Getting Organized in the Kitchen

My kitchen remodeling project is complete. It only took about four weeks, but it has felt like an eternity with a constant flow of workers in and out of my house. And, it’s a small house. Each person takes up a lot of space so I’ve been relatively confined to my bedroom. As has my daughter. Needless to say, we’re ready for some space to move around. I am thrilled, however, with the result. My kitchen went from “Hunting Lodge” to “Joanna Gaines Inspired” in just a few weeks. Here’s the pics to prove it:   So, now comes the fun part. I get to move back into the kitchen and get everything organized. And, I’m determined to do it the right way. (Actually, I decided to write about it and thought I better make it worthy.)

Where does everything go?

Most kitchens have some sort of pre-determined layout of where things will go, but it doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. You might find the silverware drawer should be closer to the dishwasher than the sink. Or, the dishes are fine in the overhead cabinet until the kids start getting their own and you realize they can’t reach them. And, when everything is brand new, it all seems a bit confusing. It helps to stand in the kitchen and think about a flow of what you use and when you use it. Remember to make things easy to grab, and put away. It doesn’t make sense to put the KitchenAid mixer in the cabinet above the refrigerator. It’s too heavy to get down, and put back up. Believe me, I used to have mine there. And, the spices should be near the stove. That’s where you’ll be using them. Live in it a bit, and figure it out. If it doesn’t work, move it.

Buying Organizers

A lot of today’s kitchens come with drawers and cabinets for every purpose. A pull-out trash cabinet with a recycling bin. Slotted drawers for silverware and utensils. Appliance hutches, cabinet doors with spice racks, and vertical dividers for cookie trays. You name it, they make it. But, not everyone has a new kitchen. Or, if you’re like me, you just didn’t want to add the cost for all of the bells and whistles. Don’t fret, you can still make everything functional.   Everything was floating around an open space until I purchased this wooden divider that expands to fit my drawer. Make sure to measure your drawers before purchasing the dividers. They vary in expandability and length.   With limited cabinet space, I knew it would be hard to find an easily accessible place for my coffee necessities. I decided to use the open shelves above my Keurig, and bought a basket to hide the coffee and sweetener boxes. It sounded nice to buy one of those fancy displays, but I knew I’d never take the time to take each pod out of the box and continue to restock it. Hiding the boxes in a basket made more sense for me.

Staying Organized

Like most things in life, the more time you put in up front, the better the results. Therefore, the more thought you put into organizing the kitchen, the easier it will be to keep it that way. It short, put things where you know you will put them away. It’s one of the reasons I opted for some open shelving. It just seemed like an easy way to put away my everyday necessities. It also helps to get rid of the things you don’t use. The more junk you have, the harder it is to find a place for everything. And, more and more things get pushed to the back of the cabinets. This is true of pantry items as well as pots and pans. Throw out the box with a few strands of spaghetti left. And, get rid of the cake decorating kit that’s never been opened—despite your plans to someday learn how to use it. In terms of your house, there’s nothing better than a brand new kitchen. But, even an old kitchen can feel new again if you get it organized. Take the time to do it right and you’ll enjoy the benefits. Have fun! If you are thinking about renovating your kitchen, bath or any other room(s) of your home, we recommend GRS, Inc. For over 45 years, General Repair Services has been providing professional residential repair and renovation to homeowners in the Metropolitan Washington area. Owner Mike Hrones and his family have been residence of Eldersburg for the past 21 years”.  GRS is currently renovating (building) two homes in the Carroll County area for you to check out!

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