The kitchen is one of the hardest-working spaces in any home. It’s where meals are prepared, snacks are grabbed, coffee is brewed and conversations happen. For many families, the kitchen also becomes the household command center for schedules, paperwork and everyday life. With so much activity happening in one space, it’s no surprise that kitchen clutter can quickly build up.
I recently worked with a client to bring order and calm back to her kitchen by creating organizing systems that made the space easier to use and maintain every day.
This kitchen already had plenty of cabinet space, but the challenge was functionality. Items had slowly spread into random cupboards over time, making it difficult to find what was needed and causing valuable storage space to go underutilized.
To start, we emptied every single cabinet and drawer so we could group like items together and create zones that made sense for how the family actually uses the kitchen. Here’s a closer look at some of the biggest transformations.
First up — the cabinet above the refrigerator.
Before organizing, cutting boards were stacked on top of the fridge, making it difficult to access the cabinet itself. We relocated those items to a more functional spot and transformed this cabinet into a dedicated zone for little-used appliances, entertaining pieces and paper goods.
By adding shelf risers, we nearly doubled the usable storage space while also making everything easier to see and grab. Clearing the top of the refrigerator also instantly created a cleaner, tidier look throughout the kitchen.
Next up — food storage containers and baking supplies.
Food storage containers can easily become one of the most frustrating clutter spots in a kitchen. Luckily, my client already had a simple rack system in place for container lids. Once we matched lids with bottoms and decluttered orphaned pieces, the cabinet became much more manageable.
This cabinet also became the designated baking zone. Since the family doesn’t bake frequently, we stored baking supplies on the upper shelves and gathered ingredients like flour and sugar from several different cupboards so everything related to baking could live together in one organized area.
On to the cookbook cabinet.
This cabinet had become a mix of cookbooks, snacks, medicines, gadgets and miscellaneous kitchen items. After sorting and decluttering, we donated several cookbooks and relocated items into more appropriate zones throughout the kitchen.
The finished cabinet now holds cookbooks, cutting boards, medications and a few entertaining items in a much more organized and functional way.
Next we tackled the overflow food and entertaining cabinet.
Like many kitchens, this cabinet had become a catchall for bulk grocery purchases and miscellaneous serving items. Once we grouped similar items together and relocated anything that belonged elsewhere, this cabinet became a dedicated home for party trays, pitchers and pantry overflow items.
Then it was time for the spice drawer.
My client already had drawer organizers in place, but over time the system had stopped functioning well. We decluttered expired spices, grouped similar seasonings together and reorganized the drawer so everything was easy to find while cooking.And yes — the spices are alphabetized. 😊
Finally, we organized the pantry cabinets.
Several cabinets in this kitchen function as pantry storage, and thankfully the kitchen already included pull-out shelving. Sliding shelves make deep cabinets much easier to access and prevent food from getting lost in the back.
We organized each shelf by category — snacks, pasta, rice, breakfast foods, canned goods and sauces — so meal prep and grocery shopping are both easier and more efficient.
One of the biggest benefits of kitchen organizing is that everyday tasks become simpler and less stressful. When everything has a place, it’s easier to maintain a tidy kitchen and easier for the entire family to help keep things organized.
While we organized every cabinet and drawer in this kitchen, I wanted to highlight some of the biggest clutter challenges and transformations from this project. Hopefully, these ideas inspire you to tackle a few kitchen clutter spots in your own home. And if your kitchen feels overwhelming or difficult to maintain, Smart Organizing Solutions can help. Whether you need help decluttering cabinets, organizing your pantry or creating functional systems for your family, I’ll help you create calm with organizing solutions that truly work for your lifestyle. I work with families throughout Denver, Central Park, Park Hill, Cherry Creek, Aurora and surrounding communities. Contact Denver Professional Organizer | SOS Smart Organizing Solutions to get started. I’d love to help you create calm and order in your space.