Kitchen Planning: Smart Ways to Keep the Heart of Your Home Organised
Make your kitchen work a little bit harder with these neat ideas for keeping things shipshape
A place for everything and everything in its place is a familiar mantra, but, as we all know, it’s easier said than done, particularly in the busiest room in the house. Food, crockery and utensils, not to mention bitty extras such as shopping lists and phone chargers, all need to be stored somewhere and, while most of us accept there will always be ‘that drawer’ full of random objects, there’s no reason most things shouldn’t assume some order. Take a little time to organise your kitchen and you’ll have a calmer, more efficient space. Let these enviably neat rooms inspire you…
Decant and conquer
Escape the tyranny of those half-opened packets spilling out onto your lovely clean shelves. A matching set of storage jars creates an instant sense of order and (provided you’ve labelled them) can make it easier for you to lay your hands on the right ingredients.
Escape the tyranny of those half-opened packets spilling out onto your lovely clean shelves. A matching set of storage jars creates an instant sense of order and (provided you’ve labelled them) can make it easier for you to lay your hands on the right ingredients.
Hang it all
If your cupboards are full and your shelves are straining, you may assume you’ve maxed out your storage options. Not so. A well-placed hanging rack keeps things up and away, giving easy access when you need it. It adds a lovely French farmhouse feel as a bonus, too.
If your cupboards are full and your shelves are straining, you may assume you’ve maxed out your storage options. Not so. A well-placed hanging rack keeps things up and away, giving easy access when you need it. It adds a lovely French farmhouse feel as a bonus, too.
Use every inch
The key to excellent organisation in the kitchen is to make use of every scrap of space. Take advantage of specially designed storage units made by most of the kitchen companies and enjoy easy access to all those bits and pieces that used to get lost at the back of the cupboard.
Explore ways to get the most from your kitchen storage
The key to excellent organisation in the kitchen is to make use of every scrap of space. Take advantage of specially designed storage units made by most of the kitchen companies and enjoy easy access to all those bits and pieces that used to get lost at the back of the cupboard.
Explore ways to get the most from your kitchen storage
Overestimate your needs
Buying a new fridge? Make it a large one. You might not think you need a particularly big model, but we all know you can never have too much storage. And it needn’t be intrusive: as this integrated design proves, a fridge can look like just another cupboard from the outside. Just think, no more squashed salad or upturned bottles of milk. Hoorah!
Buying a new fridge? Make it a large one. You might not think you need a particularly big model, but we all know you can never have too much storage. And it needn’t be intrusive: as this integrated design proves, a fridge can look like just another cupboard from the outside. Just think, no more squashed salad or upturned bottles of milk. Hoorah!
Lose the clutter
There’s one foolproof way to reduce the number of pots, pans and plates covering every surface in your kitchen – pare down your kit. From ironic fondue sets to that third wok, most of us have cooking paraphernalia we simply don’t use. Pack it up and banish it to the attic (or charity shop). You’ll free up storage space and keep worktops blissfully clutter-free.
There’s one foolproof way to reduce the number of pots, pans and plates covering every surface in your kitchen – pare down your kit. From ironic fondue sets to that third wok, most of us have cooking paraphernalia we simply don’t use. Pack it up and banish it to the attic (or charity shop). You’ll free up storage space and keep worktops blissfully clutter-free.
Subdivide and rule
Capacious cupboards are a wonderful thing, but they can easily become muddled. Plenty of shelving, along with racks on the backs of the doors, help keep everything in order. Baskets make great vegetable storage, too, so no more potato avalanches when you open the door.
Be inspired by stylish pantries
Capacious cupboards are a wonderful thing, but they can easily become muddled. Plenty of shelving, along with racks on the backs of the doors, help keep everything in order. Baskets make great vegetable storage, too, so no more potato avalanches when you open the door.
Be inspired by stylish pantries
Embrace an island
An invaluable addition to the kitchen as a breakfast bar or additional work station, the island unit is also a great way to impose order. Multifunctional storage can take the form of open shelving, deep drawers or classic cupboards, so you can tailor yours depending on what you need to stash.
Discover thousands of kitchen islands by browsing our kitchen photos section.
An invaluable addition to the kitchen as a breakfast bar or additional work station, the island unit is also a great way to impose order. Multifunctional storage can take the form of open shelving, deep drawers or classic cupboards, so you can tailor yours depending on what you need to stash.
Discover thousands of kitchen islands by browsing our kitchen photos section.
Make a date
Help everyone keep on top of their day while they’re grabbing breakfast with a bespoke family diary. Magnetic blackboard paint lets you add shopping lists and post up important bills or school letters all in one place. You’ll never forget a PE kit again!
Check out ways to incorporate a chalkboard into a kitchen
Help everyone keep on top of their day while they’re grabbing breakfast with a bespoke family diary. Magnetic blackboard paint lets you add shopping lists and post up important bills or school letters all in one place. You’ll never forget a PE kit again!
Check out ways to incorporate a chalkboard into a kitchen
Stick ’em up
Use storage that’s designed for something specific. Magnetic knife strips are the perfect way to keep all your chopping tools handy, but safely out of reach of little fingers.
Liked this? Share your ideas for staying organised in the comments below.
Use storage that’s designed for something specific. Magnetic knife strips are the perfect way to keep all your chopping tools handy, but safely out of reach of little fingers.
Liked this? Share your ideas for staying organised in the comments below.
Make it simple to organise breakfast on weekday mornings by storing everything you’ll need in one place. And if you don’t have time to tidy up before your race out of the door, a cupboard like this with bifolding doors will allow mess to be hidden away in minutes.
Find more kitchen pantries and cupboards to help you get organised.