice. “These drawers are great for flat items like baking sheets and cutting boards,” says Bell. Toe drawers are typically found at the bottom of your cabinets.
Don't neglect the space above your cabinets
The space above your cabinets is great for storing items you don't use often. “These items are appliances or containers that can double as décor,” says Bell. “When storing heavy items in this area, be careful not to hurt yourself when moving the items.”
Group similar items together
Annie Schlechter
Grouping similar items together—say, storing all your pots and pans together—can save you time searching for one item in your cabinets. When doing this, it's important to think about the specific habits you have in your kitchen. “In my house, we tend to use cinnamon and oatmeal together, so we store them together,” DeMoreau says.
