15 Smart Kitchen Organisation Ideas That Actually Work

by Kesaa Interiors | DECOR & DIY, Kitchen, ROOMS, Storage & Organisation

This post is all about Kitchen organisation ideas.

Is your kitchen more chaos than cooking? We get it! The heart of the home often becomes a battleground of overflowing drawers, mismatched containers, and countertops buried under clutter. It’s frustrating and time-consuming, and frankly, cooking and meal prep can feel more like a chore than a joy. Dreaming of a kitchen where everything has its place, where you can easily find that spice jar or the right-sized lid without a scavenger hunt?

By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll have a toolbox of ideas and inspiration, ready to transform your kitchen into a well-organised space that will save you time, reduce frustration, and, ultimately, make your life a little bit easier. Ready to reclaim your kitchen? Let’s dive in!

Smart Kitchen Organisation Ideas

Ready to reclaim your kitchen? Let’s dive into 15 kitchen organisation ideas you can implement today to create a more functional and enjoyable space.

Drawer Dividers for Utensil Harmony

We’ve all been there – the utensil drawer that’s a chaotic jumble of spoons, spatulas, and that one whisk you can never seem to find. The simple solution? Drawer dividers! These handy tools are absolute game-changers when it comes to keeping things separate and easy to find. Not only does this help you locate what you need quickly and reduce clutter, but it also prevents your utensils from scratching and clanging against each other. Plus, when each item has a designated space, you’ll save time not having to dig around in messy drawers, keeping the kitchen cleaner and your stress levels lower! Think of it as giving each utensil its own tiny, perfectly-sized home.

For versatility and style, look for expandable dividers, preferably made from natural materials like bamboo, that can easily adjust to fit your drawers. The adjustability ensures a good fit, and bamboo will add an element of elegance, or if you’d rather a modern option, consider clear acrylic dividers to give it a clean feel.

Vertical Storage: Tiered Shelves and Risers

When it comes to kitchens, you might often find yourself limited on space, but using vertical space wisely is essential for maximising space and getting items up and out of the way. Tiered shelves and risers are your secret weapon for cabinets and countertops! They work by elevating items, allowing you to easily see and reach those things that get pushed to the back. These aren’t just for your pantry; try using them to organise spice jars on your countertop, or to make stacks of plates or cups more visible and easy to reach in your cabinets. This method makes use of that often-overlooked height, prevents items from becoming lost in the shuffle, and makes everything so much easier to grab. No more stacking and toppling – everything has its place.

Look for a tiered shelf or riser that will maximise the vertical space in your cabinets, with shelves spaced in ways that can store more items in them. Or choose ones made with durable materials that can help showcase some of your most-used kitchen tools and essentials on your counter.

Pull-Out Shelves in Cabinets

Reaching the items at the back of deep cabinets can often feel like a daunting task. But with pull-out shelves, those awkward spots suddenly become functional and easy to access. These shelves slide out smoothly, bringing everything right to you, saving you from the hassle of rummaging blindly. They’re particularly great for storing heavier pots, pans, or bulky items, preventing them from getting lost in the far corners.

By maximising storage space from the front to the back, it can help avoid double-storing the same things. Pull-out shelves will transform those frustrating areas into a more efficient and accessible storage solution. They are easy to install on any cabinet, and make sure your storage is not in vain, and nothing will ever be lost in the back of those hard-to-reach cabinets. While you don’t buy pull-out cabinets off the shelf, consider implementing a solution to easily slide them out to reach even the back of your kitchen cabinets.

Cabinet Door Organisers

Don’t let that valuable real estate inside your cabinet doors go to waste! Cabinet door organisers are incredibly versatile, providing a place to store a variety of kitchen essentials you’d otherwise leave on the counter or stuffed into a drawer. They’re especially great for awkward, thin items like cutting boards, foil, wraps, or even cleaning supplies. By mounting organisers to your cabinet doors, you’re utilising unused space, keeping your items accessible but hidden away from the counter, which is helpful when keeping the kitchen more neat and tidy. Consider it as doubling your storage without taking up any more space!

For an all-around, versatile solution, we suggest an over-the-door organiser with multiple tiers and compartments. Look for a sturdy design with secure hooks to ensure it can hold its weight, as well as varied compartments to fit foil, wraps, and even cleaning supplies to ensure they stay in place while closed.

Utilise Clear Containers for Pantries and Fridges

Transparency is key when it comes to effective kitchen organisation. Using clear containers for both your pantry and refrigerator allows you to instantly see what you have, preventing you from overbuying and letting food go to waste. Ditch the opaque packaging and swap to jars for your dry goods to maximise freshness and the visual of seeing the product, or consider organising produce using see-through bins for the refrigerator to better see what’s in there and group them by type. These clear containers not only help you see what needs to be used, but they also create a more uniform and visually appealing space. They bring a sense of calm to chaos and encourage you to eat what you have, ultimately reducing waste and saving you money. It’s about taking the guesswork out of the storage and having a visually organised look at your pantry.

For dry goods, we recommend using classic, well-sealing glass jars; they are beautiful and functional for storage, and if you choose a matching set of see-through bins in various shapes and sizes for your refrigerator and pantry, this will help maintain a clean and sophisticated look.

Label Everything Clearly

Even with the best intentions for clear containers and visible storage, it’s easy to lose track of what’s what in your kitchen, so labelling is absolutely vital for lasting organisation. Clearly labelling all of your containers, drawers, and bins ensures that the system doesn’t break down over time, and especially helps any additional help in the home to also participate in keeping the space tidy.

Whether it’s a simple waterproof label for identifying the spices or a handwritten label on storage jars with the date the item was purchased, having your storage organised is half the battle, but making sure the labelling is consistent can be the key to keeping a well-organised kitchen.

Utilise Wall Space: Hooks & Hanging Racks

In many kitchens, wall space is often an underutilised resource. Why let your walls be blank when they can be the perfect place to keep utensils, pots, or even cutting boards within easy reach? Hooks and hanging racks can free up drawer and countertop space, providing you with convenient storage that’s not only functional but also adds character to your kitchen.

From sleek metallic racks for hanging your pots and pans to stylish hooks for your most-used utensils, utilising wall space allows you to see what you have and prevents items from being buried in drawers and cabinets. This also adds an element of charm and display to the functional kitchen space, so that your kitchen essentials are not only convenient but beautiful.

Rolling Cart Kitchen Storage

Need a little extra storage, but don’t want to commit to a permanent addition? Consider a rolling cart! This versatile piece is your flexible friend in the kitchen, providing extra storage wherever you need it, whenever you need it. Whether you need a temporary kitchen island for prep space, extra storage during gatherings, or just a handy place to keep your frequently-used items, a rolling cart provides an all-around movable and convenient solution. They’re perfect for small kitchens where space is limited, or can serve as a secondary prep area in larger kitchens. They’re also incredibly easy to customise with baskets and containers. It’s a convenient and effective option for a kitchen in a small space, or can serve as the perfect addition in a larger one, to provide even more storage to meet all your needs.

Look for a well-built cart that rolls easily and is suited to the aesthetic of your kitchen with sturdy shelves to handle your varying kitchen tools. For a sleek, modern aesthetic, metal rolling carts work wonderfully. Choose one based on its durability and what storage needs you may have for the kitchen space.

The Power of a Lazy Susan

Corner cabinets – the bane of many kitchen organisers! The items you put in the corners end up being forgotten, since they are harder to see and difficult to reach, but fear no more! The simple solution to corner storage is to bring in the Lazy Susan. This rotating turntable makes reaching anything that might be tucked into the back of your cabinet suddenly effortless. You can also place them on your countertops, and they also work great in the fridge for storing sauces or spices that often get forgotten. They bring everything to the front so you’re no longer blindly searching or losing items in the back of hard-to-reach cabinets or counter space. This will keep your items from being lost and forgotten about and ensure that you are getting the full use of your space.

Opt for a tiered or multi-level lazy susan, or try a variety of them for different uses. Bamboo is a stylish and sustainable option, while plastic is a great, durable and easy-to-clean pick. Consider your colour aesthetic and overall style when choosing a Lazy Susan to use, to be sure it matches with your existing kitchen pieces. You can find a great range at a store like the Container Store or Bed Bath & Beyond. Consider choosing a rotating tray based on where you might plan to store and use this kitchen storage.

Pot and Pan Lid Organiser

Let’s face it, pot and pan lids are the awkward items in our kitchens. They’re often stored haphazardly, creating a noisy, clanging mess in drawers or cabinets. They seem to pile up and make a dishevelled scene if left untamed. A dedicated pot and pan lid organiser can bring order and peace into this chaotic storage situation. These organisers keep your lids separated and neatly arranged, preventing scratches and making it easy to find the right one when you need it.

By having a specific place for these notoriously clumsy kitchen items, you’re optimising your space and making meal prep a much smoother and organised experience. This not only avoids damage but keeps those items from flying out every time the drawer or cabinet is opened. Look for adjustable organisers that can accommodate different lid sizes and thicknesses, or try using vertical racks to stand the lids up in the cabinet. Consider the spacing between the vertical bars to make sure it will properly hold and keep them in place without falling out 

The Magic of the Dish Drying Rack

Leaving dishes to dry on the counter can be inconvenient and create a cluttered mess, and no one wants to deal with a wet countertop from soggy drying dishes. The simple solution? A stylish and efficient dish drying rack! This will provide an immediate and convenient solution to dry your dishes properly and efficiently, instead of having a chaotic array of wet dishes left on the counter to dry. This simple piece not only keeps the counter space free and tidy, but also makes the post-meal cleanup so much easier. Consider how often dishes are washed and if your drying solution is actually functional for your needs and your space, because a simple solution can help avoid a lot of clutter in the kitchen.

Consider what kind of drying rack fits into your style and space. If you’re limited on counter space, there are a variety of slim and efficient designs, such as foldable or roll-up drying racks that can be stowed away when not in use. For those with a more permanent need, a sleek dish rack with a built-in tray can create a contemporary style while efficiently keeping your dishes properly organised.

Under the Sink Organisation

The space under the sink often ends up being a chaotic catch-all, a messy area that’s often neglected, but this area is one of the most crucial parts to get organised. From cleaning supplies, dish soap, and sometimes extra sponges and paper towels get haphazardly shoved under the sink, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider lining the bottom of your under-the-sink cabinet with a waterproof liner or tray to protect the cabinet from spills, and use caddies or organisers to neatly group similar items together, such as cleaning sprays, cloths, and dish soap. Adding a tiered organiser can maximise space by using the vertical height under the sink to bring smaller items forward so they are not lost in the back.

By adding small adjustments and creating organisation under your kitchen sink, you create a smooth, streamlined process of accessing your kitchen supplies to maintain a tidier kitchen. Look for sturdy, waterproof organisers with handles that make it easy to take supplies out of the cabinet, or consider a tiered organiser to make the most out of your vertical space. You can often find great caddy sets or drawers from the Container Store.

First in, First Out Pantry Rotation

How often do you reach into the back of your pantry and find something expired? It’s a common issue when you just pile new items in front of the old ones, but the “First In, First Out” method (FIFO) can help to prevent that! This involves making a habit of using the oldest items first before reaching for the new ones. When you come back from the grocery store, always move your older products forward and put the newer purchases behind them. This can help to reduce food waste and save money by making sure food items don’t get lost and forgotten about in the back of the pantry. Implementing FIFO doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s just a matter of shifting your habits and adding new food purchases to the back, so that older items get used first and avoid expiry dates.

Create Zones

Thinking of your kitchen as a series of functional zones can be a game-changer for efficiency. Instead of scattered chaos, think of designating different parts of your kitchen to specific tasks: a baking zone, a coffee station, a prep zone, etc. Having these clearly defined zones can streamline how you navigate and use your kitchen for each specific need. Keep all your baking supplies in one area – measuring cups, flour, sugar – so they’re ready for any baking adventure you decide to embark on. Designating a specific spot for a particular need can help to prevent things from being misplaced, make meal prep easier, and keep everything organised since it always returns to the same spot. You’ll notice a huge difference when each zone is established and maintained.

Regularly Declutter

Finally, even the most organised kitchens need regular decluttering. It’s easy to accumulate items that you simply don’t use or need and to slowly forget about old items that start to take up valuable space. Take a few minutes regularly to purge out items that no longer have a purpose in your kitchen, whether that is a random utensil you never use, a mismatched container you forgot you owned, or old food that expired.

By doing this routinely, you prevent the build-up of clutter that can inevitably lead to a kitchen that’s no longer organised. Incorporate decluttering into a simple routine by using the FIFO system, or spend 10 minutes each week to quickly see if there’s anything you can let go of from the pantry, fridge, or your cabinets. A consistently decluttered space is key to a consistently organised kitchen and home.

By implementing these 15 kitchen organisation ideas, you can transform your space into a more functional and enjoyable environment. Remember, a well-organised kitchen is not just about aesthetics, but about making daily life easier and more efficient.