Without a doubt, our kitchen is the most-used room in our home — especially now that we transformed the eating area into a cozy living space the kids can hang out in while I cook and bake (best decision ever!)
Yup, our kitchen has seen lots of wear and tear, use and abuse over the last decade… which is why it’s so important for me to keep the counters clear and the cabinets organized in a way that maximizes my productivity and efficiency.
For anyone who might be new around here, we completely gutted our kitchen back in May of 2012, and SLOWLY put it back together again over the next 6 months.
The renovation was a massive mess, it took significantly longer than we anticipated, and there were many setbacks (like the wrong cabinets arriving… TWICE!)
But we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our new space so much over the last 10 years that it was definitely worth the work. (NOTE: we have no plans of living through another kitchen renovation any time in the near future!
Here are a couple of fun before/after pictures to share, so you can get the feel for the layout of our space.
Soon after our big renovation, I shared a tour of our kitchen, but now… 10 years and 4 children later, quite a bit has changed!
So I decided it was time for an update!
I’ll start with the cabinets above the refrigerator and move around the kitchen counter-clockwise — ending with the pantry cabinet.
Then I’ll circle back and show you how we organize our island drawers.
Let’s begin with the upper cabinets.
The cabinets above our refrigerator are extra-deep (per my request) giving the illusion that our fridge is “built-in”, even though it’s not. The extra-deep cabinets also provide storage for large roasting pans and cookie sheets!
TOOLS I USE:
- Steel cabinet organizer
- USA Pan XL sheet pans (2)
- USA Pan cookie sheets (4)
- USA Pan muffin tins (2)
- USA Pan pizza pans (2)
- Presto griddle (1)
- All-Clad turkey roasting pans (2 different sizes)
The upper cabinet between the fridge and the sink is where we store all our cups, glasses, and mugs. We also keep a variety of straws and kiddie lids in here.
I requested an extra shelf for this cabinet so I could place them close together for smaller cups.
TOOLS I USE:
- Cups, glasses, mugs
- Silicone straws and lids (inside the yogurt tubs)
The cabinet to the left of the sink is where I store kitchen towels and supplies for bringing food to others.
TOOLS I USE:
- Tinfoil pans for bringing meals away
- Various size bags and twine for baked goods
- Disposable food storage containers
- Dish drying mats
- Read more about my kitchen linens
One of my favorite cabinets in our entire kitchen is my “upper lazy Susan cabinet” because it holds SO much stuff and keeps it all very organized.
As you can see by the photo below, I also keep a few measurement/weight conversion cheat sheets taped inside this cabinet. I use them regularly!
TOOLS I USE:
- Small baking supplies (flavorings, extracts, baking powder/soda, non-stick spray, chocolate chips, coconut, etc.)
- Various salts (we love Redmond Real Salt)
- Measuring cups (dry and liquid)
- Kitchen scales
- Nut Chopper
We have 2 very skinny cabinets on each side of our oven/range… it’s not the most practical storage, but it works for a few things. Here’s the one to the right of the range.
TOOLS I USE:
- Various paper products
- Vitamins
- Salt, pepper, butter, sugar
The big double cabinet above our range is really great storage… but much of it is empty right now.
TOOLS I USE:
- Oxo salad spinner
- Plastic drink pitchers
- Spiralizer
- Cookbooks (I only keep a few these days)
- Cast iron pans (those stay on the stove permanently)
- A few cooking utensils that stay on the counter too.
The skinny cabinet to the left of our oven is affectionately referred to as our “candy cupboard” because it’s where we store all our candy and gum.
Even friends and cousins know where to go for the good stuff!
TOOLS I USE:
- Extra water bottles and travel mugs
- Toothpicks
- Candy and gum (candy is in the cardboard box)
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Moving on to the lower cabinets…
One of my favorite things about our kitchen is all the large drawers (we only had a couple of tiny drawers before).
As you’ll see by the pictures below, we definitely maximize our storage space with drawers!
Here’s how we organize the bank of drawers between our fridge and our sink.
TOOLS I USE:
- TOP: flatware and knives (my silverware organizer and knife block)
- SECOND: bags, foil, wrap
- THIRD: food storage containers (these, these, these, and these)
- BOTTOM: miscellaneous/empty
The cabinets under the sink were custom ordered to fit our extra-deep farmhouse sink (which we LOOOOOOOVE).
Because the sink is so deep and we have a garbage disposal (and various drain pipes) we don’t have much storage… but I feel we’ve maximized the space we do have.
TOOLS I USE:
- Dishwasher tabs
- Boon drying rack and MAM scrubber (both are great for water bottles too)
- Kitchen cleaning products (more about how I organize this area)
- Rubber gloves
The tiny drawer to the left of the sink is the perfect little space to store our hot pads and oven gloves because it’s also right next to the oven.
TOOLS I USE:
- Hot pads (4)
- Oven gloves (3)
The lower cabinet to the left of the sink is where we store our trashcan. I always grew up with the trash under the sink, but thanks to our big farmhouse sink, that wasn’t an option.
TOOLS I USE:
- Kitchen trash can (I love that it has clips to grab the trash bags)
- Trash bags
- EZ-fold step stool
- Dustpan and hand broom
The lower lazy Susan is another one of my favorite cabinets because it offers so much practical storage for things I use on a very regular basis.
TOOLS I USE:
- Larger baking supplies (store-bought flour, sugars, boxed mixes)
- Various types of oil and vinegar
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, squash (it’s dark and cold in this cabinet, so it’s a great place for some of this produce!)
Our pull-out spice cabinet was another special order cabinet because it had to fit JUST right between the oven and the walkway to our mudroom.
It’s always a source of amazement when new kids are here to play and they see me pull it out! I don’t blame them… it’s a cool cabinet!
TOOLS I USE:
- All spices and seasonings (these are the spice jars I use)
- Pudding and gelatin
- Some canning supplies (pectin and lids)
Next up: the pantry area
This area of our kitchen is a bit awkward as there are several heating ducts and a chimney that run from the basement to the 2nd floor — all nicely hidden behind the pantry cabinets.
It was a bit of a puzzle to put this all together, but we ended up with tons of extra storage and all pipes, ducts, and chimneys hidden! Win-win!
We use the upper pantry cabinets to store snacks, baked goods, bread, and lunch packing supplies.
TOOLS I USE:
- Shelf divider
- Mason jars
- Larger baking dishes (I use them for entertaining, but not regularly so they are up high)
- Lunch bags and lunch-packing items (these are the Planet Boxes we use for lunches)
- Bulk fruits, nuts, beans, seeds
- Snacks, peanut butter, bread, baked goods
The “pantry drawers” as we call them, are the perfect out-of-the-way spot to store various tools we like to keep in the house, along with office supplies we want to have on hand in the kitchen. We use these drawers daily!
TOOLS I USE:
- Various handheld tools (left drawer)
- Office supplies (right drawer) — this is sort of our “junk drawer”.
- Drawer organizers
- Tiny storage tins
The lower pantry cabinets are extremely deep and go back behind the full pantry cabinet (to the left in the picture below). It’s not the most accessible storage space, but it’s great for holiday and seasonal items.
TOOLS I USE:
The upper corner pantry cabinet is probably the most difficult-t0-access cabinet in our entire kitchen, so I honestly don’t store all that much in this cabinet.
It works really well for a few large jars of grain — and as you’ll see below, this cabinet is right next to my grain mill.
TOOLS I USE:
- Half gallon mason jars for my grain
- A bin of cake decorating supplies
The little hidden countertop storage cabinet is one of my personal favorites because it has a huge amount of easily-accessible storage.
It’s the PERFECT hiding spot for Dave’s coffee maker and my grain grinder — both of which we use every single day, but don’t necessarily want sitting out on the counter.
TOOLS I USE:
- Nutrimill grain mill
- Coffee maker, coffee, and filters
- More grain storage
The full pantry cabinet was another special-order cabinet because it’s the one hiding all those ducts and pipes behind it (so it’s not very deep). It still allows for so much storage though.
I also use the insides of these pantry doors to tape up all our church and school schedules, hot lunch menus, class lists, etc.
TOOLS I USE:
- Serving items
- Canned goods, chips, crackers, and pasta
- Various smaller baking dishes — I use these on a very regular basis
- Microwave (we intentionally built this pantry for a small microwave)
- Toaster
- Toaster oven
- Waffle makers
- Hand mixer
- Nutrimill stand mixer (attachments and accessories stored inside the bowl)
And finally, the island storage!
I knew I wanted really deep drawers for our kitchen island — specifically for all our dishes and big mixing bowls.
Since I do about 95% of all my food prep on this island, it just makes sense to have bowls, dishes, and utensils readily available (as well as a dishwasher for dirty dishes). I’m thrilled with how everything came together and wouldn’t change a thing about my island.
The island drawers are so useful and functional — they have extended glides so they slide ALL the way out, meaning I can easily reach all to the back of the drawer without any issues.
The special dish drawer has heavy-duty glides and a pegboard bottom to make it super easy to rearrange dishes as needed. I LOVE this drawer!
TOOLS I USE:
- TOP: all kitchen utensils (except knives)
- TOP: drawer organizers
- MIDDLE: all dishes
- BOTTOM: mixing bowls and strainers
.
Whew… I think that’s everything!
You made it to the end of this very long post and hopefully you have a better sense of how I organize everything in my kitchen… along with a few ideas to better organize YOUR kitchen too.
Looking back, there are a few things I might have done differently in our kitchen — but it’s significantly more functional (and prettier) than it was when we moved in.
I’d say it was a very successful renovation!
Sue says
What do you do about the cabinet over your stove? I don’t see an over the range hood?
Jen says
This is awesome! I’m building so I got some great ideas from your post.
Andrea says
yay — so glad that some of my ideas might help you as your build your home/kitchen!
Ruth Ann says
What a GREAT idea for an article…and you did an excellent job of laying out all the information with the photos. Super easy to follow. THANK YOU!
Andrea says
you’re welcome Ruth — glad this was helpful for you!
James Borst says
I like how you divide the tools into one drawer and office supplies into another. My wife and I just moved into our home a couple of weeks ago and we are considering renovating the kitchen so that there are more cabinets and space for all of our kitchenware. We may consider custom cabinetry or something like that so there is a specific place for everything we have.
Christine Meurer says
It is SO interesting to me that you like your spices down low and your dish cloths up high. 🙂 Your bread rising cabinet could also be a good yogurt culturing cabinet!
I LOVE that your dishwasher has the same look as your cabinets! So classy!
Andrea says
well, when you have a skinny cabinet right next to the stove, it seems to be the perfect spot for spices. I’m not sure what else I’d be able to store there! And the kitchen linens are in the cabinet RIGHT next to where I use them — so that makes the most sense in my mind as well. Of course, if I had a different kitchen layout, I’d most certainly organize the contents differently as well!
And yes, the paneled dishwasher was a feature I “for sure” wanted to have in my kitchen!
Rebecca says
Hi! I love the kitchen and organization of all your things. We have empty cabinets and drawers too, but every few months I have to go through and clear them out because my family will just shove things anywhere! lol. Also, aren’t double ovens just the best thing ever?!
I am curious how the stovetop works out without having a vent above it? Unless it’s hidden somewhere I didn’t see. We have an over the stove microwave that vents, but I’d like to eventually switch to a large stand alone vent because it works better than a microwave vent. But if there is some way to bypass or hide it that would be even better!
Darlene says
Where do you store your canned goods? I know you can and freeze things but you must still buy canned soup or vegetables. Or boxes of food?
Andrea says
they are all in the pantry cabinet (2nd and 3rd shelves down) pictures towards the end of the post.
My home-canned food is on metal shelving in the basement (there is A LOT of it) but anything store-bought is in the pantry. I supposed I have cut way back on the store bought things I buy as I make most foods from scratch these days!
Debbie says
Love this post! It gives me ideas of how I can tweak our kitchen storage. It looks like you use your pantry more for kitchen gadgets than canned goods. That’s awesome to have that extra space.
Andrea says
yes, it’s a shallow cabinet and seems to work perfectly for all the small appliances and pans I use regularly. Plus, my kids can’t get into the food now since it’s higher!
Ann says
In the bags, foil, wrap drawer you have a Ziplock syringe thingy for sucking out air. Do you use it? I thought it went with special bags that I can never find any more.
Allison says
I enjoy these posts – it’s a really nice way to get ideas of what may work – I really like the idea of bigger drawers.
Do you have recycling in your area? If so, where do you corral that? I’ve had trouble finding space for both garbage and recycling and was curious if/how you handle that.
Andrea says
We love our big drawers. I would have put so many more in, but we have very limited drawer space in the rest of our kitchen.
As for recycling — we don’t do a ton of it (mainly because I don’t like storing it and it’s really expensive to recycle — crazy, I know!) We have some recycling in the basement and we just walk it down there as necessary. Otherwise, our main garbage can is in the garage.
Emilie says
In our town (in Qc, Canada) the
city has switched the house bin allowance 2:1 in favour of recycling bins this year, because more stuff goes into recycling than garbage.
I’m still surprised that recycling (taking care of our Earth) would be financially penalizing in certain American towns.
Great post! Thanks for sharing organizing ideas — it’s fun to get inspiration and sometimes it helps thinking about our old cupboard organization in new ways!
Have a great week!
Annette Silveira says
This is so fun. I would love someday to redo my kitchen to customize it for the way I use it.
I don’t see any child-locks on cabinets or drawers. Do your kids naturally stay out or are the lower ones fair game? We have a few drawers that our granddaughter can use but the rest are locked so we didn’t have to rearrange everything.
Andrea says
Even if you aren’t renovating your kitchen, there are still TONS of ways you can customize your kitchen for your needs. I had a super non-functional kitchen in our old house but I used different containers and organizers to customize it and make it work for me.
And no, I absolutely hate child locks so we’ve never had any in our house. The kids learn which cabinets they my “play” in and which ones they can’t! 🙂
Avia says
We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel so it’s really fun and informative to see how you’re using your storage. My goal is to have a place to easily store everything – even those things that I have left on the counter in the past – like the toaster and vitamix. I love that you have a place for your bread to rise!
Wilma says
If you can, you could put an outlet in a cupboard and then a slide out tray for the toaster and blender. that’s my dream 🙂 one other thing–if you want the toaster crumbs to stay contained, put the toaster on a baking sheet or even in a cake pan–then you won’t find crumbs everywhere. if your toaster is on the counter, you could use a wooden tray to make it look nicer 🙂
Andrea says
yup, that’s exactly what we did. We have outlets in 4 different cabinets to give up options to use appliances in hidden spaces. We even have a TV/cable hookup inside one of our cabinets if we ever want to instal a TV!
Andrea says
yay — it will be SO worth all the time, effort, and money when you’re finished!
Melissa says
Hi Andrea,
I have a random question…do you find you regularly use your dish drying mats? If so, what makes them a better option than just a kitchen towel? I have never used one and am curious.
Thank you!
Andrea says
we use them every single day — all the time! They are much nicer than towels (in my opinion) as they lay perfectly flat, they absorb TONS more water, and they are cushiony for the dishes. We’ve had ours since we got married and a day rarely goes by when we don’t use them for something!
Kim says
Old reader here. I remember your long kitchen remodel. How wonderful that it is a distant memory.
Do you drip water when going from rinsing a dish to loading it in the dishwasher?
Love the drawers below counters. Wonder if that would be expensive to add?
Hoping to purge and organize my kitchen next, so this is good good for thought.
Burden of kept in fridge????
Kim says
That should be butter not kept in fridge? I hate auto correct.
Andrea says
oh yes, it was definitely a LONG remodel! but so worth it now!
As for the dishwasher, it opens almost all the way to the sink, so no, we don’t drip. I’m sure if the kids are doing it someday, they will drip — but they’d probably drip anywhere!
We go through SO much butter (sometimes 1 stick per day — not even including baking) so we always keep it sitting out. We have several pounds of butter in our freezer and fridge, but I keep at least 1 stick out at room temperature (sometimes 3 or 4 if I know I’ll be baking!)
Lea says
Kim,
Actual butter is a solid at room temperature and typically takes a long time to spoil (since it’s almost all pure fat) at room temperature, especially if it’s salted and the temperature not extremely hot (over, say about 85F).
If you use a butter substitute (margarine, etc.), it most likely needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Most butter substitutes are not solid at room temperature and would melt or they go rancid quickly.
Lea
Chris says
Your kitchen is so beautiful (and functional, I’m sure, too).
Andrea says
thanks 🙂 And yes, quite functional!
Ann says
I like the “Bread-rising” area! Very handy for a baker!
Ann says
The kitchen organization is very nice, too! Great post!
Andrea says
it’s SO nice!!!
Margaret says
This is my favorite kind of post. I love to see the combination of logic–these things are used here, these things should go together–with the practical aspect of–this is where they’ll fit.
I also appreciate the comment that it’s a constantly evolving process. Your needs change, and if your system can’t/won’t change with it chaos ensues.
I have lived in my house for 15 years. Before I moved in (the house was rehabbed for me by a local organization that rehabs for low-income people) I planned where everything would go in the kitchen. FYI, it’s a well-designed layout, but I had zero input into what went where, and it was limited to stock cabinetry that’s sold to the organization at cost by a local manufacturer.
15 years later almost nothing is in it’s original spot; the dish cupboard, the food-storage cupboard, and the useful-things drawer are still the same, although they’ve been rearranged internally many times. I’ve made several major shifts just within the last year. It’s perfect for now, but it may change again.
I have a similar in-drawer knife block, and I like it much better than the magnetic strip I used for years. The knives keep their edge better if they’re not being constantly tapped against the metal. I also keep all my sharps in one drawer, so the pizza cutter, vegetable peeler, kitchen scissors, and microplane are all in the block, with the cheese grater and bench scraper nestled alongside. Do you keep them together or separate? If they’re separate do you ever cut yourself fishing them out?
I really like your dish drawer. Those are so nice.
Andrea says
I don’t keep all sharp things together — mainly because that doesn’t make sense for how I use my kitchen stuff. the knives are in the knife block and my cutting boards are stacked up right next to the sink — which is where I use my knives a lot.
The other tools are in the big drawer on the island which is where I basically do ALL my food prep. The drawer is not overly crowded so I never have to “fish” for what I need. I just grab it and shut the drawer again — no risk of cutting myself!
And yes, we LOVE the dish drawer!