Do you feel overwhelmed every time you walk into your kitchen? Do you struggle to find things you need or find homes for things you don’t need? These are classic signs of kitchen chaos, but you don’t have to deal with them forever. Read on to learn how to organize a chaotic kitchen.
Identify the Problem Areas in Your Kitchen
Start by pinpointing your chaos zones. It may feel like there’s stuff all over your kitchen, but chances are it’s confined to specific areas. For example, maybe part of your kitchen counters sits near a high-traffic door. This is probably a dumping zone for keys, homework, water bottles, pocket change, and other items your family brings in.
By understanding where the chaos is, you can find solutions to address it. Make note of the pattern of actions contributing to the chaos. In this example, the pattern involves people coming into the room and dropping their belongings on the counter. If the chaos involved random spices near the stove, the pattern would be cooking at the stove with nowhere to store the spices. This information provides the building blocks for better kitchen organization.
Establish Systems to Fix Your Problem Areas
Once you know where the issues are in your kitchen, you can think of a way to fix them. If your counter is a dump zone for entry clutter, put out a basket to contain everything. When the basket gets full, put all of the items where they belong. And if you don’t have a home for those items, make one!
If your spices never make it back into the cabinet, get a decorative spice holder to sit right next to the stove. That way, you have everything at your fingertips and you don’t feel overwhelmed with clutter.
There are solutions like this for every type of chaos. You may just need a new perspective.
Find Unused Storage Options in Your Kitchen
Most kitchen chaos can be solved with better storage or better use of existing storage. You might be surprised by how much-unused storage potential you have in your kitchen. Is there a gap above your kitchen cabinets? That could be a place to store objects you don’t need often. Is there empty space in the back of your lower cabinets? You could install pullout drawers that let you access and utilize the entire depth.
Look for gaps in your kitchen or areas that could be reconfigured. These can turn into effective solutions for your kitchen chaos.
Plan a Kitchen Remodel with a Better Layout or More Efficient Cabinet Design
Changing your kitchen layout isn’t the easiest way to organize a chaotic kitchen, but it may be the best way. If your existing layout was designed for a bygone era, it may need a complete overhaul. This will allow you to reconfigure cabinet placement, appliance locations, sink positioning, and more to hopefully eliminate your current clutter.
If you can’t change your layout or like most elements of your kitchen layout, you may need different cabinets. For example, something as simple as turning lower cabinets into drawer systems could drastically change your experience in the kitchen. Maybe you get rid of some counter space to create a floor-to-ceiling pantry, or perhaps you make your island open from both sides. These adjustments can greatly improve your kitchen organization.
Create Kitchen Organization Solutions That Fit Your Lifestyle
Your kitchen doesn’t have to be Pinterest-perfect. More than anything, it needs to function well. If you need to dedicate a cabinet to morning meds and tea, go for it! If you need a lower cabinet to act as backpack storage for the kids, that’s fine! Organize your kitchen to fit your lifestyle, not what you think your kitchen should look like.
Address New Clutter as It Arises
Even if you have systems in place to address your clutter, they may not work forever. If you start to see new clutter forming, adjust your systems or create new ones to mitigate the problem. The more you stay on top of kitchen chaos, the easier it is to manage.
There are tons of ways to make your kitchen feel bigger, brighter, and more inviting. Our kitchen designers would love to tour your space and create a personalized kitchen design plan for your home. Contact O’Hanlon Kitchens at 443-285-0558 to learn more about our kitchen remodeling services.
