Now that we are all spending more time at home than ever before, it’s the perfect opportunity to organise your living space and declutter. The kitchen is often seen as the beating heart of a family home, which means that it can quickly descend into a chaotic mess both inside the cupboards and on any free surface.
To help you get your kitchen space organised and free of clutter once and for all, we’ve shared our top tips on how to approach this process…
1. Keep your worktops clear
Our number one tip is to keep your work surfaces clear. It almost doesn’t matter what is going on behind the cupboard doors! If your kitchen looks tidy, it is more likely to STAY tidy. Start at one end of the kitchen and work clockwise sorting and tidying away any clutter. Be ruthless and don’t just tuck it all away in your “miscellaneous” drawer. Any appliances that sit on the work top tend to gather stuff around them, so find a home for them if you can. This might mean having to make some space in your cupboards, so don’t be afraid to throw things out that you don’t use.
2. Make extra space
To make space in your cupboards, go through each one in turn and remove anything that either hasn’t been used in years, is broken, not complete or you have duplicates of. For example, all those tupperware containers without lids just taking up space! Items that you use daily should be easily accessible, whereas items that are only used once a year can be put high up or even out of your kitchen altogether (e.g into the loft).
3. Tidy your food cupboards
While you’re creating this extra space, it is also a good idea to check your food cupboards and do a stock check. Dispose of any out of date items, put those short dated items at the front and stack everything to take up less space. Under the sink or corner cupboards without pull-out mechanisms can be a real glory hole for miscellaneous items - take everything out to see what you have and what you still need.
4. Organise your storage
Organising items in your cupboards can be made easier with the use of baskets, bolt on pull-outs, racks for your pan lids, condiments, spices, etc., or handy containers. There are many different options out there and if you think a cupboard could be better used, then a quick search online can show you what is available at varying price points. Utensil hooks or small shelves that can be fitted between the worktops and base cabinets can utilise otherwise free space, while still keeping things off of your worktops.
5. Clear out your junk/ miscellaneous drawer
It will not empty itself and the situation is only going to get worse! Take half an hour and empty it out, throw away all of the true junk, sort the rest and when it goes back in it will be an asset to your kitchen, as those useful little items will now be on hand when you need them. Always check the bottom of the unit that the junk drawer is in, as things can easily drop down the back.
6. Take it in stages
This can all seem like quite a daunting task, so break it down into smaller sections and just chip away at the job one step at a time. Don’t be tempted to pull everything out in one go, as it will take longer than you think and it will be dinner time before you know it and you won't have room to cook anything! Keep the kettle on hand, and when it seems like it is getting too much, stop, have a brew, think about what to do next and then just keep going. Once you’ve finished, it will make a HUGE difference to how you feel about your kitchen.
7. Think about the flow of your kitchen
If after all your organising and decluttering, you may still feel frustrated with your kitchen. If that’s the case, then it may be time to consider small renovations, or a complete overhaul. If you decide to go down this route, our top tip is to focus on the flow of your kitchen. How can you make your space truly work for your lifestyle? By focusing on the areas you most commonly use, your problem areas (e.g. where you found a lot of clutter or mess), and free space that could be maximised, we’re certain you’ll uncover huge potential to transform your kitchen into a well organised, practical and stylish heart for your home.
Want to go a step further? Our team of experts are available to help you plan and design your dream kitchen or bathroom, and can conduct consultations and design meetings over the phone to help kick-start your project. Click here to get started.