Push Paper
Kitchen counters tend to be a magnet for clutter. Take a few minutes to relocate household items that don’t belong in the kitchen. Banish those pesky paper piles by stowing mail, bills, and magazines in a basket, tray, or wall-mounted pocket.
Gain Back Space
Create additional counter space by ditching bulky knife blocks and storing knives in a wooden drawer insert with dividers or on a magnetic wall bar such as this one.
Go for Bulk
To reduce your environmental footprint and create a streamlined baking pantry, ditch packaging and store baking staples in clear airtight jars. This simple shift will keep ingredients fresher for longer, and also make it easy to restock from the bulk bins at your local market.
Be Transparent
Optimize for Efficiency
Reserve counter space for items that are either useful or beautiful. You can elevate everyday essentials like dish soap or olive oil by transferring the contents into stylish and functional glass dispensers. Pantry staples like sugar and flour can be stored in oversized canisters with easy-to-use scoops.
Work Your Walls (or Ceiling!)
Bulky pots, pans, and colanders are challenging to store, especially in small kitchens. Maximize space, and make cooking a breeze, by hanging your favorites within reach on a wall or ceiling-mounted pot rack.
Open Up
Uniform sets of dinnerware, mugs, and glassware look lovely displayed on open shelves and removing cupboard doors makes it easy to grab (and put away) your everyday essentials. If you have incomplete or chipped plates, cups, or mugs, donate the unwanted items and start fresh by investing in a single set you truly love.
Don’t Forget Deep Storage
Create space in a cramped kitchen by relocating oversized vases, linens, entertaining platters, and specialty liquor to a hutch or storage cabinet in your dining room. Alternately, these occasional-use items can be stored in clearly labeled bins or on a shelf in your garage, basement, or other storage area.
Make It a Habit
The single best way to prevent clutter from accumulating? Put things away, right away. A few minutes of daily maintenance will spare you a massive clean-up later.
Organize with a Pro
Shira is the founder of Shira Gill Home, a boutique lifestyle brand with a “less is more” philosophy that offers on-site, full service home organization and styling as well as online resources and inspiration to help you design a clutter-free life. Follow Shira on Instagram @shiragill for weekly tips and inspiration.