If you find yourself struggling to keep things presentable, check out FLATO Home’s tips for how to organize a kitchen. No matter the space you have, a functional kitchen is in reach. It’s more about thinking about the space you have, and getting creative. Let’s check it out!

Spring is here, and the kitchen should definitely not be overlooked in your Spring cleaning plans. Afterall, it’s likely the busiest and most frequented area in your home. Many people struggle with how to organize a kitchen.

Thankfully a full on overhaul is not always necessary to become organized. If you do feel like you are in a unique situation where decluttering on a major level is necessary, then first check out FLATO Home’s blog on decluttering your home, for some tips to get you started.

Let’s dive right in and see how to organize a kitchen - for good! - and for maximum efficiency. Getting it done now will set you up enjoying Spring and Summer with ease.

Purge One Area at a Time

When starting your journey on how to organize a kitchen, it’s important to not get overwhelmed by doing multiple areas at once. Instead, focus on the cabinets and drawers first, then the fridge, then the dinnerware etc.

While focusing on one area, FLATO recommends looking at all of your possessions to see what you will keep, what you can purge/donate and what you need. Don’t forget to discard out of date foods as well.

At this step, you may realize you need a fancy dinnerware set, or that you are missing a specific type of pan. Doing this key step will help you see where your needs are.

 

Have a Vision

Amidst decluttering, take time to set goals related to how to organize your kitchen. To see what items you need, think about your goals - functionality, organization etc. - and go from there. Why is this important? Every kitchen needs to be organized differently, based on the goals of its occupants. If you typically cook all meals at home, then investing in a new dinnerware set, or extra items makes sense.

If your backyard is the go-to spot each summer and you love hosting outdoors, then a stoneware or melamine dinner set may call to you. Remember to plan how to organize your kitchen in a way that suits you and your family best.

Deep Cleaning: A Necessity

When planning out how to organize a kitchen, we couldn’t leave this step out. Doing a deep clean makes sense if you are in the midst of purging and taking out items from drawers and cabinets. Do not skip this step!

Take this opportunity to disinfect and wipe everything down. No more sticky or dusty surfaces! You’ll be surprised how good this step feels, especially if you have been avoiding it for a while.

Dust, grease, mold are just examples of what needs to be cleaned with a traditional cleaning agent, or with natural alternatives such as baking soda, lemon juice or vinegar.

Make a Plan: Create Categories

So far, we have purged items, set goals, and done some deep cleaning. Before you place things back in their traditional areas, think about creating categories or zones within your kitchen. These broad areas group certain items together. If you are struggling with the functionality of certain areas of your kitchen then consider creating zones and sticking to them.

FLATO Home suggests having these broad categories when considering how to organize a kitchen:

• Zone 1: Everyday (easy to access and in close proximity to dishwasher or sink) Plates, bowls, basic glassware, cups, serveware, cutlery, kids plates and dishes
  
  FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  Savoy Gold Trim 2 Piece Rectangle Tray Set
  
  
• Zone 2: Cooking (close to range or oven) Pans, pots, cutting boards, mixing bowls, spatulas, wooden spoons, measuring cups/spoons, other baking items
  
  FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  Speckle Saucepan With Lid
  
  
• Zone 3: Pantry dry goods, spices, extra easily accessible cloths, larger kitchen gadgets (salad spinner, blenders)
  
  FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  Stonewashed Multi-Purpose Cloths - 3 Pack
  
  
• Zone 4: Storage Accessories (best when near fridge for ease of putting away leftovers) tupperware, ziploc bags, tin foil wrap
  
  FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  Silicone Reusable Food Zip Bags
  
  
• Zone 5: Coffee and Bar coffee cups and other accessories, coffee machine or french press, barware including wine glasses, shot glasses and other glass accessories.
  
  Low on space? Add a bar cart! FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  Lenox Chrome 3 Tier Bar Cart
  
  
• Zone 6: Beneath the Sink cleaning supplies, extra products: dish, hand soap, extra garbage and recycling bags
  
  
• Zone 7: Special occasion items (may be stored outside of maine kitchen such as a dining room) delicate handmade items such as pottery, bone china
  
  FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  Aurelia Gold 20-Piece Bone China Dinnerware Set
  
  
• Zone 8: Outdoor or Party Related Items Stoneware or melamine sets, plastic wine or drink glasses, plastic plates, trays
  
  FLATO Home’s product recommendation:
  12 Piece Azure Rings Stoneware Dinner Set

Organizing using zones will make finding items easier, more efficient and logical.

Careful Positioning

Now that you (generally) know what zones you’ll create, the next step for how to organize a kitchen involves positioning. Make sure items you use frequently appear at eye level, and those that are less used are further away or higher up. If you create a ‘daily use’ zone or area, focus on really organizing it well so that it’s functional.

If you don’t easily see something in a cupboard, you probably won’t use it. Consider this same rule for the pantry. Is rice a staple in your home? What about pasta? Make sure when organizing, you put these highly used items in an accessible place that makes sense in your new zone.

 

Spark Your Creativity

Deep cleaning, and organizing are fun, but getting creative could be the real key to unlocking your dream kitchen. Afterall, every space is different so depending on what works for you, try some of these tips in one or two zones if applicable.

• Vertical Storage: maximizes vertical space in larger cupboards and can make storing oddly shaped items easier. Things such as cutting boards, serving trays, and even cook books have a place in vertical storage. Instead of jamming them all together, they’ll be placed in neat separated categories.
• Utilize Cabinet Doors: If possible for your cabinets, consider adding shelving on the inside doors. This is great for tight spaces. Oils, spices, coffee and even your family staples such as pasta or rice can be housed here. Make sure you go for wood material to prevent clinking glass sounds.
• Think about Ergonomics: If there are hard-to-reach cabinets in your kitchen, really think about what you place there and about challenges for reaching them in a time of need. Improving the ergonomic flow of your kitchen in the long run will make everything more accessible. You may consider installing low-level pull-out cabinets for instance.
• Create a Tech Drawer: The kitchen is more than just a place to prepare food, but also a gathering place to catch up with life. Often, mail, chargers, tablets, phones and other gadgets find their place on kitchen counters. Creating a trendy tech drawer in your kitchen hides wires and chargers while not in use, thus freeing up counter space. Not only does it keep things neatly in one place, but also prevents the likelihood of spills damaging costly electronics.
• Places to Hang: Think about a hanging rack for pans or pots if you are tight on cabinet space. If you have a tall pantry door, you can also add shelving there. Any other wall space is free game: magnetic holders and hooks for hanging almost anything - from coffee cups to potted herbs! A nice addition is adding a corkboard to an unused wall space. You can use it to hang small items, or pin that recipe you ripped out of a magazine for a rainy day.

Make Clean-Ups Regular

It’s all fine and dandy until the inevitable happens: mess. Schedule another clean-up, in a month or so, to see how things are feeling. Re-evaluate and re-organize certain areas, or add hooks and storage. Make a yearly goal to declutter your kitchen - including the pantry.

Looking to upgrade some of your kitchen items? FLATO Home is the best one stop shop for home products from the bedroom, kitchen to the living room and decor. FLATO Home provides an impressive selection of products to satisfy all your home needs, and get you to your organization goals! Upgrade to a FLATO lifestyle today.