Get It Done: Organize Your Kitchen Drawers
Clear 'em out and give the contents a neat-as-a-pin new home with these organizing and storage tips
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
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This week you don't have to complete this Get It Done task; you just need to give these ideas a once-over and then keep them in mind as you do your holiday baking and entertaining. This is because you'll inadvertently be doing lots of recon during the coming weeks — pulling out kitchen items you probably use only once a year, like cookie cutters, platters and double boilers; scavenging around for items that are hidden too deep; or perhaps wondering why you have five spatulas when the most you'll ever need at once is only two. You'll be rejecting table linens, figuring out that some sets are missing key pieces and discovering items you haven't unearthed in years — paper umbrellas for drinks you never make, anyone? These things need to go.
Your assignment for now:
Your assignment for now:
- Read this, let the ideas marinate and put off major kitchen organizing until after the holidays, if you wish.
- Take notes as you observe the good and the bad about your kitchen drawers and cabinets.
- Think about what could make your drawers better and ask questions. What should you move to a more convenient spot? Do you need any organizers to help keep things neat?
- Collect never-used items for donation as you go, and pitch or recycle the broken stuff.
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| How to Organize Your Kitchen Drawers Time: 2 to 3 hours Materials needed: Cleaner, dust rags or paper towels, contact paper, sticky notes (such as Post-its), pen, donation box. Additional organizers are optional. Tip: Take a before shot of your messiest drawer so that you can feel extra satisfied when this is all over. |
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Take inventory. For now, start writing down everything that's in your drawers and cabinets on sticky notes. You don't have to do this all at once — leave the notes handy and scribble things down during those spare minutes while you're waiting for the oven to preheat. Stick them on each corresponding drawer and cabinet. It sounds silly, but trust me, simply writing these things down will help you see where you've stashed things in inconvenient spots and identify the items that are useless to you.
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Assess. While taking inventory, you're going to start to see places where you can improve organization. Are the pots you use most close to the stove? Is it easy to find their corresponding lids? Are your everyday dishes and glasses within reach of the dishwasher? Do you use all of that Tupperware or is half of it missing lids? Could you use an extra silverware drawer?
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Plan. While your urge may be to tackle this project one drawer at a time, we're thinking bigger here. Your kitchen should be a well-oiled machine, and placement and organization of your cookware, serveware, silverware, small appliances and china is key.
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Do some Internet window shopping. It's amazing how much more you can squeeze out of the space you have with clever drawer and cabinet organizers.
Check out all the kitchen organization products Houzz experts have found
Check out all the kitchen organization products Houzz experts have found
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Dive in.
• Clear a large space on the counter or kitchen island.
• Empty all the drawers.
• Group like things together.
• Throw anything that looks sketchily dirty in the dishwasher.
• Throw away anything that's broken; put anything you don't use that is in good shape in a donation box.
• Give all the empty drawers a thorough wipe-down.
• Clear a large space on the counter or kitchen island.
• Empty all the drawers.
• Group like things together.
• Throw anything that looks sketchily dirty in the dishwasher.
• Throw away anything that's broken; put anything you don't use that is in good shape in a donation box.
• Give all the empty drawers a thorough wipe-down.
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| Freshen up drawers with new liners. There are scads of cute options out there, and a fresh surface will cheer you up whenever you open a drawer. It will also inspire you to keep things neat and organized. |
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Here's a shelf paper for industrial types.
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Reclaim some valuable drawer space. Check out everything that came out of your drawers and identify the space hogs. Organizers like these for plastic and aluminum wrap will save you an entire drawer.
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Likewise, get rid of the messy menu drawer. Recycle those you don't use and hang the rest on a bulletin board or place them in an over-the-door organizer like this one. Better yet, there's probably an app for that; I know I always wind up looking up menus on the Internet anyway.
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Corral the loose bags. Dispensers will help you gather plastic bags for recycling or dog walks. (If you don't need this because you are vigilant about bringing your own reusable bags whenever you shop, give yourself a big green pat on the back.)
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| Group like items together as you reload. Think about what you'll need to grab the most when you're at the stove, and what you'll be transferring from the dishwasher to drawers every day, and place them accordingly. |
| Divide and conquer. You may realize you need some good drawer organizers as you go along. Put everything where you want it to be, snap a few pictures of the open drawers with your phone, take a quick measurement of your drawers' dimensions and head to The Container Store or Ikea. |
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| So, the next time you open a drawer or cabinet, take a few extra seconds to check out what's going on in there and scribble it on a Post-it note. Whether you're aiming for some fresh contact paper or you're ready to call the cabinetmaker, the assessing and planning that will be simmering on the back burner now will help you attack the kitchen after the holidays. Next: Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets More: Get It Done: Whip That Junk Drawer Into Shape Browse Kitchen Drawer Organizers |
Ideabook updated on Dec. 30, 2012.
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HAVE DRAWERS!!
I have a kitchen being installed for a client now and we had very few cupboards. We went with drawers wherever possible. Drawers are so much easier to use allowing you to get at what is in back. But the catch is that you need those organizing interiors. We chose the peg system for dishes and located that drawer across from the dishwasher so it is literally inches from dishwasher to drawer when both are open. We also went with a drawer under the kitchen sink. So much easier to organize and keep it from becoming a scary dark place when you can pull it out. Such great tips. Now how do I get my husband to actually put things back in their correct spot?
Our kitchen 1
They are pretty useful if you don't want the lids randomly scattered all over the cabinets.
The top drawer fits all of my utensils:
Our kitchen 2
When doing the kitchen renovation I wanted to make all of the space useful even those awkward narrow spaces like between the dishwasher and kitchen sink cabinet:
Our kitchen 3
Oh I and have one of those grocery bag holders too and love it! Don't have a picture of it here though :)
Thanks for the inspiration Becky... I'm dreaming of the perfectly organized kitchen!
As for the "whole drawer" gained from using a plastic wrap organizer, I lived with such an organizer for many, many years, and I really disliked how I had to keep things back from the front area of the cabinet - and it just isn't possible wth my new ktichen cabinets' pull-out shelving. Plus, I have (for once!) a plethora of drawers (17, in varying sizes) plus a pull-out spice pantry - so putting the wrapping boxes in a drawer close to the refrigerator (source of leftovers!) was a no-brainer for me.
I love the ideas presented, and saved several in idea folders - but no one size (or organization tip) fits all.
Great article.
I'm all about organization: 2-tier metal pull-out, bag dispenser, & recyclables/trash pull-out under sink; an [Ikea] island w/12 drawers with specialized trays/containers.
Just my two cents in what has worked for me. With the exception of the sink base, all my base cabinets are drawers. If you have to squat to see & retrieve an item is an inconvenience at best, a nuisance altogether otherwise, and for some -like me- practically impossible because of limited mobility.
Whether pots & pans, packaged food, or anything I put in the drawer, with drawer open, the looking, finding, retrieving is simply the process of ...opening the drawer!
Which is why I wouldn't like the base pullout of three narrow shelves [pic shows spices on top rack]. Everything is not visible at a glance, simply because you opened the cabinet. You have to bend down to first be able to see (what's actually there) - then have to possibly move one thing to get at another - and you have a semi-troublesome effort to get what you're after. As opposed to simply opening the drawer and being able to immediately see and grab your item.
Here are a few great kitchen accessories that I think increase kitchen productivity and organization…
Have your favorite spices close at hand with your silverware and steak knives all in one drawer.
Cottage Kitchen – Personal Touches
A dishware drawer makes putting away you dishes quick and easy. A great way to teach children to do the dishes easy access for people with bad backs or in a wheel chair.
Mountain Resort 1
Lofty Kitchen Concept - Sublime Storage
Have your utensil drawer doubled up with your knife collection in a two-tiered cutlery drawer. Open to your utensil divider and slide forward to access your knifes. Urban Loft - Storage Solutions 1
Ideabook: Supreme Storage Solutions
Add a shallow roll-out tray inside a deep drawer for pots & Pans to create space for oven mitts or lids.
Urban Loft - Storage Solutions 2
Urban Loft - Storage Solutions 3
Adjustable partions can divide a drawer or roll-out shelf to create more efficient storage.
Urban Loft – Storage Solutions - Sublime Storage
A slotted Drawer Knife Holder keeps blades sharp, while a chop block can be conveniently located in the adjacent drawer. The chopping block has storage space below and is removable from the drawer for countertop use.
Mountain Resort 2
But I had very good luck at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They sell the best knife drawer organizer ever.
...a place for everything!
Urban Loft - Storage Solutions 1
Urban Loft - Storage Solutions 2
Urban Loft - Storage Solutions 3
If you are concerned about loosing counterpace, you could have them built into the wall like this kitchen.
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 1
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 2