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Clever kitchen storage


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Even the tidiest home chefs can lose control over kitchen organization. That’s why we’re sharing kitchen storage ideas ready to transform the heart of any home. Think about it, there is a lot of stuff in the kitchen—utensils, cookware, dried goods, and small appliances, to name a few—and keeping it well arranged can be tricky. Enter the following clever kitchen storage solutions that will make cooking and cleaning more enjoyable rather than a chore.

You just have to rethink those nooks and crannies, and the untapped resource of counter space. On top of that, there are tons of nifty contraptions on the market that can make getting and staying organized super easy. From stylish cutting board organizers to double-tiered pull-out drawers, vintage-inspired baskets, and more.

Overall, if you’ve got extra stuff lying around and don’t know where to put it, these options have you covered. Once you’ve picked out your favorite products, take everything—yes, everything—out of your drawers, cabinets, and refrigerator. Then, assemble the organizers, and put everything back.

So whether you’re anticipating a demo day ahead or you just want a quick idea for reorganizing your space, bookmark this batch of creative, clever, and useful kitchen storage ideas. There’s no time like the present, so peep our list, shop, and get ready for a newly imagined cooking station.

Best Board Storage

Sunficon

Cutting Board Organizer

Amazon

Now 33% off

$20 AT AMAZON

Best for Tall Cabinets

Rebrilliant

2-Tier Pull Out Drawer

Wayfair

$66 AT WAYFAIR

Most Versatile

mDesign

Clear Front Dip Plastic Bins, Set of 2

West Elm

$1 AT WEST ELM

Most Stylish

Neat Method

Grid Storage Basket

Food52

$49 AT FOOD52

Smallest Organizer

Joseph Joseph

CupboardStore Expandable Tiered Organizer

Bloomingdale's

$17 AT BLOOMINGDALE'S

Best for Small Spaces

Yamazaki

Tosca Magnetic Kitchen Organization Rack

Crate & Barrel

$52 AT CRATE & BARREL

Most Luxurious

Williams Sonoma

Hold Everything Ashwood Kitchen Organizer

Williams Sonoma

$365 AT WILLIAMS SONOMA

Coolest Corner

Hynawin

3-Tier Corner Shelf Bamboo and Metal Storage

Amazon

$42 AT AMAZON

Best Overall

The Home Edit By IDesign

Divided Fridge Drawer, Set of 8

The Container Store

Now 10% off

$180 AT CONTAINER STORE

Most Mobile

The Container Store

3-Tier Rolling Cart

The Container Store

$55 AT CONTAINER STORE

Most Aesthetically Pleasing

The Container Store

Bamboo Large Drawer Organizer Starter Kit

The Container Store

$52 AT CONTAINER STORE

Most Heavy-Duty

SunnyPoint

Cookware Holder

Amazon

$26 AT AMAZON

How do you decide where to put things in kitchen cabinets?

The best way to organize your cabinets is to put the items you use most frequently within arm's reach and the others you rarely use on higher-up shelves.

What is the easiest way to organize your kitchen?

The easiest and most efficient way to organize your kitchen is to take everything out, toss what you don't need, and stow away everything you're keeping. That said, in order to keep your space organized, getting a few canisters and separators is always a good idea.

Why trust us?

When it comes to keeping our kitchen essentials organized, House Beautiful editors are pros. We looked high and low for the best and most useful storage solutions that we love and know you will too.

Hadley Mendelsohn Senior Editor Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful's senior design editor and the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House.

Jessica Cherner Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s associate shopping editor and knows where to find the best high-low pieces for any room.

51 Best Kitchen Organization Ideas

Aaron Colussi / Thomas Loof for Country Living

When you're the chef of the house, the kitchen can become cluttered and overwhelming, especially if you have a small space. If you're looking for smart and efficient ways to store your essentials, browse through our roundup of unique kitchen organization ideas. We're sharing clever ways to make use of your cooking area, including a few DIYs and useful installations.

From finding the best racks to store your spices and ingredients to the best drawers and countertop ideas to corral utensils, our list will help you tackle everyday cooking items and appliances you can never find a place for. And as an organization tip, Nicole Papantoniou, Director of Good Housekeeping's Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab, suggests grouping items together to make them easier to find and store. "The most accessible things should be the things you use most often," she says. "Use high cabinets and hard-to-reach places for things you rarely use." For instance, if you're not a huge baker, keep those baking essentials above your fridge.

Ready to get organized? Say goodbye to the messy drawers and pantries (check out our best kitchen cabinet drawer organizers and clever pantry organizing tips for more ideas) and say hello to the clean, sleek and glamorous kitchen you designed when your family first moved in.

Watchtower Interiors

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Ditch Countertop Produce Bowls

Pack a deep drawer full of removable bins (like in this custom cabinet from Watchtower Interiors). If you use them to sort produce that doesn't need to be refrigerated, you'll never lose precious counter space to a fruit or veggie bowl again.

Settled

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Add Bins to Your Bottom Drawers

Reserve your bottom kitchen drawers for jars and cans. Use 16"-deep bins to keep them organized and label each bin so you know where to find what you need quickly.

SHOP DRAWER BINS

Bakes & Kropp Photography

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Store Pots and Pans in Sliding Shelves

If you can't fit your pots and pans into your square cabinet, consider installing a corner pullout cabinet system. It'll easily open and close, while making those pots accessible.

Bakes & Kropp Photography

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Install a Pullout Pantry

Pullout cabinets are sneaky ways to keep your kitchen organized. They allow you to grab items from both sides, plus it gives you easy access to what's hidden in the back.

Diamond Cabinets

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Or Try a Tall Pull-Out Pantry Drawer

Keep unsightly — but frequently used — cans, bottles, and other staples within reach with this sleek pull-out pantry setup from Diamond Cabinets.

Eric Piasecki

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Design a Bar Area

If you're a wine lover, add slide-in trays to your cabinets to store your drinks. You can also use drawer dividers.

SHOP DRAWER DIVIDERS

Art Streiber

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Add Pot Racks to Your Walls or Inside Your Pantry

Pot racks are great for hanging pots and pans that can't fit in your drawers or oven. Use racks to hang them in an empty space on your wall or inside your pantry, where they'll be hidden yet secure for grabbing.

Lauren Pressey

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Add Corner Shelves in a Small Kitchen

Fill that empty corner with functional accents. Designer Kate Lester upgraded this kitchen with reclaimed barn wood shelves — perfect for a farmhouse flair.

SHOP CORNER SHELVES

Jason Hartog

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Utilize Your Island's Storage

Your kitchen island can be a great place to store most essentials — at least the heavier ones. Purchase an island with hidden cabinets on both sides to place your pots, pans, linens and single-use items.

Amy Bartlam. Design: Jenn Feldman Designs

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Create a Slide-Out Prep Station

Here's a clever solution for a kitchen short on counter space: Build a butcher block board into a drawer like designer Jenn Feldman did here. With a hole right over the trash can, it's easy to dump peels and pits as you go, using a scrapper-chopper.

Diamond Cabinets

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Add a Paper Towel Cabinet Inside Your Trash Bin Drawer

What makes this trash and recycling bin drawer from Diamond Cabinets stand out from all the rest: the built-in paper towel rod above it. Cleaning up kitchen messes has never been easier.

Margaret Rajic

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Design a Beverage Nook

Similar to this look by designer Kate Marker, you can upgrade your kitchen with a pantry cabinet that's functional and eye-catching. This one includes a beautiful counter workspace that's brilliant for prepping your morning coffee and storing your mugs and cups.

Decora Cabinetry

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Put a K-Cup Organizer in Your Drawer

Searching through the cabinet for your favorite coffee before you're caffeinated can feel, well ... exhausting. This custom K-Cup drawer from Decora Cabinetry lets you store all of your options (up to 40 at any given time, in fact) face-up for easy early-morning locating.

Rev-A-Shelf

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Install a Charging Drawer

This sleek drawer idea is the secret to banishing unsightly cord clutter. Planning a reno? Talk to your contractor. You could also DIY it by installing a surge protector in an existing drawer or pick up this fully loaded version from Rev-A-Shelf.

SHOP CHARGING DRAWERS

ShelfGenie

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Try a Tray Organizing Drawer

Serving trays, baking sheets, and other large tins can be a pain to store in often-unaccommodating cabinets. Swap your usual stack of pans for this tray-friendly drawer from ShelfGenie to keep them upright and easy to locate.

Eric Lawler

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Design a Wine and Drinks Section

An ordinary closet in your kitchen can become the ultimate drinks station, where you store your favorites and separate them by type. Installing motion-sensor lights is another great addition.

Rev-a-Shelf

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Add a Food Storage Container Drawer Organizer

Fact: The Tupperware cabinet is the hardest part of a kitchen to keep orderly. But that's where this genius drawer organizer comes in — it has a spot for every last one of your food storage containers and their matching lids.

SHOP DRAWER ORGANIZERS

Mike Garten

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Designate a Drawer for Dishes

Keep your dishes protected and in place with adjustable plate holders, perfect for deeper drawers. Opt for holders with carrying handles, so you can lift them out of the drawer when it's time to set the table.

SHOP DISH HOLDERS

Victoria Pearson

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Or Try a Peg Drawer Organizer

Or you can try a built-in quick-to-assemble peg system allows you to move your plates from high-up cabinets to deep, down-low drawers. (The best part: They'll be easier to pull out and put away.)

SHOP PEG SYSTEMS

Danielle Occhiogrosso

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Attach a Spice Rack to Your Walls

Keep your condiments away from your counter space with a spice rack. Attach the rack to one part of your kitchen wall or use a hanging rack on your pantry's door.

SHOP SPICE RACK

ShelfGenie

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Or Add a Spice Drawer Organizer

Tired of digging around the back of your spice cabinet until you finally find the cumin? This genius drawer from ShelfGenie puts your full collection on display.

Mike Garten

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Install Bracketed Shelves

If there's an open space you haven't yet designed, install bracketed shelves for a practical look. They're not as bulky as cabinets and they'll make great storage for your colorful and cute glassware.

Dr. Organizer

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Install a Pull-Out Pots and Pans Drawer Organizer

If you've ever tried to pull a pan out of a big, heavy pile just to be met with a cookware avalanche, you're not alone. Avoid the crashing and clattering with this pull-out organizer, where you can hang up to 100 pounds worth of pots and pans on adjustable hooks.

SHOP PULL-OUT ORGANIZER

Erika LaPresto

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Create a Command Station

Stick chalkboard contact paper and adhesive pockets to the inside of one of your cabinets, so that everyone in your household knows where to look to find the grocery list, coupons, recipes and WiFi password. Add a plastic pouch to store coupons and receipts!

SHOP CHALKBOARD CONTACT PAPER

Smart Design

25 of 51

Add a Refrigerator Egg Drawer

Easily organize fresh eggs with this refrigerator-ready drawer. (Worth noting: This organizer comes fully assembled, so all you have to do is clip it on to one of your fridge's shelves.)

SHOP EGG DRAWER

Lucy Call

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Mount a Double-Duty Shelf

Here, one shelf gives you two smart ways to store your kitchen essentials: Stick seasonal platters and pretty dishes on the top shelf for all to see, and hang cutting boards and oven mitts on the lower hooks.

Aaron Colussi

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Arrange Baskets High and Low

Trevor Tondro

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Make the Most of Your Drawers

Find ways to make your drawers work for you. Carve out spaces to hold your most-used utensils, baking supplies and spices. In this case, an ice cream-obsessed family dedicated an entire drawer to their sundae-making essentials.

Thomas Loof for Country Living

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Fill up Clear Canisters

When done right, your pantry staples can make an eye-catching display. Transfer all of your nuts, cereals, pastas and baking ingredients into glass jars, marking each and every one with a custom chalkboard label.

Mike Garten

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Add a Built-in Storage Block

Build a knife block into a narrow drawer to keep your knives sharp and secure — and your hands safe.

30 Brilliant Kitchen Storage Ideas - INMYROOM

DIY

Perforated wall panel, mesh baskets, magnetic bar - we've rounded up the best, as well as budget-friendly and practical storage ideas for kitchen utensils and accessories. They definitely won't give clutter a chance.

With the bathroom storage sorted out, we went on the offensive, declaring war on kitchen clutter. Maintaining order here is not so easy - as a rule, a kitchen set cannot cope with crockery, appliances and other utensils. But we have a solution: with the help of small tricks you will not only put things in order in the kitchen, but also save space interior. Read on and get started! nine0007

Idea #1: Strictly Vertical

Vertical Storage – the best solution for a small kitchen. Compact shelves do not take up much space, but easily fit all your dishes.

Idea #2: out of sight

A pull-out mesh baskets inside kitchen cabinets are a great place for a secret hiding place for detergents.

Idea #3: in limbo

Also, don't forget about hanging mesh baskets, in which it is convenient to store not only cups, but also vegetables and fruits. nine0003

Idea #4: horizontally side by side

Kitchen functionality can be easy to increase with rails. Today, they produce many different modules, hooks, special jars for spices.

Idea #5: side by side

There are never too many shelves - buy several additional mesh baskets in chrome color, you will solve the storage problem forever utensils.

Idea #6: In plain sight

It's not easy to put everything together pots and pans in one kitchen drawer! Better hang them next to the hood or on the wall by the door. A special perforated wall panel will help you with this. nine0003

Idea #7: an original approach

Space in the very corner of the kitchen quite difficult to use. To solve this problem will help special retractable racks and corner boxes of a special design.

Idea #8: Clean and tidy

Use drawer dividers to make them more functional. Now it will be much easier to maintain order!

Idea #9: Gravity Force

Attach the knives to the wall - and in the literal sense of the word. A special magnetic bar will show them who is there main! nine0003

Idea #10: house of spices

spice jars. Attach them, for example, to the wall of the refrigerator or inner cabinet door.

Idea #11: Take the height

Use special racks for pans and pots - so you can use the entire space of the drawer and you do not have to go through them before each cooking.

Idea No. 12: successfully hooked

A bulky covers from frying pans and pots are conveniently stored using simple crossbars: attach them to a free surface of the wall in a place convenient for you. nine0003

Idea #13: along the wall

Metal shelves-pockets will help to place covers on the wall of the kitchen cabinet. If the cabinet is fully occupied, such a shelf can also be placed outside the cabinet.

Idea #14: Everything is in its place!

Inside the cupboard, you can conveniently store not only crockery, but also narrow boxes of pasta and dough. Just attach a vertical drive to the door - and it will fully justify its new place.

Idea #15: in shabby chic style

corners of the kitchen behind rolls of foil or film, hang them directly on the wall - using an old hanger. nine0003

Idea #16: within reach

Remember how convenient look through postcards or small souvenirs on turntables in the store. Add several mobile racks in one of the cabinets - and all the jars and containers with spices will always be at hand.

Idea #17: under control

Tired of clearing crumbs from your candy box? Solve this problem once and forever, pinching the packages with cookies with a regular clothespin.

Idea #18: Helper Labels

Stop wasting time looking for salt or sugar by labeling the lids jars in which you store cereals and grains. nine0003

Idea #19: Organize

Organizing your recipes will speed up the cooking process. No more throwing around the kitchen: put all the recipes in one place, or better - in alphabetical okay.

Idea #20: practical example

In wall cabinets too little space! Attach hooks to shelves and hang coffee cups on them. AND store glasses under the shelves - upside down.

Idea #21: Stand in a row

Long, narrow shelves are easy to attach to the wall and are ideal for storage of spices and various bottles of oils. nine0003

Idea #22: a place in the sun

To the very top of the kitchen headset you need to put what you rarely use. For example, let it be baskets of alcohol or dishes for preparing festive dishes.

Idea #23: Surprise shelving

uncomfortable places. For example, sliding kitchen cabinets.

Idea No. 24: for the little ones

Numerous spices a place in packages from under "Tik-tak". Just don't forget to sign them! nine0003

Idea #25: effective decor

Dishes can be stored not only in closed cabinets, but also on narrow open shelves. Let your favorite service become original kitchen decor!

Idea #26: Board Basket

Cutting Board Company will no longer fall down the sink when introduced to the compact basket. Choose models from artificial rattan - a material resistant to moisture.

Idea #27: Budget Idea

Don’t Throw Canned Food jars and rusted rakes, because with proper processing they can be useful for storing kitchen accessories - spoons, forks and spatulas. nine0003

Idea #28: smart approach

A compact magnetic shelves for little things you can do with your own hands. You will need small baskets of hardware store, magnets and superglue.

Idea #29: go home!

Buying a few plastic containers for sorting food, you will not only free up space in the refrigerator, but also facilitate cleaning in it.

Idea No. 30: little tricks

Don't forget to use the lower parts of the cabinets - in drawers or baskets right under the headset it is convenient to store cereals and grains, as well as materials for creativity and needlework. nine0007

Organizing kitchen storage: 20 super ideas and life hacks

Everything you need is at hand

cleaning. Dimensional dishes (pans and pots) should be placed in the lower cabinet closer to the doors.

The most popular cutlery should be placed in a special container or hung on rails.

The photo shows an example of the distribution of the most popular items and products.

Comfortable Worktop

Ideally, the worktop should be about 80-90 cm long and located between the sink and the stove. There should be a refrigerator nearby - then during cooking you will not have to walk all over the kitchen. It is desirable that the countertop for cooking was empty.

The photo shows a half-empty worktop, convenient for cooking.

Tray storage

Similar products are conveniently stored together, making them easier to find and easier to clean up after use. For this, individual boxes or trays are suitable. For example, it is better to collect jars of spices in one place, cereals in another, a set of tea in a third. Onions and garlic are recommended to be stored in perforated paper bags. nine0003

The photo shows an example of separate food storage.

Interceiling space

If the room is small and the kitchen set has not yet been selected, you should pay attention to high wall cabinets up to the ceiling.

If the furniture in the kitchen remains the same, you can use the top of the cabinets and put closed boxes or baskets on them with useful, but not used daily things.

The photo shows a kitchen with high cabinets up to the ceiling. nine0003

Place under the sink

If more than just a trash can is stored under the sink, it is worth distributing the filling over the entire volume of the cabinet. You can add an additional shelf for detergents, put a compact nightstand with drawers or screw on a rail for spray bottles.

Vertical Storage

Flat utensils - baking trays, lids, baking pans and even pans - are best kept upright rather than stacked on top of each other. A stack should store only deep utensils. nine0003

Rectangular containers

For storage in the kitchen cabinet, it is more ergonomic to use containers and trays with straight corners than round corners: they fit close to each other and save much more space than a set of cans. Rectangular household appliances for the kitchen also fall under this rule.

The photo shows rectangular containers that filled the entire area of ​​the box.

Hanging baskets

Another useful storage idea in the kitchen is the use of special metal baskets that are hung on the wall or railing. They can collect the most popular products: for example, a can of coffee, a bottle of oil, a salt shaker. The device will unload the work surface, and the necessary items will always be at hand. nine0003

Pictured hanging structures for easy storage of jars.

Insert shelves

Small shelves allow you to get the most out of the empty space in the cupboard: food, cups or glasses will be distributed on two levels, and there is no need to screw an additional shelf. This organizer is convenient to use on the windowsill of the kitchen.

Identical containers

If plastic containers are often used in the family, it is worth buying containers of the same size: after washing and drying, they are easy to put one into another. Assorted products only clutter up the kitchen space and complicate storage. nine0003

In the photo, containers of the same shape stacked into each other.

Cup hooks

It is useful to store mugs not only on the dish rack, but also in plain sight, especially if they are of aesthetic value. To do this, you will need special hanging fixtures or hooks that are screwed to the shelves.

Refrigerator Organizer

This unusual but handy container is perfect for the glass shelves in the refrigerator. The sliding transparent drawer effectively utilizes unused space. nine0003

Use every free corner

When ordering a kitchen set, do not neglect the narrow drawers: they are useful for storing small accessories, bottled water, knives and ladles.

The photo shows a kitchen with a convenient design for storing appliances.

Sink Organizer

Handy fixtures are good for storing sponges and cleaning products near the sink. Such accessories look neater than bottles and rags scattered around the sink. nine0003

Shelf above the refrigerator

If the refrigerator is not built into the storage system in the kitchen and the space above it is empty, it is recommended to mount an open shelf, cabinet or mezzanine on top.

The photo shows a semicircular multi-tiered shelf for storing cookbooks.

Drawer at the bottom of the cabinet

Pull-out design instead of the bottom decorative panel - another way to store in the kitchen. There are baking sheets or small toys for children to play with while adults are busy cooking. If there are pets in the house, food and water bowls are placed in the drawer and slide in when not in use. nine0003

Pictured drawer with dog bowls.

Storing wine glasses

Glass goblets can become an interior decoration if you make a special shelf and hang them by the legs. The design should not interfere during cooking and moving around the kitchen. Also on sale you can find a device that is located in the inside of the lockers.

Shelf above the table

The empty space above the dining area can be filled with one or more shelves. They can store napkin holders, plates, a sugar bowl or mugs hung on hooks. nine0003

Cabinet walls

The side walls of the cabinet can also serve as an additional place for cutlery and spices.

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