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Ideas To Create An Organized & Functional Kitchen

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Last Updated on January 12, 2021 by lindseymahoney

Today I am sharing my favorite functional kitchen ideas to maximize efficiency and organization! When a kitchen is organized well, valuable time is given back to the homeowner. In the last 10 years, I have moved 8 times and have learned a thing or two about efficiently organizing my kitchen.

*Check out the awesome transformation of our modern traditional kitchen makeover.

Whether you are unpacking boxes in a new kitchen or you want to organize your current one, these ideas are sure to create a functional kitchen!

Photos by Mary Wyar

Easy Organization Tips to Create a Functional Kitchen

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Use Trays to Corral Clutter

It is amazing how much better a kitchen feels with clear countertops. I like to use a tray to corral all of our odds and ends. Anything from stray papers to loose change and random hair ties ends up in this tray. Usually, weekends are when we take time to put away all of the clutter stored in the tray.

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

I like to use serving trays to keep similar items neatly organized and together, like a coffee station.

Eliminate Bulky Snack Boxes

This organization idea is perfect for a kitchen lacking cabinet space. Eliminate any bulky snack boxes and dump the packages into a snack bin or a drawer. Not only does this increase cabinet space, it makes it easier to see how many snacks are remaining. In our kitchen, I now have a wicker basket where I dump all of the individually packaged snacks and I toss the cardboard boxes immediately.

Keep Spices Close to the Stovetop

This first tip seems like a no-brainer but it may surprise you how many homes do not have their spices next to the stovetop! You will primarily be using your spices at the stove and you want them within arm’s length.

Organize your kitchen to maximize efficiency and get back your valuable time | Building Bluebird #organization #kitchenorganization #kitchendesign #organizationtips

Group Similar Dishes Together in Glass Cabinets

I have lived in a few homes with glass kitchen cabinets and know the importance of keeping them organized. When these glass cabinets look cluttered, the rest of the kitchen will feel out of sorts. Instead, use your glass cabinets to display your prettier dishware or organize similar colored items together to create harmony. Whatever you do, DO NOT use glass cabinets to store your plastic, colorful cups!

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

You can see this same strategy executed at the Gas Lantern Cottage Airbnb. For the less pretty, but functional, kitchen items, tuck those away behind solid cabinet doors.

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

Include a Kid’s Drawer in the Kitchen

If possible, combine all of your kid’s cups and plates into an accessible drawer! Organizing your kitchen in this way gives you more freedom and your child more responsibility. When my son asks for a cup of water, he gets it himself. This also allows kids to help with household chores, like emptying the dishwasher, too. Assigning a drawer for their colorful, plastic cups and plates also keeps them away from the glass cabinets. 🙂

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

Create Stations for Common Tasks

I like to create mini-stations for kitchen tasks that I frequently complete. Our coffee station in the kitchen is a great example of this functional design. The coffee mugs are stored above the coffee maker and the filters are in the lower drawer. The coffee grounds are kept in a pretty canister next to the coffee maker.

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

Simplify Unloading the Dishwasher

When I first unpack our kitchenware after a move, I strategically think through our daily use of each object. Our dishwasher runs daily so I chose drawers and cabinets nearby items we use daily. This includes the silverware drawer and the cabinets for our plates and cups. Thinking through your family’s daily activities when organizing your kitchen is the key to maximum efficiency and a functional kitchen.

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

Keep Similar Items in One Place

This functional kitchen idea is pretty simple, keep all similar kitchen items in the same cabinet. The most common example of this is storing pots and pans under the stovetop. All of our mixing bowls can be found in the same lower cabinet and are easy to access when we need them. The same can be said for baking supplies. When kitchen items are not kept together, you can easily misplace something or forget you even own it.

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

Store Tupperware in a Drawer

If you have cabinet drawers I HIGHLY recommend you designate one for your Tupperware. When Tupperware is stored on a shelf, it is SO easy to lose the lid! It is much easier to find what you are looking for when all containers and lids are visible in a drawer. Remember to periodically check if all of your containers have their lids. Throw out all containers or lids that are missing their partner. Half the battle of keeping your kitchen organized and functional is purging unused items.

Organize your home with these functional kitchen ideas - great tips for kitchens of any size!

Utilize Hooks and Pegs

There are so many functional organization products available to maximize every square inch of your kitchen. The ceiling is a great place to hang a fruit basket or a pot rack if your kitchen is lacking storage. Coffee mugs can hang on the underside of an upper cabinet with hooks. A paper towel holder is another great item to hang under the cabinets and maximize counter space.

A functional shaker peg rail is easy to make, cute, and a great storage option.

Rearrange Your Kitchen if it Isn’t Working

Don’t be afraid to reorganize your kitchen if it doesn’t function for your family! You may have to try a few of these functional kitchen ideas before finding maximum efficiency. We moved our foil/plastic bags/saran wrap from our pantry to a drawer next to the stove and it works much better for our day-to-day activities.

Organize your kitchen to maximize efficiency and get back your valuable time | Building Bluebird #organization #kitchenorganization #kitchendesign #organizationtips

I hope these functional kitchen ideas have inspired you to tackle a few organization projects of your own!

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Organize your kitchen to maximize efficiency and get back your valuable time | Building Bluebird #organization #kitchenorganization #kitchendesign #organizationtips