I’m so excited to be joining 8 other organizing bloggers as we each take you on a tour of different areas of our homes. I’m the last stop on the parade route! To see the list of all the other bloggers and the spaces they showcased, please visit this post. Posting today along with me is Toni from A Bowl Full of Lemons (also sharing her kitchen space) and Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything (sharing how she organizes her kid’s rooms). Also don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.
Today I’m showing you my organized kitchen and I can’t believe I haven’t done so already. I think I’ve shown you bits and pieces of it but today I’m going to try and condense everything into one post. This could take awhile so hang in there 🙂
Welcome to my kitchen!
In this picture you can see I’ve got a space for my aprons and a towel for the dog when she comes in from outside all wet.
This shelf below holds my cookbook binders and cooking magazines. The two brown bins hold tablecloths. On top sits my youngest son’s Responsibility Station. The basket beside it holds backyard shoes.
In the back corner beside the table is this cart that acts as an art center. His workbooks are in magazine files and I use a Pampered Chef Turnabout for his markers and things. I also have a place for my newspapers and flyers. I love reading magazines at the table with a good cup of tea so the magazine holder comes in so handy. One of my golden rules…store stuff where you use it!
This side of the kitchen is my pantry. The shelves are very shallow. Also in this picture you can see my Mom’s Ultimate Family Fridge calendar that I love.
The left side of the pantry:
The right side of the pantry is for food:
Top
Bottom – the very two bottom shelves are for my son’s allergy safe foods.
Labels affixed with 3M Command Picture Clips
Clear countertops are important to me. I go a little stir crazy with too many things on them. I just recently re-organized one of the corners in my kitchen to make more room for the things we use more often.
Corner before:
I moved the bread machine into the pantry (see above) which freed up so much space.
Corner after:
I’m still looking for a coffee sign 🙂
Trays work so well to contain like items.
The cupboard above this corner is the beverage station:
Above the stove holds extra coffee and the green bin holds my cookie cutters.
Lazy susans make the world so much better 🙂
My cupboards on either side of the sink hold my dishes and glassware:
This cupboard below is right above the toasters so that’s why you find the butter, peanut butter and honey in the bottom left corner.
We actually keep two toasters on our counter….one for regular bread and one for my son’s gluten free bread.
Underneath my kitchen sink:
My grocery bag holder:
I have two lazy susans on either side of the kitchen sink. One holds the plastic containers:
My basket for the small bitty containers that we use for packed lunches:
Love my container spinner! This thing is awesome. I believe I got it at Walmart many moons ago.
The other one holds my spices and baking supplies:
I label the top of my spice lids to make it easy to see what’s what.
Another cupboard holds my baking pans that I organize with more wire shelves to keep everything upright and easy to access. I should mention that my pots and pans are kept in the drawer under the stove.
Now for the drawers. This one holds my utensils and other odds and ends. The blue mat is my Drawer Decor that I love.
Dish towels:
Cutlery drawer with steak knives in the back.
I don’t really have a “junk” drawer but I do have a junk basket where I keep gum, labels and whatever else gets thrown in. I also have another Pampered Chef Turnabout for my most frequently used cooking utensils. Love this product!
I’ve always kept my medications/vitamins in the kitchen. So handy!
Our daily vitamins are kept on the counter because otherwise we would forget to take them.
Whew, that has got to be the most pictures I’ve ever put into a post. I do hope you enjoyed this tour today.
It might have been a tad confusing going through all these pictures so please let me know if you have any questions about anything you see.
Have a happy day everyone!
Candy says
I just wanted to know where you got your blue mat. I have never seen one like it before.
Laura says
Hi Candy, I sell the Drawer Decor in my shop because I love it so much:
http://bit.ly/s7JxOj
Bitts says
Laura, my question is about your microwave. It’s an unusual size, and in an unusual location. Did you add its little nook, or was the kitchen built that way? Did you have a microwave to fit that spot, or did you buy a tiny one specifically with that area in mind? What do you use it for?
Laura says
Hi Bitts, the microwave cut-out was built into the kitchen. The space would actually hold a larger size microwave but we only need a small one since we really only use it for re-heating food.
julieann says
Where or how do you label each basket ? It looks like clipons of some sort?
Laura says
Hi Julieann, they are 3M Picture Clips…instead of hanging pictures though I use them to hold labels 🙂 Here is a video on how to use them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV0Zgz_ah8M
Heather says
Nice kitchen! I enjoyed seeing the thought that went into the organization behind it.
Laura says
Thanks Heather!
Jamie S says
I wanted to know where you keep your cooking utensils….spatulas, wooden spoons, slotted spoons, etc….I have such an issue with storing them anywhere neatly. In drawers, they take up a lot of space and to have them all out looks messy….
Laura says
Hi Jamie, you can see in the one picture above my Pampered Chef Turnabout right beside the stove….this is where all my cooking utensils are kept. I like to have them handy. Here is a post I did on re-organizing them:
https://orgjunkie.com/2011/11/organizing-kitchen-cooking-utensils.html
Linda Stoll says
LOVE LOVE LOVE that art cart!
Whether for the kids or for mom, for art or any other projects that might need to move from room to room – SUPER!
Laura says
It was one of those things I bought on an after Christmas sale the year we were married (17 years ago!) and I am so happy I did. It has come in so handy. At one point in the old house it even held our microwave.
Tina says
wow! I had to stop reading to straighten up & rearrange my kitchen desk area! The magazines in the kitchen is a great idea, so I brought in a holder for mine. I hung a food themed calendar & a picture my daughter painted that was floating around for months! I absolutely love the plate holder with the plant on top & plan on doing something similar for fruits & veggies. Thanks for the great ideas!
Laura says
Whee, that is so exciting Tina!!! Every little bit helps!
Becky - Clean Mama says
WOW – love all your tips and tricks for organizing your kitchen – fabulous! What an honor to be on this tour with you!
Laura says
Thanks Becky, this has been so fun!!
Alli says
Your kitchen is beautiful. Looking at all your pictures, and reading your post makes me want to go reorganize my own!
Laura says
Yay that makes me so happy Alli!!
Shannon says
Great blog!
Just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for the versatile blogger award, come to my site for the info!
http://bananboatsandcabbagepatches.blogspot.com/
Anne says
Your kitchen is beautiful. It is so spacious. My kitchen is very small and feels very crammed. I’m trying to be more organized but still having trouble. I’m trying to figure out if it’d be better to get rid of everything I only use occasionally to give me more space. Do you use everything in your kitchen on a constant basis or store items used only occasionally?
Laura says
My kitchen even though much bigger than my last one holds only about half the stuff due to not having pull out drawers or a pantry in this one. Check out all the stuff I had to purge from the kitchen when we moved in here:
https://orgjunkie.com/2010/08/keep-the-purging-going-even-after-you-move.html
I use everything now in my kitchen regularly except for the fancy drinking glasses you see in the one pantry…I usually only bring those out when we have company 🙂
Anne says
Laura thank you for your reply. After looking at your purge pile, I’m really motivated to just purge everything from my kitchen I don’t use on a regular basis. I’d prefer to have the space clear and organized. Thank you!
Laura says
That’s awesome! I think you’ll find it so much easier to get around in your kitchen and won’t be fighting with storage space. Good luck!
Jeanne says
I’m impressed – but where are your serving dishes? Plates, bowls….did I miss something?
Laura says
Ackkk I new I was forgetting something! So many pictures I was getting totally confused myself lol. You can see some of my servingware in my wire shelves post here:
https://orgjunkie.com/2011/02/double-your-space-with-wire-shelves-dividers.html
L. says
Where did u get the holders for ur baking equipment? I need one!
Laura says
The dollar store if you can believe it 🙂
Devin says
I noticed a Cuisinart bread maker on your countertop. We’ve recently become a gluten free family due to one daughter having Celiac and I’m looking for a bread maker. Do you like this model?
Laura says
Yes I love my bread machine! Now having said that, we originally bought it because it has a gluten free setting but wouldn’t you know we’ve never actually used it to make gluten free bread. We ended up buying a store brand kind of rice bread for him (Pane Riso) that he loves so we decided not to rock the boat 🙂
Kelli says
Love the labeling spices idea! I’ve enjoyed all the homes in the tour! Best wishes
Laura says
Thanks Kelli!
Becky@OrganizingMadeFun says
Laura – Your kitchen looks so great! Thank you so much for joining all of us in the home tour! You have such a lovely home!
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.com
Organizing Made Fun
Laura says
Thanks Becky! And thanks for getting this all organized, it’s been so much fun!!
margo says
Saving 4 Six made a really cute coffee corner sign you might like.
http://www.saving4six.com/2011/07/coffee-corner-revealed.html
Your kitchen looks great!
Laura says
Ahh that’s awesome!!!
Jen says
You have an endless amount of fabulous information here – so many well working systems!
xoxo,
Jen
Laura says
Thanks Jen! This has been such a fun tour hasn’t it. So many great organizing ideas!!
Kristen says
I am in love with your pantry!! I love that everything is in baskets! So smart! I’m curious about those big containers you have your flour and sugar in. I’m having trouble finding containers that will contain the entire bag of flour. Where did you get those and do you like them?
Laura says
Hi Kristen, you are not going to believe where I got those containers…I wrote about it here:
https://orgjunkie.com/2011/07/a-new-container-for-me-on-the-cheap.html
That was a happy day 🙂
Sarah L says
Your house is always so perfect, I feel a little depressed, LOL! My husband would kill (even if it were me!) to have our house look as nice as that! I love how open your kitchen is, we havve a nice size home, but it’s got a tiny little galley kitchen and there’s not really even room for ONE person in there at a time!
Laura says
Oh no please don’t be depressed. I swear it doesn’t look like that all the time!! Although we do have to keep on top of the kitchen as much as possible simply because my son has severe food allergies and we can’t risk cross contamination. Also my two big kids help a lot in the kitchen as well…my daughter (15) is responsible for cleaning up the kitchen after every dinner. That really helps!
Andrea says
So beautiful and very detailed with your decorating! My kitchen has a lot of natural light too-(south facing). No toaster? 🙂
Laura says
We actually keep two toasters on our counter….one for regular bread and one for my son’s gluten free bread. They are on the back wall by my Kitchenaid mixer.
Andrea says
ps- are those a ton of paper plates in the pantry? Smart woman!
Laura says
LOL…I forgot to post a picture of my plates and bowls and things so now people are going to think we only eat off paper plates….oops 🙂 I think I’ll update my post with another picture of the real stuff. Usually we use the paper plates in the summer for outdoor eating 🙂
Laura says
Okay just updated my post with two new pictures 🙂
Shanna says
Love the ideas- it has me looking at my kitchen differently! I have a question about what to do with big appliances that we use frequently- our KitchenAid mixer and our bread machine mostly. The bread machine is used every other day, the KitchenAid a few times a week. Does it make sense to work them into the counterspace? They do take up a lot of room and I”d love to clear them off, but it would be cumbersome. thanks!
Laura says
Great question. I struggled with this too. I had my bread machine on my counter for years but since we only use in one or two times a week (compared to the coffee which is everyday) it made sense for me to find room for it in the pantry. I do however still have my Kitchenaid on the counter (the red thing in the opposite corner) because we do use it a little more frequently and I wouldn’t really have anywhere else to store it. Our pantry shelves are too narrow. So yes I think it all depends on frequency of use and storage options available. If it would irritate you to have to pull them out everytime then it’s probably not worth it to tuck them away. Does that make sense?
Shanna says
Thanks for the motivation! I just had a conversation with my husband about freeing up space in the kitchen and we moved a few things around- a work in progress… 🙂
Laura says
Yay! Also sometimes it takes a little trial and error to see how things work out.
the domestic fringe says
This is THE MOST organized kitchen I have ever seen in my life. I’m studying every picture so I can learn how to do it. AMAZING! Seriously. Will come to my house and help me please? 😉
~FringeGirl
Laura says
Ahh that’s so nice of you to say. It definitely didn’t happen overnight…I’ve lived in this house for about a year and a half and am still consistently tweaking it here and there. Of course I’m a junkie so that could also explain it 🙂 And yes I would love to come help you….kitchens are my favorite room to organize!!!
Jodie says
Wow, your kitchen is beautiful! I had a sudden burst of energy today (after I went shopping and brought home new stuff) and ended up organising the top of my dresser, putting the contents of my junk drawer into baskets and dusting everything. Now I can actually find my spare batteries! Thanks for the constant inspiration.
Shirlley says
Wow what an organized kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
Lynette says
I’m so impressed with all the thought put into each area of your kitchen. I’ve realized a couple things I could do to make better sense of my kitchen arrangement. Thanks for all the ideas!
Emily @ Random Recycling says
I like the 3M under sink organizer, so perfect!
Kim says
wish my kitchen was this big. Love everything. Really loved seeing the Pampered Chef items you have!! I so need to figure out something different for my pantry. thanks !
ema says
what a beautiful kitchen, I love the ideas you have implemented. my biggest challenge is how to store fruit that’s not going into the fridge – bananas, tomatoes, etc… Don’t like the cluttered look…
Laura says
I have a banana bowl…it’s the one by the sink on the right hand side. Works well!
ema says
Right, I saw it now – I have a bowl for bananas as well, our kitchen is just so small that it gets cluttered real fast. I am thinking about getting an etagere (is that the English word? I am talking about three stacked plates) for fruit and vegetables. But I am wondering if this tall thing won’t be too much… Since I will try a fleamarket-find before buying a nice one, it’s ok, it won’t be much money that I loose in case it doesn’t work out.
I think the problem is also that quite a few things are wall-mounted in our kitchen but I can’t put them elsewhere – therefore, a tower of bananas and tomatoes will be akward as well.
Never mind: the next kitchen will be large and light and with lots and lots of storageroom. Problem solved, HA! ;->
Fiona says
What a lovely kitchen you have 🙂
I love all the little ergonomical aspects (like having the tea/coffee near the machine) I love kitchens like that! It just seems so much more ‘right’ -as if that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
I never thought of using baskets before – but I really like the idea … it would work really well for some of our top shelves (because I’m a little short to see what’s really up there).
Thanks for sharing your kitchen and reminding me to go tidy mine. I feel like I’m constantly tidying it, but then I guess we do eat at least 3 times a day, so it’s bound to happen. Fiona,x
Melissa says
Love this series, read each post and got some great ideas to try this weekend. Hoping I win the book too, I’m following a couple people I wasn’t before, I pinned a photo http://pinterest.com/pin/69524387967596864/ and I’ll tweet too! Pick me! Pick me!
Jennie says
Your kitchen looks awesome! I love it.
Pinky says
HI!!! Your kitchen is wonderful and SO organized. We are building a new home so I will save this for inspiration. I LOVE lazy susans too. I also have that spinny thing with plastic containers but can’t find replacement containers. Somehow some of them have gotten lost. Any ideas??? Thanks. Pinky
Laura says
Would you believe I just saw some at the thrift store…keep your eyes open there or at garage sales 🙂
SleepyKnitter says
Amazing!
Ferly says
Wow! You are very lucky to have such a huge kitchen space! This has been a great week! Thanks for hosting this! It’s been fun to explore new blogs and get the opportunity to share too.
~ Ferly
Maggie says
Hi Laura…thanks for these awesome ideas! You rock!
I was wondering, though, about your corner Lazy Susans. Do they actually swing out from the cabinets? Did you install them? Or are they smaller ones that sit on the shelves? I have a bunch of space that I can’t really reach so it’s not utilized well.
Thanks!
Laura says
Hi Maggie, my lazy susans turn all the way around in their space but they don’t swing out. They were there when we bought the house.
Gluten free products says
Great kitchen, wish I had one like yours, thanks for sharing.
Jamie says
WOW! That is absolutely the most organized kitchen I have ever seen! It is also MY dream kitchen! Hahaa… well, maybe I can chip away at it a little at a time. First idea I’m stealing from you is the cart where you hold art supplies for your son as well as reading material for you – my toddlers and I are always at the table together in the afternoons, and I’m always scrambling around the house for supplies. That would be perfect for us! 🙂
Thanks for your wonderful blog, too – I visit almost daily for inspiration and guidance! I’m a huge organization lover but I’m a little challenged in that area!
Susanne says
Love the peek into your kitchen! I’m so wanting a pantry. Maybe one day!
BusyWorkingMama says
Your kitchen is so organized – you managed to use a lot of space for storing a lot of items.
Jessica @ Stay at Home-ista says
So organized! I love how you store your baking sheets and pans upright ( I do too!) and your beverage center.
Jessica
stayathomeista.com
Tamie says
I love seeing where people actually put their stuff in the kitchen…thanks for sharing. It helps me try to figure mine out!
Flavio Moreira says
Hi, Laura.
I’m reading your blog from Brazil and I am very pleased to have found it. I have recently moved into a new apartament (less than two months) and I have been fighting space and kitchen organization. There are some similar nice blogs in Portuguese here in Brazil, but of course being this a “universal subject” 🙂 there is a lot of hints to other blogs; after all, different people deals with organization in different ways and each of them can teach us a new lesson.
I do have a “junk drawer” in the kitchen cabinet which has been the center point of my “org headaches” and I found your ideas really astounding! I have seen several solutions in stores around here that are somewhat far beyound my budgetary limits and you propose solutions that are simpler and more effective.
Just like you I love containers. I have two in my fridge, one for breakfast items (jam, butter, cream cheese and bread) and one for small bottles (shoyu sauce, balsamic vinegar, white vinegar etc), but I never thought of using them as drawer organizers. And I know just where to buy them nice and cheap! Thank you a lot for “illuminating” my mind with these ideas.
I will keep visiting and, whenever I see something inspiring I will let you know it!
Blessings to you and thank you for the nice blog.
Theresa says
Wonderful, beautiful…most of all PEACEFUL! What does your drawer under the stove look like? I can never keep my pots and pans organized. Awesome work…I am envious!
Laura says
Yes my pots and pans are under my stove just stacked one on top of the other. The trick is not to have too many! 🙂
MaLinda says
What is the clear container that you have your sponges in? How is it sticking to the 3M if the 3M strips are sticking to the cabinet door itself? I’m a little confused 🙂
Laura says
Hi there, it’s a 3M Command container. Here is the link to it:
http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/~/Command-Small-Organizer?N=5924736+3294772777+3294857497&rt=rud
Lianne says
Laura
I have to say I Love your kitchen. I love to organize too. It seems like it’s easier when you have more space to do so. Well for me anyways. (Thinking of some where this would not fit). I find it hard in my kitchen to organize much. Kitchen is about 1/4 the size of yours, I have about 1/4 the cupboards you have if that, no pantry, two shallow drawers. What can I say it’s an old house.
Wendy says
Beautifully organized kitchen. May Imake a suggestion about your stemmed glassware? I store mine alternatively right-side up and up-side down right next to each other. You can save about a 1/3 of the space on a shelf that way.
Mary says
How would you recommend storing dishtowels? There is only one drawer in my little kitchen and we use it for the utensils. I would like to contain them somehow, so they won’t get dusty. There is very little counter space. We use them daily though, so they need to be in a convenient, easy-to-access spot.
Laura says
How about in a plastic drawer unit in your linen closet? That’s how I store my seasonal aprons.
Mary says
How would you recommend storing dish towels? There is only one drawer in my little kitchen and it is occupied by all of our eating utensils. However, we use multiple dish towels daily, so they need to be in a convenient spot. Preferably, they must be contained, so that they don’t get dusty, and they must also be easy-to-access. We have very little counter space though; it is truly being used to its full potential, so I don’t know of any other options.. Please help!
Laura says
Hi Mary, I’m not sure about your cupboard space but you can buy stackable plastic drawer bins from Walmart that you could use to keep your dish towels in. Perhaps underneath the sink?
Shantalle says
Great post! You are a girl after my own heart 😉 Some fantastic ideas here, I’ll have to try a few!!
Kathie Milbourne says
I love your ideas and want to incorporate as many as I can into my overflowing kitchen. I wish you could come over and help me purge. After 37 years and 16 moves, my husband and I have acumilated many treasures. I must purge, and I know it. BTW, you mentioned needing a coffee sign. My very talented daughter has an etsy store with her hand painted signs. Her most popular is about coffee. SarikoDesigns at the etsy site. Check it out. It will be one of your favorites.
julie w. says
What did you use for the bakeware to hold them up and where did you get it at?
Laura says
Just wire shelving that I got at the dollar store!
gigi says
Do you have any photos of where/how you store your pots, pans and bowls? These items really frustrate me. I wish I had as many cabinets as you do. My house is a good-size, but the kitchen is too small and there are only about half the cabinets. Did you install the revolving racks that your plastic ware/baking items are on? I am not at all handy and wish I had a couple of those. 🙂
Laura says
My pots and pans are stored in the drawer underneath my stove but not in any organized fashion 🙂 No nothing is permanently installed in my cabinets so I can take it all with me whenever we move 🙂
Hope carr says
Hi…I was wanting to know war u got or plate. Holder and utensil organizer? Thanks
Laura says
Hi Hope, the utensil holder on my counter was from Pampered Chef. Not sure which plate holder though you are referring to?
Ashleigh says
Hi, where did you get the small book sling? I am looking for a book sling for my kids but don’t have the space for the big, long ones. A small one like yours would be perfect!!
Laura says
Hi Ashleigh, it was one of those things I found at a bargain shop here in Canada. They were $10 each and I’ve never seen them again. So glad I grabbed two, my daughter uses the other one for her piano books. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help 🙁
Stephanie says
Where do you get the organizers for cookie sheets and things stored above your oven?
Noma says
Where do you get the units that hold your cookie sheets & muffin tins place?
Laura says
You can find those on Amazon.
Noma Grant says
Great ideas
Ash says
hello, where did you get/can i find the wire organizers you used for your baking trays, or at least something similar, i have looked on the internet and cant find anything like it but i’m dying to try and get some,
thanks muchly xxx
Laura says
Check your local dollar store, that’s where I get mine from!
Gale says
What kind of rack is holding your pot lids? Mine fall out of the cabinet on a regular basis!
Laura Wittmann says
Hi Gale, I store my pots and pans (including lids) in the drawer underneath my stove.
Lizzet says
I have a question.. What’s that thing called holding your baking pans. And where did you purchase?
Laura Wittmann says
If you search houseware organizer on Amazon, you’ll find a ton of them. I’ve even been able to find them at the dollar store once and awhile. Hope that helps!
Hannah Gibson says
Laura, where did you purchase your cart? I would love to use the same style for mobile teaching. Has the cart aged well?
Laura Wittmann says
Oh my goodness, that cart is 25 years old. It’s definitely aged well lol. I’m still using it and loving it. If I can find something similar on Amazon I’ll come back and link to it here.