Kitchen Nightmares No More: How to Tame Your Most-Used Room

Kitchen counters tend to be a magnet for clutter. Take a few minutes to relocate household items that don’t belong in the kitchen. Banish those pesky paper piles by stowing mail, bills, and magazines in a basket, tray, or wall-mounted pocket.

Create additional counter space by ditching bulky knife blocks and storing knives in a wooden drawer insert with dividers or on a magnetic wall bar such as this one.

To reduce your environmental footprint and create a streamlined baking pantry, ditch packaging and store baking staples in clear airtight jars. This simple shift will keep ingredients fresher for longer, and also make it easy to restock from the bulk bins at your local market.

Tired of wading through an avalanche of pantry items to find what you need? Remove pasta, cereal, crackers, and snacks from bags and boxes and opt for clear, labeled jars. Zone your food by both type and usage, ensuring that frequent-use items are stored within reach for easy access.

Reserve counter space for items that are either useful or beautiful. You can elevate everyday essentials like dish soap or olive oil by transferring the contents into stylish and functional glass dispensers. Pantry staples like sugar and flour can be stored in oversized canisters with easy-to-use scoops.

Bulky pots, pans, and colanders are challenging to store, especially in small kitchens. Maximize space, and make cooking a breeze, by hanging your favorites within reach on a wall or ceiling-mounted pot rack.

Uniform sets of dinnerware, mugs, and glassware look lovely displayed on open shelves and removing cupboard doors makes it easy to grab (and put away) your everyday essentials. If you have incomplete or chipped plates, cups, or mugs, donate the unwanted items and start fresh by investing in a single set you truly love.

Corral all of your disposables and party essentials into a single labeled bin so you’ll be ready for your next party, picnic, or event. Bonus: Make sure to include a set of birthday candles and matches in your party bin.

Create space in a cramped kitchen by relocating oversized vases, linens, entertaining platters, and specialty liquor to a hutch or storage cabinet in your dining room. Alternately, these occasional-use items can be stored in clearly labeled bins or on a shelf in your garage, basement, or other storage area.

The single best way to prevent clutter from accumulating? Put things away, right away. A few minutes of daily maintenance will spare you a massive clean-up later.

Shira is the founder of Shira Gill Home, a boutique lifestyle brand with a “less is more” philosophy that offers on-site, full service home organization and styling as well as online resources and inspiration to help you design a clutter-free life. Follow Shira on Instagram @shiragill for weekly tips and inspiration.