Clever Tricks to Organise Your Kitchen Drawers
Clear 'em out and give the contents a neat-as-a-pin new home with these kitchen organisation ideas
Becky Harris
18 May 2018
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
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 organising until after the holidays, if you wish.
- Take notes as you observe the good and the bad about your kitchen drawer organisers 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 organisers to help keep things neat?
- Collect never-used items for donation as you go, and pitch or recycle the broken stuff.
How to organise 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 organisers are optional.
Tip: Take a before shot of your messiest drawer so that you can feel extra satisfied when this is all over.
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 organisers are optional.
Tip: Take a before shot of your messiest drawer so that you can feel extra satisfied when this is all over.
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.
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.
Assess
While taking inventory, you’re going to start to see places where you can improve organisation. 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? Is your kitchen drawer lining lasting as well as you wanted it to?
Check out these kitchen drawer designs
While taking inventory, you’re going to start to see places where you can improve organisation. 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? Is your kitchen drawer lining lasting as well as you wanted it to?
Check out these kitchen drawer designs
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 organisation of your cookware, serveware, silverware, small appliances and china is key.
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 organisation of your cookware, serveware, silverware, small appliances and china is key.
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 organisers. Aren’t these cutlery treys for kitchen drawers fabulous?
Here’s how to ace kitchen organisation
It’s amazing how much more you can squeeze out of the space you have with clever drawer and cabinet organisers. Aren’t these cutlery treys for kitchen drawers fabulous?
Here’s how to ace kitchen organisation
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
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 organised.
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 organised.
Here's a shelf paper for industrial types.
Reclaim some valuable drawer space
Check out everything that came out of your drawers and identify the space hogs. Organisers like these for plastic and aluminium wrap will save you an entire drawer.
Check out everything that came out of your drawers and identify the space hogs. Organisers like these for plastic and aluminium wrap will save you an entire drawer.
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 organiser 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.
Recycle those you don’t use and hang the rest on a bulletin board or place them in an over-the-door organiser 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.
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.)
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.)
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.
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 realise you need some good drawer organisers 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 a store.
Take a look at more kitchen drawer organiser treys
You may realise you need some good drawer organisers 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 a store.
Take a look at more kitchen drawer organiser treys
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.
Read more:
Kitchen Organisation: 14 Dream Pantry & Cupboard Designs
Tell us:
Share some of your kitchen organisation ideas with us? Write in Comments below.
Read more:
Kitchen Organisation: 14 Dream Pantry & Cupboard Designs
Tell us:
Share some of your kitchen organisation ideas with us? Write in Comments below.
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Very practical,very organize.
I love it