evaluate the space

Even the most spacious kitchen can feel short of room if it isn’t organized thoughtfully. Begin, as always, by purging and sorting, so you are organizing only what you need.

take inventory

It’s hard to get your kitchen in order if you don’t know what you have.

• Begin by emptying out all the drawers and cabinets. This is a bigger job than you might realize, so try to find a free weekend to tackle the whole space at once. Have boxes on hand to hold everything while you sort.
• Empty one drawer or cabinet at a time, sorting like items into piles and getting rid of unneeded duplicates, broken or damaged items, or anything you haven’t used in a while (unless it’s part of a collection). Donate extras or store them in boxes for your next tag sale.
• Hold on to your prized collection of Japanese teapots or vintage pie plates, for example; as a beautiful display, they can make spending time in the kitchen more rewarding.
• Think about how—and how often— you use each of the items, so you can make sure to store them where you use them most. That means spatulas near the stove, knives and cutting boards near your work space, cups near the coffee maker, and so on. That also means keeping anything that you use only once or twice a year (like the heavy-duty turkey roaster) in the basement or garage.
• Before putting it all back, see if there are ways to expand the storage capacity of all the various cupboards and drawers, using the tips starting on page 104.

open things up

When it comes to kitchen tools and equipment, seeing means using.

• Hang shelves over counters instead of cabinets for a lighter, more open space. Shelves make everything accessible for regular use.
• A combination of shelving and cabinets makes sense if you don’t want everything on display—or if you rely on base cabinets under the counter to store items other than everyday dishware.
• You can also screw hooks underneath bottom shelves or upper cabinets for hanging items that would otherwise take up counter or drawer space.
• A hanging ceiling rack for pots and pans will save you valuable space down below. Put it over an island, if possible, or wherever you do the most work. Regularly using an exhaust fan while cooking will help to keep the hanging pots cleaner longer.
• There are also many ways to organize pots and pans and other cookware on the wall—either ready-made or DIY. Pegboard is a familiar option; it can be custom cut and painted to blend in.