Cleaning & Organizing Organizing Kitchen Organization

40 Creative Kitchen Organization Ideas

Updated on 10/13/21

labeled glass canisters for storing bulk items in the kitchen — The Spruce / Kevin Norris

If you feel like your kitchen is a cluttered mess, that doesn't mean it has to stay that way. There are myriad kitchen organization ideas to suit any lifestyle—from large to small kitchens and from professional chefs to casual cooks. Tackle a few of your trouble spots, and before you know it, you'll have the momentum you need to organize even the messiest of kitchens.

Here are 40 ideas to improve your kitchen organization.

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The Simple Way to Double Your Under Sink Storage

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Choose Canisters That Double as Decor

Sincerely Sara D

One way to keep basic dry products organized is to pick canisters you love to look at. Implement a design that will function in an organizational capacity but also act as decor for your kitchen. That way, you don't have to take up space with supplemental decor.

Inexpensive Glass Kitchen Canisters from Sincerely Sara D

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Tack Up Inspirational Quotes and Important Notes

A Joyful Riot

To recreate this stylish and functional look, hang up circular cork boards on a kitchen wall. Next, print some fun and inspirational quotes. Finally, tack up important notes, shopping lists, and reminders to keep you on task.

Ron Swanson Kitchen Quotes, Free Printable from A Joyful Riot

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Fold Kitchen Towels and Stack Them Vertically

Just a Girl and Her Blog

Stacking dish towels horizontally might seem like an excellent way to keep them in order, but you'll save yourself a lot of digging if you line them up vertically instead. Use a divider to store potholders and other kitchen linens. A word of warning: There will be wasted space if the drawer is deeper than a vertically folded dish towel, so try to pick a drawer that's the right size for your folded towels.

How to Organize a Small Kitchen from Just a Girl and Her Blog

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Label Contents Inside Your Pantry

Southern Curls and Pearls

Using bold, simple pantry labels is an effective way to keep dry goods organized. Keep the labels consistent. And label everything, even the items you don't think require a label. That creates a uniform look and ensures that everything will stay in its place.

How I Organized My Pantry from Southern Curls and Pearls

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Add a Basket to Store Cleaning Products

Sarah Hearts

Under-sink storage can easily go from under control to chaotic. To keep things orderly, attach a small basket to the inside of the cabinet door using damage-free picture hanging strips. Store items such as dishwasher tabs, sponges, and other everyday objects that you don't want to dig around to find.

How to Organize Under the Sink from Sarah Hearts

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Keep Plastic Bags Tidy and Out of the Way

Sunny Day Family

The most functional kitchens are the ones where there is a designated place for everything. Does your kitchen have a spot for plastic bags? If not, create this clever and compact storage solution out of an oatmeal container. If any bags don't fit inside the container, be sure to recycle them.

How to Organize Plastic Bags from Sunny Day Family

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Organize Tea in a Drawer

@ashleyjoneshatcher / Instagram

Tea lovers know how easily an entire cabinet can get filled with bulky cardboard tea boxes. Keep your tea, coffee cartridge pods, and other necessities organized inside a drawer instead. Narrow plastic bins will work well to keep your tea in full view.

Tea Organization Drawer from Ashley Jones Hatcher

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Convert an Open Wall Into a Vertical Storage Unit

A Beautiful Mess

Utilizing every square inch of space is important in a small kitchen. If you love to cook but have nowhere to put all your utensils, tackle this DIY vertical wall storage project. If this aesthetic doesn't appeal to you, change out the containers to better fit your style.

Vertical Kitchen Organization from A Beautiful Mess

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Organize the Fridge Using Zones

Suddenly Simple Organizing

If you throw food in the fridge when you get back from the grocery store without much thought—stop. Some areas of the fridge work better for certain items. For instance, keep items you use often at eye level. Also, milk and other perishable items should be kept on the lowest shelves or shelves nearest the freezer that are the coolest. Organizing the fridge is important because once everything has a spot, scanning for items you need will be a much quicker process.

The Most Overlooked Area You Need to Organize Now from Suddenly Simple Organizing

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Conceal a Command Center Inside a Kitchen Cabinet

Eleven Magnolia Lane

Command centers that house family calendars, important papers and mail, and charging stations can get busy fast. Keep everything organized and out of sight until you need it by stationing the center inside a kitchen cabinet. Use magnetic chalkboard paint to get started.

Pantry Makeover from Eleven Magnolia Lane

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Fill a Blank Kitchen Wall With a Chalkboard

Almost Makes Perfect

If you have a blank wall in your kitchen that is serving no purpose, paint it with chalkboard paint. It can serve to keep grocery lists and meal plans organized. And it can keep young children distracted while you cook.

Chalkboard Kitchen Wall from Almost Makes Perfect

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Use Trays to Keep Countertops Organized

Swoon Worthy

Some people like to keep their countertops bare, but those surfaces can be used for kitchen organization opportunities. The key to keeping countertops looking polished and neat is to use trays and stands to organize different groupings. In this kitchen, all the coffee items are on one tray, fruit sits on another tray, and dry good canisters are on a third tray.

8 Secrets for a Tidy Home from Swoon Worthy

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Use Removable Storage Bins Inside a Lazy Susan

Inspiration for Moms

Lazy Susans are common kitchen organization tools that are used in a variety of ways. You'll often find them in awkward corner cabinets. To make better use of a Lazy Susan, incorporate some removable bins and organize like items in each bin. This idea will help prevent things from falling over and getting lost when you dig through the cabinet.

Organizing the Corner Lazy Susan from Inspiration for Moms

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Lazy Susan Life Hacks You Need to Know About

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Divide the Inside of Drawers Into Sections

Organizing Made Fun

It might seem easier to throw all your container lids inside a drawer and call it a day. Even if you stack them neatly, opening and closing the drawer will eventually cause them to become disorderly. Prevent this mess by sectioning off the inside of your drawer and organizing the containers by size using drawer dividers.

The New Kitchen: Organizing the Drawers from Organizing Made Fun

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Add Mug Hooks Underneath a Kitchen Cabinet

Dream Green DIY

Leaving things out in the open that you use every day isn't cluttering—it's practical. Keep coffee mugs organized and within reach by adding hooks to the bottom of open shelving or kitchen cabinets. Make sure you position this DIY project close to the coffee pot.

DIY Custom Photo Mug Rail from Dream Green DIY

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Keep Dish Brushes Together in a Vintage Container

Miss Mustard Seed

There are plenty of items to keep clean and organized by the kitchen sink, including brushes, sponges, and dish soap. Keep all your dish brushes together in a stylish way by incorporating a vintage porcelain container that you can keep next to the sink. Or select a container that meshes with your kitchen style.

The Enameled Kitchen Sink from Miss Mustard Seed

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Utilize All the Vertical Space in Cabinets

Just a Girl and Her Blog

Cramming plates, glasses, or mugs into your cabinets can result in chipped and broken cups, especially when they're stacked too high. That type of stacking makes them hard to reach, too. Fix this common problem with inexpensive cabinet risers. These kitchen helpers create valuable extra shelf space for cabinet organization.

How to Organize a Small Kitchen from Just a Girl and Her Blog

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Free Up Counter Space by Hanging Paper Towels

Squirrelly Minds

Many paper towel holders sit directly on the countertop wasting valuable space. Hang paper towels underneath your kitchen cabinets or open shelving instead. If you can't find a holder that matches your decor it's easy enough to make your own.

Suspended Copper Pipe Paper Towel Holder from Squirrelly Minds

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Get Creative With DIY Spice Racks

Remodelaholic

If your spices need a place to go, there are hundreds of spice rack options on the market. If you are lacking space and want to build something, consider making a custom spice rack. Get creative with spice storage. Use the space by the stove, at the end of a cabinet, or inside a drawer, for example.

How to Build a Space Saving Spice Rack from Remodelaholic

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Store Food on the Pantry Door

Four Generations One Roof

Use the backs of your kitchen cabinet or pantry doors for storage. Specially designed door racks hold more than shelves in some cases. Use this area to store food that you want readily accessible, such as snacks for the kids.

Our Organized Kitchen Pantry Reveal from Four Generations One Roof

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Use Furniture as Pantry Storage

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Storage and organizing become much trickier when a kitchen lacks a pantry. To make up for the lost space, opt for a freestanding pantry. Repurpose a piece of furniture, such as a storage locker, chest of drawers, bookshelf, or armoire, that will give you all the space you crave.

Creating a Pantry When You Don't Have One from The Shabby Creek Cottage

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Store Baking Pans Vertically

Polished Habitat

Any organizer that has vertical slats, such as a sturdy mail or file organizer, will work to keep your baking pans accessible inside a kitchen cabinet. Also, look for inexpensive vertical cabinet dividers in a home improvement store that you can easily install. This will keep your baking pans easily accessible and less prone to breaking than if you stack them.

Real Life Kitchen and Pantry Organization Update from Polished Habitat

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Keep Coffee on a Cart

@angelamariemade / Instagram

Sometimes it doesn't make sense to keep a coffee pot on a counter crowded with other appliances. It might be more practical to store coffee-related items on a small rolling cart. You can roll the cart to guests and return it to the kitchen when finished.

DIY Coffee Cart from Angela Marie Made

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Store Fresh Produce in File Holders

@homesort / Instagram

File holders and magazine organizers are the perfect desk accessory to use for kitchen organization. If you plan on storing produce in them, opt for wire holders that have plenty of openings for air circulation. Plus, adding labels can ensure that everything is in its place.

Organized Fresh Produce from Home Sort

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Create a Tea Caddy on a Tiered Tray

The Happy Housie

Tiered trays (especially if they twirl) work well for storing everyday kitchen items. Keep items, such as snacks and teas, on tiered trays to give your kitchen a bit of a café vibe. It prevents little items from becoming clutter, and it makes good use of vertical space.

Our Kitchen Tea Station and Tiered Trays for Kitchen Storage from The Happy Housie

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Style Open Shelves With Everyday Items

The Green Eyed Girl

There are pros and cons to having open kitchen shelving. The benefits include quick and easy access to items and a place to show off your prettiest kitchenware. One big con: dust. Avoid the problem by using open shelves for items you use frequently. That way dust doesn't have too much of a shelf life because items are quickly rotated.

Three Ways to Style Open Kitchen Shelving from The Green Eyed Girl

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Hang Measuring Cups on a Cabinet Door

@nest.in.birdland / Instagram

Many measuring cups and utensils already have a hole for hanging, so attach them to the inside of a cabinet door for easy access. Make this setup even more useful by adding common measuring conversion graphics to the door. It looks cute, and you'll have the correct measurements at your fingertips.

Hanging Measuring Cups from Nest.In.Birdland

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Keep Cooking Utensils Organized

@extra.ordinary.home / Instagram

A typical utensil drawer is a mishmash of various sized spoons and whisks that require digging to find. Fix the issue by adding dividers to the utensil drawer, just as you have in the silverware drawer. You'll have an easier time reaching for what you need in the middle of cooking.

Organized Utensil Drawer from Extra Ordinary Home

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Organize a Tray With Cooking Essentials

Inspiration for Moms

Cook like a chef by keeping a tray or basket next to the stove that holds your frequently used cooking items. Items you might keep nearby include olive oil, salt and pepper, vinegar, and common cooking utensils. Arrange them all tidy and grouped on a tray.

Organizing the Kitchen Counter from Inspiration for Moms

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Create a Lunch Station

Breathing Room Organization + Styling

If you pack lunch for kids—or for yourself—it can be incredibly helpful to have everything prepped in a specific zone of your pantry and fridge. For instance, keep bins in your pantry filled with containers of nuts, chips, and other shelf-stable foods you typically add to your lunch. And designate a space in your fridge for the refrigerated items you typically grab. You could even assign a bin for each food group (fruits/veggies, protein, etc.) with an assortment of foods to choose from each day to vary your lunches.

Back to School Organization from Breathing Room Organization + Styling

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Keep Garbage Bags in a Clear Drawer

Breathing Room Organization + Styling

A clear drawer can be a game-changer when it comes to storing your kitchen garbage bags. When they’re stored in the box they came in, it’s easy to accidentally pull out more than one bag—or even the entire roll. However, if you add the roll to a clear drawer with a cutout handle, you can easily see what you’re doing when you pull a bag through the cutout. Plus, you can store multiple rolls in one drawer.

Your 5 Favorite Breathing Room Product Hacks from Breathing Room Organization + Styling

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Use Stacking Baskets in the Pantry

Breathing Room Organization + Styling

There are many ways to maximize vertical space in the pantry. And one is simply to add a set of baskets that stack nicely on top of one another. But here’s the catch: The baskets must be see-through, so you always know exactly what’s inside. Wire, plastic, or similar see-through materials will do. Bins with a side opening for you to access what’s inside even when they’re stacked are best.

My Favorite Pantry Organization Products from Breathing Room Organization + Styling

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Add Can Risers

Breathing Room Organization + Styling

It’s all too easy for canned foods to get lost and forgotten in the pantry. And sometimes that might mean the food expires or you end up buying more than you need. That’s where can risers come in. They elevate your cans in tiers to allow you to see every single one. As a bonus: They’re inexpensive and easy to fit on most shelves.

My Favorite Pantry Organization Products from Breathing Room Organization + Styling

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Try Label Clips

Breathing Room Organization + Styling

If you own food storage bins that don’t have an easy way to attach a label, such as a woven basket, consider label clips. These simple clips can be attached to most types of bins. You can write directly on them with a dry erase marker, or use the business card-size paper insert.

My Favorite Pantry Organization Products from Breathing Room Organization + Styling

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Add Under-Cabinet Shelving

@nycneat_louisa / Instagram

If there’s a decent amount of space between your upper cabinets and your kitchen countertop, consider adding shelving under the cabinets. On it, you can store canisters of frequently used items, such as coffee and tea. Or you can use the shelving to keep glasses and mugs easily accessible, to keep small appliances off of your countertops, and more.

Organizer’s Dream from Neat Method NYC

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Store Seasonings by the Stove

@nycneat_louisa / Instagram

Make your life a little easier by keeping kitchen items as close as possible to where you use them. For the cabinets nearest to your stove, that means keeping your frequently used spices, spreads, and other seasonings in them. Not everything shelf-stable has to be tucked away in the pantry if that’s not logical to your kitchen flow.

Spices, Spreads, and Seasonings from Neat Method NYC

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Consider an Open Pantry

@afreshspace / Instagram

If you got an organized pantry, flaunt it. Consider using open shelving for your pantry items. Due to the added visibility, this should encourage you to “shop” your pantry when you’re thinking about what to cook. You won’t let forgotten foods expire, and you might even order out less. Plus, a visible pantry is good motivation to keep up with your food organization system.

Open Pantry Shelves from A Fresh Space

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Create a Semi-Open Pantry With Glass

@nycneat_louisa / Instagram

If you like the idea of an open pantry but still want your food behind closed doors—for instance, to keep young children or pets out—consider glass doors. You’ll still be able to easily take inventory of what’s in the pantry. And you can conceal any items you don’t want on display in pretty baskets and bins that you also can enjoy through the glass doors.

Glass Doors from Neat Method NYC

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Add Lower Pantry Cabinets

@afreshspace / Instagram

Walk-in pantries often only come equipped with shelving. But if you have the space, adding lower cabinets with shelving above can do wonders for your kitchen organization. You can hide bulky and infrequently used items in the cabinets while still keeping the items you need regularly at your fingertips on the shelves. Plus, you’ll score some extra countertop space with the cabinets.

Pantry Cabinets from A Fresh Space

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Designate a Cutting Utensil Drawer

@afreshspace / Instagram

It can be a bit risky to keep cutting utensils in various drawers among other kitchen items and have to dig through them to find the item you need. Instead, consider dedicating a drawer to all your cutting utensils: knives, peelers, pizza cutters, etc. Add a knife dock to the drawer, which can fit most types of knives even if they’re not part of a set. And add drawer dividers as necessary. The drawer will be both a safe and convenient addition to your kitchen organization.

All the Things That Cut from A Fresh Space