HouseBeautiful.com | Mar 16, 2023
Sara Tramp for Emily Henderson1. STORE HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS
Carve out a space in your kitchen cabinets like designer Emily Henderson to hold your daily cleaning supplies. Everything is at arm’s reach the next time you need to clean up a mess.
Katie Newburn2. HANG POTS AND PANS
If you’ve run out of cabinet space to store your pots and pans, put them on display like small space design expert Shavonda Gardner when she renovated her kitchen bungalow. What makes this design work so well is that all the pots and pans are the same finish and are arranged by size.
Sara Tramp Ligorria for Emily Henderson Design3. DESIGN VERTICALLY
It feels like there are never enough cabinets in the kitchen. So take advantage of vertical space like designer Emily Henderson did with her home in Los Angeles. Pans can be stored below the oven, and above, there’s an open cubby for cookbooks and entertainment pieces.
5. ADD POP-UP SHELVES
Pop-up shelves will optimize the unused space in cabinets, especially those that only hold primarily horizontal things, like dishes.
6. REPURPOSE CRATES
All it takes is a wood crate to spice up some exposed shelves and help you hide some unsightly essentials. Give your open storage shelving some style with vintage crates to store reusable totes and nonperishable food.
Kraftmaid7. DOUBLE CABINET SPACE
Having super roomy, deep cabinets is always a blessing in storage space, but sometimes little items can get lost. These inserts solve that problem.
Chantell & Brett Quernemoen8. ORGANIZE COOKBOOKS
If you love cooking like chef Molly Yeh, follow her vision of a farmhouse-style kitchen with function. She stores her favorite recipes in the built-in bookcase. “I wanted it to almost feel like a kitchen/library hybrid,” she says.
Courtesy of Fantastic Frank9. USE CONTAINERS WITH HANDLES
Instead of open shelving, why not opt for a built-in storage unit? All your food is on display and easy to access for meal prep by simply pulling them out.
Amazon10. STACK-UP POTS
Home cooks, stop breaking your arm trying to lift the pan you need on the bottom of a heavy stack. Instead, opt for a stand that’s accessible and a space-saver. Plus, it’ll stop your pans from getting scratched up all the time too.
The Container Store11. ADD CLEAR CONTAINERS
Don’t forget about organizing your refrigerator shelves too. It’s so important to keep it tidy so you don’t forget about those leftovers way back on the shelves. Going with clear containers allows you to see everything easily.
Bloomingdale’s12. USE TIERED ORGANIZERS
Add tiered organizers to your shelves, and you can easily move them around as your needs change. They’re ideal for storing canned goods, spices, and more.
13. ADD A KNIFE DRAWER
If you are limited on counter space, consider storing kitchen linens and knives in a drawer. You can easily access them, and it keeps them out of reach from kids.
Meghan Beierle-O’Brien14. USE WIDE CUSTOM DRAWERS
Instead of stacking our pots and pans, build extra-wide drawers so you can easily find your cookware at a glance.
Douglas Friedman15. ADD A BUILT-IN MINI FRIDGE
If you have a large family and the main fridge is overflowing with items, consider adding a mini-fridge to store extra beverages or perishable items.
16. CONCEAL TRASH
Save your floor space by building a pull-out cabinet designated for your garbage. To make it even more efficient, opt for a design with two openings, one for trash and the other for recycling.
Jason Donnelly17. USE A NARROW DRAWER FOR SNACKS ONLY
The snack cabinet can become a big temptation for everyone in the house. So pair it down to a few containers, and get rid of all those clunky bags that eat up a ton of cabinet space.
Chantell & Brett Quernemoen18. CUSTOM PEGBOARD
Instead of stacking heavy pots and pans on top of each other (and using up valuable shelf space) just install a pegboard on a free wall. Suddenly your heavy-duty items are on display and easy to grab. Marianne Evannou added some hooks and shelves for various kitchen and pantry essentials here.
19. KEEP TO-DO LIST ON A CHALKBOARD
Chalkboards aren’t just for the classroom—you can install one on your cabinet door to keep track of everything you have in stock.
20. ORGANIZE WINE COLLECTION
If you host parties, you quickly accumulate a lot of wine. An efficient way to store your wine and maximize your space is a temperature-controlled refrigerator. Studio DB designed cabinetry with storage options that can double as a home bar.
Flickr User Litlnemo21. INSTALL A FAUX DRAWER
If you don’t have room to store a full-scale ironing board in the kitchen, think outside the box by building a fold-out ironing board from a fake cabinet drawer.
Sara Tramp Ligorria
Courtesy of Sugar & Cloth23. CLEAN UP YOUR CLEANING SUPPLIES
You’re going to be less inclined to actually want to clean if you can’t find any of your cleaning products. Use a lazy susan to hold spray bottles, then contain sponges, towels, and trash bags in plastic containers.
See more at Sugar & Cloth.
24. ALTERNATE BETWEEN CLOSED AND EXPOSED
In this deVol Kitchen, the prettiest items are displayed on the exposed wall-to-wall reclaimed wooden shelves and cubbies so the less attractive essentials can be tucked away in the cabinets. The color-coding adds a soothing sense of rhythm to the space, too.
The Home Edit25. COLOR COORDINATE
Clutter just looks more soothing when it’s all color-coordinated. Rearrange your stuff and you’ll find it straight-up therapeutic to look at your closet.
Courtesy of Aubrie Pick26. USE VERTICAL SEPARATORS
When it comes to finding genius storage and organization inspiration, there’s nowhere better to look than the Williams Sonoma test kitchen. This is the designated cutting board cabinet complete with vertical slot separators to prevent a messy pile-up. This makes them much easier to grab and go than they would be piled up on each other horizontally.
Courtesy of Sugar & Cloth27. USE STACK AND PULL BOXES
Stack and pull boxes will save your life when it comes to baking tools, crafting supplies, or even jewelry.
See more at Sugar & Cloth.
Aubrie Pick
29. HANG A CORK BOARD
The back of a cabinet offers a convenient spot to create a small command center. In the kitchen, you could also use the cork board to hang recipes, or add hooks to keep measuring cups organized and within reach.
Get the tutorial at Two Twenty One.
30. TRY ENMESHED CLOSURES
The clay-hued enclosed cabinets ground this kitchen designed by Dries Otten. The brass shelf underneath with a sliding perforated door allows for a few special items to stay out in the open. Stack your cups by color for a visually calming effect.
Sara Tramp Ligorria32. ORGANIZE BY ACTIVITY
Organizing a kitchen by splitting it into zones based on activity makes it a lot easier to navigate a high-traffic kitchen. In this kitchen designed by Emily Henderson, there’s even a cabinet dedicated to getting your morning started. Even better, the coffee cabinet is near the breakfast table.
33. LABEL YOUR CONTAINERS
Toss out any expired items, then transfer your most-used staples into simple labeled jars or bottles. Without the visual chaos of logos, you can easily find what you’re looking for.
Get the tutorial at Jenny Stevens.
Felix Forest34. STORE DINNERWARE IN DRAWERS
In this modern monochrome kitchen designed by Arent & Pyke, the dinnerware is stored in sleek drawers rather than hidden away in enclosed cabinets.
35. USE PEGS
These drawers in a kitchen designed by Krysta Gibbons are outfitted with movable pegs, so they can accommodate various sized dishes as your needs and serveware collections change. Wooden pegs to keep all of your items in order. You can customize the layout to suit your containers — just move the dowels.
36. ADD A LINER
A liner not only pretties up your cabinets, but the contrasting paper (or fabric) makes lighter-hued items stand out.
Get the tutorial at A Lo And Behold Life.
Homeroad37. TRY A TOWEL BAR
Use every inch! A hanging bathroom towel bar doubles as a holder for spray bottles when hung over a cabinet door.
Get the tutorial at Home Road.
38. ADD A PULL-OUT DRAWER
Stacking pans in your cabinet can get chaotic, fast. To keep things organized, add in a pull-out drawer for easier access.
Get the tutorial at Whisper Wood Cottage.
Kathryn Wirsing39. USE EVERY INCH
This cabinet uses a wire divider to keep cutting boards and pans upright, but that overhead space can do more. Stick on a plastic caddy for things like meat thermometers. You can also go one step further for optimizing this space by adding a hook for ladles and spoons.
40. STORE SMALL ITEMS IN BINS
This way, you can pull out the bin to get what you need, instead of having to rifle through the entire cabinet. Just make sure to add a label so you know which bin to grab.
Get the tutorial at The Social Home.
41. SPIN YOUR SPICES
If you’re one of those people that unpacks your entire cabinets contents when searching for something, raise your hand. Then go and get a turnable—you’ll be able to access any jar with ease.
See more at Chez Larsson.
42. ORGANIZE WITH A PLATE RACK
Nix the stacks in favor of an upright rack that makes it easy to grab a dish. Though this particular version is a DIY built-in, a wire plate rack is a store-bought alternative.
Get the tutorial at Remodelando La Casa.
43. CONTAIN CUTTING BOARDS
When not in use, cutting boards tend to topple over in cabinets, or take up tons of space on the counter. Instead, hang a wire rack on the inside of an otherwise unused cabinet door to keep them out of the way.
Get the tutorial at That’s What Che Said.
PHOTO BY KATHRYN WIRSING; DESIGN BY BETSY FARRELL44. NESTLE WINE GLASSES
To make more space in your cabinet, add a riser for plates and bowls, then alternate the direction you stand your wine glasses to fit more onto your shelf.
45. THINK OUTSIDE THE CABINET
Don’t ignore oddly sized cabinets—instead, use the space to display pretty items, or set up a station for coffee or tea.
See more at Clean & Scentsible.
David A. Land
47. CHOOSE AN UNEXPECTED COLOR
While cabinets tend to be the same old neutral shades, try something different and go for a muted pastel, like this subdued pistachio green.
Brie Williams48. MIX UP YOUR DISPLAY
To balance things up, alternate between transparent and enclosed cabinet displays, like Ariene Bethea did in her kitchen. Plus, it offers both a way to display prettier items and a space to stash away the less attractive ones.
Courtesy of Shavonda Gardner
Jen Feldman50. CONCEAL A PAPER TOWEL ROLL
To take your cabinet organization skills to the next level, rethink what could be a pull-out feature in your drawers. Interior designer Jenn Feldman had a clever idea to replace a utensil drawer with a paper towel holder.
Kate Abt51. USE GLASS DOORS TO SEE EVERYTHING EASILY
Cabinets don’t have to be closed wall-to-wall; instead, insert a few glass cabinets like Maryland-based interior designer Kat Abt. That way, you can easily see what’s inside.
Lauren Nelson53. MAKE USE OF DOOR BACKS
Get creative with your cabinet doors by building shelving on the interior side like Lauren Nelson did here. It’s a genius space-saving idea.
Oliver and Rust54. ADD SHELVING RAILS
For awkward or oversized pieces, sometimes you need to think outside the box, like the owners of Oliver and Rust Vintage Interiors did with shelving rails on the side of cabinetry. Keep it looking polished with dishes and objects that are color-coordinated.
A Beautiful Mess55. KEEP EVERYTHING ONE COLOR
You can reduce a lot of visual clutter by color-coordinating your bowls, plates, and cups. The bloggers from A Beautiful Mess made a tiny cabinet stand out with all-white dishware against a colorful background.
56. STORE BASKETS IN A CABINET
Place baskets for dried goods like potatoes and onions in your cabinets to make sure they’re close at hand for meal prep.
CHRISTIAN GARIBALDI57. STORE YOUR WINE COLLECTION OUT OF SIGHT
Instead of a wine refrigerator, store your liquor and wine collection in a drawer, but be sure to add a divider to reduce the risks of the bottles shattering when you open the drawer.
Trevor Tondro58. ADD A SPLASH OF PAINT
A little bit of color can go a long way to make something that feels cluttered look pulled together. This lower cabinet is a perfect example.
Zach Callahan59. DISPLAY YOUR DISHWARE
Instead of stacking your plates, lean them against the back wall to create some visual interest in your glass cabinet.
60. GROUP LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER
For your next party, make it easy on yourself and pair your teapot, cups, and saucers together and have everything neatly displayed in groups, so you don’t have to rummage around for anything.
