Many of us consider our kitchen the heart of our home, the place where our families gather to make memories, enjoy meals together, and keep tabs on each other's lives. From weekday breakfasts on the go to relaxed weekend pizza nights, kitchens need to built to handle a wide variety of family life.
Fighting with a poorly designed floor plan is always stressful, but few things are more frustrating than a disorganized kitchen. Do you need some fresh motivation and ideas for your chaotic kitchen? Read below for our four top tips for getting the center of your home in good order!
1. Cut Out the Clutter
The first step for beginning any kitchen clean out is eliminating the clutter. We all know how our homes collect unnecessary items over the years, and kitchens are often the worst offenders. From unused wedding gifts to once-trendy cooking gadgets, get rid of the unnecessary items taking up precious storage and prep space!
2. Arranges Items in Zones
Phase two of your kitchen overhaul should include some strategy and location shuffling. Think about arranging your cooking space with different purposes and activities in mind. Group food items, prep tools, and small appliances by zones. For example, you might have a zone for baking, chopping, dishes, display, serving, or even coffee making. Try to establish your different kitchen areas where they make the most sense, such as your dishes storage spot should probably be near the sink and dishwasher.
3. Create a Command Center
Because floor plans have become so open, and kitchens so multi-purpose, many of us are making room for more than just cookware in our cabinets. From cell phones to tablets to laptops to school permission slips - there's an endless stream of stuff that ends up living in the kitchen. We recommend designating specific spots for storing devices, cords, and those stacks of paper. Then they're not only out of sight but also out of the way. Bonus? Everyone will know where to put their phones during technology-free dinners, so you can actually talk to each other; score!
4. Add New Systems
Finally, once you've done some cleaning and thinking, it's time to add any new systems to help maintain your newly found order! There are countless drawer organizers, movable carts, open shelves, hooks, and baskets available at every major home store nowadays; find what works for you. If you get to the end of this process and still find your space lacking, then it's probably time to call in some professional help. Reach out to a trusted contractor or remodeler (ahem: like us!) and get their suggestions for how to improve your kitchen's workiblity and flow.