We all strive for a clutter-free home but let’s face it, clutter does have a habit of sneaking up on us all when we’re not looking! The kitchen is perhaps one of the easiest spaces in the home that gets cluttered way too easily and way too quickly.
Here’s how you can change all of that and at least have a clutter-free kitchen:
Plan your storage
If you are still in the design process of putting together your new kitchen, make sure you’ve made clever use of all available space by planning your storage (use our FREE Kitchen Storage Checklist Printable to help plan your storage effectively) and taking advantage of the many great solutions available today. Options include pull out bins, slide out baking tray racks, slide out spice racks, nifty corner storage units and much more!
Make use of your walls
If you have the option, do use as much wall space as possible. Overhead cupboards are a must – ensure they are placed high enough to be out of your way when using the benchtop and low enough to reach comfortably.
The standard height of an overhead cupboard above your benchtop is 600mm however, 700mm has been more favourable in the design world over the last few years.
Another way of making great use of available wall space is to install floating shelves – perfect for cookbooks, bottles, glasses, herb planters, etc. This also adds a sleek, modern touch to your overall kitchen design.
Avoid using too many open shelves and cabinets
A popular myth in designing smaller kitchens is to open the space up by installing open shelving and open base cupboards. Although this may look stylish in bars and cafes, it is not the most practical option for the home!
First of all, having everything out in the open would be an absolute nightmare to keep clean and tidy and of course, with everything out on show the space does actually look MUCH MORE cluttered than if it was covered by a simple door.
That being said, you can include open shelving sparingly – as mentioned above, installing a floating shelf or simply using one cabinet in your kitchen as open shelving does work well for items such as cookbooks, bottles and glasses.
Make use of any available hanging space
Hang things wherever you can! Install mini towel rails or hooks to the inside of your cupboards, grab yourself a door-hung kitchen cleaning caddy, hang a spice rack on an empty wall; you could even install hanging hooks for your pots, pans and utensils!
Be strategic with the way you use hanging space in the kitchen so as to avoid making the space look or feel cluttered.
Organise & Stack things properly
Although we all want to be super quick when washing and drying dishes and just get the job done, do make sure to slow down a little and properly stack all your items! Stacks of bowls should always be ON TOP of stacks of plates, not below or mixed around the cupboard. Stack your pots and pans by size: nest one inside the other with lids stored separately to give you that bit of extra room. Baking trays can be stored vertically  if you have the space in one of your cupboards, etc.
Have fun with arranging it all: pretend its a game of Tetris!
Make use of nifty storage canisters and tupperware (Click here to check out Harris Scarfe’s huge range!) to keep everything in place and organised. The great thing about tupperware is that you can neatly nest each container into the other, saving you heaps of space!
Do also invest in quality cutlery, utensil and ‘odds & ends’ dividers.
Dividers will help keep your items all organised and within easy reach, rather than having to search through a super cluttered drawer to find the tongs.
Keep your benchtops as free as possible
Only leave out the items or small appliances you genuinely do use everyday, not the ones that just sit around looking pretty! I had wanted to buy myself a fancy stand mixer to leave out on my benchtop, even though I have a perfectly good stand mixer at home (It’s just ugly so I keep it tucked away in the closet!) My kitchen is on the smaller side so of course, I had to harden my heart and say no to the pretty stand mixer! It was tough but definitely worth the bench space I’ve saved!
Downsize
Downsizing in your kitchen relates to three things:
a) Be realistic about your needs:Â If you don’t need overly large appliances, opt for smaller versions instead. The room you save on unnecessarily bulky appliances can be used for more storage space. For example: If you’re a single, couple or 1 child family, opt for a Fisher & Paykel Dishdrawer or Bosch 45cm wide dishwasher instead of a full sized dishwasher.
b) Another way to downsize in your kitchen is to get rid of the things you don’t need anymore. Still have 3 toasters from your wedding? Get rid of 2! Have about 25 different styles of bowls in your cupboard? Donate half! Keep what you need; donate the rest. You’ll feel much better after seeing just how much space you’ve freed up!
c) Do you really need than many small appliances? I’ve been to homes where there’s a huge cupboard full of all the small appliances they’ve only used once then forgotten about! Keep only the ones you do actually use regularly (I use my pie maker at least once a fortnight for making pies out of leftovers, for example!) and donate the rest to charity.
Hopefully we’ve been able to free up some space in your kitchen! Have any of your own tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!
