Is your kitchen too small?  You don’t have enough cabinets?  Not enough counter space?  Consider what is stored in your kitchen.

Make space in your kitchen

Reduce Items

• Reduce items to only kitchens items and only one of each item.  One pizza cutter is enough.  One set of measuring cups is enough.  Limit serving platters to only what you need to host the largest party you have each year, dish towels to get you through until the next round of laundry.
• One set of dishes, no more than three plates per person living in your home.  One set of flatware.  No more than three cups per person.

Organize Items

• Group similar items and store them together.  Plastic storage containers stored together.  Stovetop cooking utensils stored together.
• Store items by use: items you use everyday in cabinets and drawers within reach.  Occasional use items such as decorative serving platters on higher shelves, pots and pans stored together, near the stove.  Plastic wrap, foil and bags near the refrigerator for storing leftovers and preparing lunches.
• See-through cabinets should be used to store visually pleasing items such as china.  Keep these cabinets uncluttered.
• Cookbooks you use and love stored vertically on an open shelf or in a cabinet
• If storage space is very limited, consider hanging pots and pans, aprons and hot pads.
• For the pantry, sort food by category, toss old food and spices, consider see through containers for items that are loose and do not stack/stand well.
• Create wall space for to-do-lists, mail sorting and calendars

Storage Gadgets

• Invest in storage racks, containers and gadgets only when you have considered all the above.
• Purchasing storage items prior to reducing and reorganizing can prove to be a waste of money if not well though out.  Lid racks, drawer dividers and in-cabinet organizers can be very useful with a good plan.

Organizing is a process, not a destination.  A professional organizer can help you make the most of your kitchen space.