My kitchen has been a featured space quite a bit. With good reason – it’s the most popular room in the house…

 

And it’s more than just a kitchen…

Half of the space is kitchen while the other half serves as a sitting area…

A place to eat, color, do arts & crafts or watch sports. A comfy spot where we can sit together, have coffee and chat…

The kitchen really is the heart of our home.

I’ve shared bits and pieces of the kitchen over the last year, but today I’m sharing my organized kitchen cabinets. Yes, I admit I’m more than blessed with endless amounts of cabinets/storage in this kitchen. It’s a true blessing I don’t take for granted. In my previous home, half the kitchen items were set-up on shelving in the garage. That is how tiny it was. So when we moved, I honestly didn’t know where to begin while organizing everything. Over time I figured out exactly where everything needed to be given how we used the kitchen countertops/spaces….

 

 

Starting on the far left side…

This is the biggest, deepest cabinet in the kitchen. And also one of the highest, which makes it tough to reach what is way up high…

Obviously, the top shelf contains lesser used items – thanksgiving gravy dish, pizza pan, fondue set, large popcorn bowl and more. The middle shelf holds a few serving pieces, strainers, juicer, hand mixer, and BBQ tools. The bottom shelf is where I keep the items used most often – baking sheets, cutting boards, food processor, chopper, and a big lemonade/ice-tea dispenser. it may not look very organized…but trust me when I say this space works really well for me. Everything is within reach and it’s easy to put away once cleaned. You’ll also notice that’s an office organizer I’m using here to contain my baking sheets. Easiest solution ever if you don’t have a cabinet specifically designed for backing sheets.

The four drawers below that cabinet contains the kids plates and bowls…

The ziploc containers/lids…

Various oversized baking pans…

And cakelet pans, pancake molds and plastic ice cube trays/guest plates….

The next section of cabinets and drawers…

Since the coffee maker sits on this counter, the cabinet above contains coffee mugs, travel coffee mugs, and a container of coffee beans. When we entertain, the counter that holds the coffee maker turns into a bar so the shelves above hold wine glasses, beer mugs, margarita glasses, a wine opener and other bar tools…

The 2 drawers directly below the counter hold large utensils…

While cooking at the stove, it’s handy to have these tools within reach. I find that larger utensils don’t need to sit inside a drawer organizer. They line up nicely…

For the smaller cooking and baking tools, I have these stainless drawer organizers. And use the back space in the drawer to keep some medium sized items. Keeping items back there also prevents the organizers from sliding back and forth while opening/closing the drawer. I’ve used every bit on space in here…

In the cabinets under the drawers are pyrex dishes, large measuring pieces, pots & pans, and mixing bowls…

On either side of the stove, there are 2 pull out cabinets and 2 drawers. Love this hidden secret that is built-in to the cabinetry! On the left side is spices and hot mitts…

On the right is sharp tools, like cheese knives and turkey grabbers. I also keep larger sized spice containers, salt, baking soda, etc…

The drawer underneath holds teas / honey…

Because I love to take advantage of as much storage space as possible, I utilize the drawer under the stove too…

It’s the perfect spot to hide extra oven racks and baking pans…

Over here in the top cabinet are plates, ramekins and workout supplements…

The 2 drawers under that counter…

The cabinets below hold large platters, serving bowls and the crock pot…

As well as my standing mixer and roast pan…

Believe it or not, as much space as there is in this kitchen, there is hardly any counter space. I can keep almost nothing out in the open because of the limited counter space. So I hide away items, like that standing mixer, in order to keep the counter space open for prepping food.

Moving on to the right and the next section…

This is an odd corner and have to give big props to our home builder for making the most of this space. The top cabinet looks narrow on the outside, but when you open it…it’s huge – and very deep…

Lots of random stuff in here, but it all makes sense. The bottom shelf has dollar store baskets organized with daily vitamins and cooking sprays/oils. I also keep items needed each school morning like a pen and pad of paper in case I need to send a note to teachers, a pair of nail clippers, advil…sadly, I get headaches almost daily, so I leave a small container front and center making it easy to grab when needed….

The middle shelf holds medicine bins…

And the tip top shelf, which is not easy to access, makes the perfect spot to hide away holiday items. This includes items like our Christmas cookie jars and the Santa plate / cup…

In the middle of the cabinets, at the countertop, is a sweet little roll up door…and it’s where I hide the toaster and bread products…

Love this space! SO handy!

The cabinet below counter? Check this out…almost empty!…

With my generous pantry, I haven’t found the need to hide any items in here. The popcorn maker has lived alone for years – poor guy! Occasionally the kids find this to be a great spot for hiding toys, which is fun.

Moving on to the far end of the kitchen cabinets…

In the cabinets here I keep glasses and kids cups. There are a few holiday-type items on the top shelf…

The drawer below the microwave is the perfect spot to hide paper napkins and plates. I keep paper products somewhere else in the house, but like a few on hand for art projects or a special afternoon treat. (Mur daughter is ob-seessed with Caillou. Ordered those little dessert plates from an online company more than a year ago. They are a real treat for her!) The supply of cookie cutters and napkin rings are down here as well…

The cabinet above the fridge holds vases…

In case you were wondering what could possibly go up in those high cabinets? I don’t really use them. They have sat empty for more than 5 years, mainly because it’s too hard to reach. Seriously. They require a ladder…

Don’t store much under the kitchen sink. Keep it simple with little people in the house. I hung a paper towel roll inside the cabinet to free up more counter space…

It took me several months of living and cooking in this space to get a feel for where items needed to live. I’m sure you’ve noticed the same with your kitchen space. However, for those that have recently moved into a new house or find that you are crossing back and forth through your kitchen to find items, here’s my advice to get better organized…

Be mindful of your habits in the kitchen.

If you notice you are crossing back and forth to get things needed while cooking, consider moving them. For example, if glasses are far from the fridge…where you will likely be pouring drinks…consider moving them closer to the fridge. Same with spices, try to keep them close by for cooking purposes.

Once you see a trend with cooking and prepping habits, a natural organization system should easily come together for you.

Hope you enjoyed a closer look into my kitchen. I’d love to hear your tips and tricks to an organized space as well!