How to Organize Your Specialty Kitchen Storage Areas

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In Part 1 of this series on organizing your kitchen, I offered 10 steps to organizing your kitchen cabinets, putting the focus on everyday dishes and glassware, barware, and vases and pitchers. If you followed at least the first seven of those steps, your cabinets are now so organized, it makes you happy every time you open their doors.
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Those same steps can be applied to organizing your more specialized kitchen storage areas. Read on for tips on organizing your pots and pans; your coffee, tea and baking supplies; your spices and oils; your cleaning supplies and your gadget-charging stations.
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A Plan for Specific Kitchen Storage Stations
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In Part 1, I wrote about storing your everyday china and glassware close to the dishwasher to make it easier put it all away as you unload. You can apply that same idea to other kitchen storage areas.
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Questions to ask yourself to help you get started:

  • What do I need first thing in the morning?
  • What do I need close at hand when cooking at the range?
  • Are all my baking needs close to where I roll out dough and mix batter?
  • Where are all my cookbooks and recipes?
  • Are my mobile phones and tablets cluttering up my counters when I charge them?
  • Are my kitchen cleaning supplies close at hand when I need them?
  • Ugh — what’s under my kitchen sink, and why is it there? Can I even recall what’s stashed way in the back behind the sink pipes?
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Contemporary Kitchen by Lisa Robazza Design
Lisa Robazza Design
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How to Get Your Coffee and Tea Station in Shape
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To make it easy to get your caffeinated drinks brewing when you’re still bleary-eyed in the morning, set up a coffee and tea station.
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Put your coffee beans, tea bags, filters, bean grinder, sweeteners and mugs in a cabinet over or under your coffeemaker or teakettle.
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If you wish, go a step further and keep your usual breakfast needs, such as hot and cold cereals and your smoothie maker, there too.
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Find pantry organizers
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Contemporary Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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How to Organize Pots, Pans and Other Cookware
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Today’s fancy kitchen cabinets have all kinds of pullouts and inserts for baking sheets, pots, pans and lids, making it easy to store and find your cookware.
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Here’s how to organize pots and pans for those of us with simple cabinet doors and shelves. Stack all the long, flat pieces, like baking sheets and cutting boards, along the side of the cabinet. Nest your pans from large to small in a stack and do the same for your pots. As for those pesky lids, put them all together in a cake pan, an extra strainer or a mixing bowl in the area behind your pot and pan nests.
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Traditional Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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As you tackle these cabinets, you may find items like bread makers or panini makers, excess serveware or holiday items you may use once or twice a year. These things have not earned that valuable kitchen real estate. Pack them away in a closet, basement or garage or an attic. If you don’t love an item or honestly will never use it, put it in the donation box.
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Now, as author and organizational expert Emily Ley advises, if you’ve left any empty room in your cabinets, save it and let it breathe awhile. The right use will present itself eventually.
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Take Ley’s 10-day simplification challenge
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Traditional Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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How to Organize Your Spices and Oils
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It would be dreamy to have a pullout spice rack like this one next to the range. If you’re still dreaming of kitchen storage like this, you can organize your spices in stand-alone storage racks or drawer organizers.
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Take the oils, spices, salt, pepper and other seasonings you use at the stove on a regular basis and corral them in something as simple as a shoebox that’s easy to grab when you’re ready to channel your inner Julia Child. Stash it in a cabinet next to the range. If you’re not psyched about the shoebox, cover it in vinyl paper or let your kids decorate it for you (mine just says “herbs” in permanent marker; I’m not that crafty!).
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Find kitchen bins
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Traditional Kitchen by Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design
Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design
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How to Organize Your Baking Station Cabinet
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If you love to bake and want your supplies to be easy to find and use, create a station for your mixing bowls, spoons, sifters, ingredients, rolling pins and other baking supplies in a cabinet close to the surface where you roll out dough and use the mixer. Corral the usual baking ingredients into a box or canisters. If you have a set of pretty canisters that you like to look at, leave them on the counter close to your mixer and where you work on your baked goods.
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Where to Stash the Stand Mixer
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Traditional Kitchen by Jamestown Designer Kitchens
Jamestown Designer Kitchens
How to Organize Your Cookbooks and Recipe Boxes
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Remember that empty space that earlier I told you to save? If it’s near your baking area, use that space to keep your recipe library handy. If you have an open shelf or a glass-front cabinet, cookbooks and recipe boxes are wonderful items to display there.
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Traditional Kitchen by LGB Interiors
LGB Interiors
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How to Organize Your Devices and Where to Charge Them
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Phones, tablets and chargers aren’t necessarily cabinet clutterers, but they are kitchen counter clutterers. And having expensive electronics in a spot that could potentially get splattered by water or mashed potatoes is less than ideal. Many people are installing ventilated device drawers outfitted with an outlet for charging.
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Modern Kitchen by Heartwood Kitchens
Heartwood Kitchens
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A cabinet in the kitchen, pantry or mudroom also can be a good home for portable electronic devices, as well as keys and small bags. Some plug-in chargers can service several devices through one outlet.
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Browse stand-alone charging stations
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Contemporary Kitchen by Dura Supreme Cabinetry
Dura Supreme Cabinetry
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How to Organize Your Kitchen Cleaning Supplies
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If you have limited kitchen space for storing cleaning supplies, prioritize the supplies you use to clean your counters and sink. These should be close at hand in the kitchen, as this is the most important space to keep hygienic.
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While this photo shows a a nice pullout, you can get the same effect with a couple of waterproof bins.
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Transitional Kitchen by Hardware Resources
Hardware Resources
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A caddy with a handle is a worthwhile investment: You won’t have to bend over far to grab the handle and bring your supplies where you want to use them. In the kitchen seen here, a caddy is built into the pullout hardware.
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And if you keep your supplies somewhere else, like in a mudroom, it’s easy to grab a caddy full of kitchen cleaning supplies and carry them into the kitchen all at once.
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by Howards Storage World
Howards Storage World
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How to Organize the Area Under the Sink
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You’ve made some nice, pretty cabinets and worked up a sweat. You’ve got this. It’s time to tackle a toughie: that dreaded space under the sink. This one winds up the most jumbled in my house. Things that don’t belong there, like paint cans and old sponges that should never be used again, end up in there. Break this task into steps:
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Assess. Think about what really belongs down here: dish soap, sink drainers, hand soap refills, an extra scrubber sponge, steel wool, perhaps extra paper towels.
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Consider shelves. If you want some extra help, purchase an undersink shelf system like the one pictured here. If you reuse plastic bags, a grocery bag dispenser like the one seen here is a great idea.
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Traditional Kitchen by Great Kitchens & Baths
Great Kitchens & Baths
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Organize and restock. The little stuff needs to be corralled, or you’ll never find that dish drainer when you need it. I used a square glass vase from the florist that was going to waste to contain the drainers, sponges and scrubber brush.
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Stack trash bag boxes to one side and neatly organize extra paper towels on the other. The back of the cabinet is for less-used items, like dish and hand soap refills. The front of the cabinet is for dish soap and dishwasher detergent so they’re easy to access.
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By now you are probably getting so good at paring down, you may even wind up with room for that kitchen cleaning supplies caddy.
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Traditional Kitchen by Design Set Match
Design Set Match

A full pullout drawer is another good solution for getting to the things that are stashed way in the back of your cabinet under the sink.

Share your kitchen storage success story: Have you set up any special stations that have eased your kitchen work? Please add to this story by sharing them in the Comments.

This article originally appeared on houzz.com

3 Kitchen Island Ideas You Haven’t Thought Of

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Transitional Kitchen by Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Marrokal Design & Remodeling
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1. Doggone Good
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Designers: John Ryan and Jensen Landers (interior design) and Jason Dorman (design consultant) of Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Location: San Diego
Size: 295 square feet (27 square meters), including a walk-in pantry and attached dining room
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Homeowners’ request. A more open and inviting kitchen for entertaining and gathering. The project included knocking down a couple of walls and doorways for an airier feel.
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Island idea. Customized pet-feeding station. The decision came about because the dog bowls always seemed to be in the way in their old kitchen. In addition to the food station, dog food, leashes, collars and other accessories are stored in the drawer above for easy access.
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Contemporary Kitchen by Marrokal Design & Remodeling
Marrokal Design & Remodeling
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Designer secret. Give the feeding station its own matching backsplash.
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“The ledge on the opening is the same honed granite used on the island counter, and the backsplash is the same as the rest of the kitchen, which was a linear marble stack tile,” says designer Jensen Landers.
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Island countertop: Honed granite in Thunder White, Daltile; perimeter countertop: honed quartz in Mercer Grey, Daltile; backsplash: Styx Arctic Blend marble, Soho Studio; wall paint: Agreeable Gray, Sherwin-Williams; floor tile: Taupe, 18 by 36 inches, Soho Studio
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See more of this home | Find wall and floor tile
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Kitchen by Emily Culley
Emily Culley
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2. Double Impact
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Designer: Emily Culley of Kitchen & Bath Galleries
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 16 by 14 feet
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Homeowners’ request. Open the kitchen to an adjacent living room and freshen up the aesthetic and function.
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Island Idea. Two countertop materials — honed bianco olinda marble and black walnut — allow the island “to feel more like a piece of furniture,” says designer Emily Culley. “This allows for a larger island without the need for a seam in the [stone] countertop.”
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Kitchen by Emily Culley
Emily Culley
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Other special features. Laser-cut marble backsplash and burnished brass hardware
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Designer secret. Culley removed a cooktop previously in the island and added a slide-in range along the back wall with a custom hood above to create a beautiful focal point. “We [also] color-matched the house trim paint color to the cabinetry color to flow the space,” she says.
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Faucet: Cassidy in Champagne Bronze, Delta; cabinets: in Frosty White and Navy colors, Crystal Cabinets; hardware: Browning Pulls, Atlas
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See more of this kitchen
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Farmhouse Kitchen by BILOTTA KITCHENS
BILOTTA KITCHENS
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3. Nice Vise
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Designers: Paulette Gambacorta of Bilotta Kitchens, Reza Nouranian of Reza Nouranian Design (interior designer) and Rich Granoff of Granoff Architects
Location: Bedford, New York
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
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Homeowners’ request. A casual barn feel in “keeping with the spirit of the horse farm property, complete with a brand-new horse barn adjacent to the house,” says designer Paulette Gambacorta.
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Island idea. An old carpenter’s workbench, complete with vise. The homeowner bought it in an antiques store. Its origin is unknown.
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Traditional Kitchen by BILOTTA KITCHENS
BILOTTA KITCHENS
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Other special features. Light green cabinets (matched to Grassland by Sherwin-Williams) with a charcoal glaze on maple. Reclaimed-wood shelves on iron brackets in place of the upper cabinets. Marble countertops with a hand-cut edge detail to resemble the look of when the stone was first quarried.
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Designer secret. “Because the existing window in the corner of the room was so much smaller than the new window, the interior designer decided to basically ignore the window and run the reclaimed-wood open shelving right across that window,” says Gambacorta. “Unconventional, yes, but brilliant.”

“Uh-oh” moment. “When the decision was made to use a 60-inch range (a monster!) on the 13-foot wall, and then the homeowner wanted an extra-large fridge to be on that same wall, it really didn’t leave much room for countertop space on either side of the range,” Gambacorta says. “Since they’re avid cooks, that was a must-have. So, a compromise was made to separate the fridge and the freezer. They cook mostly fresh foods on a daily basis and don’t use a freezer much at all. So, a paneled 30-inch all-refrigerator was placed on the range wall, and a separate 24-inch stainless all-freezer was placed in the pantry with open shelves, giving it the feel of an English larder. This room is totally open to the kitchen area.”
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Cabinets: flush flat panel in custom green paint, Bilotta Collection; hardware: iron; builder: Doug Slater of D.A.S. Custom Builders; project photos: Peter Krupenye
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See more of this kitchen

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3 Kitchens With Wonderfully Rustic Character

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Wood, stone and other natural elements come together in these warm, inviting mountain kitchens

 

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1. Rich and Raw

Designers: Peter Zimmerman Architects; Peace Design (interior design); Yellowstone Traditions (builder)
Location: Jackson, Wyoming
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)

Homeowners’ request. A home reminiscent of an original homesteader’s log house, functional yet with a historic feel.

Rustic palette. Moss rock veneer. Soapstone countertops. Reclaimed-wood walls, structural beams, ceiling planks, floorboards and custom cabinets. “Embracing the concept of a log home, the entire interior is wood, either log or board,” project manager Tim Blazina of Yellowstone Traditions says. “All of the materials were reclaimed. The owner wanted every element of the home to have soul.”

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Other special features. Custom range hood. The house was constructed with reclaimed hand-hewn timbers, standing dead-log beams and details, antique oak flooring and wormy chestnut cabinets.

Cabinet hardware: Montana Sash & Door; all decor provided by Peace Design; photography: Audrey Hall
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2. Light and Airy

Designer: Paul Bertelli of JLF & Associates
Location: Big Sky, Montana
Size: 304 square feet (28 square meters); 16 by 19 feet

Homeowners’ request. A bright, clean, functional and family-friendly kitchen featuring materials with depth and interest.

Rustic palette. Hand-hewn reclaimed-oak ceiling timbers. Stone wall portions. “The material palette uses the same reclaimed-oak material in different ways to soften the space and make it feel inviting,” designer Paul Bertelli says.
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Other special features. Whitewashed oak plank floors. Natural-finish oak island table. Shiplap-style wall and cabinet detail. Waterfall-edge countertop peninsula.

Designer secret. “To take full advantage of the views at the kitchen sink, we eliminated the upper cabinets and provided ample storage in the lower cabinetry layout,” Bertelli says.

Pendant lights: Holly Hunt; glass shelf brackets: Sugatsune; range hood: Wolf

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3. Sophisticated and Symmetrical

Designer: Laura Sullivan of ID.ology Interiors & Design
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Size: 266 square feet (25 square meters); 19 by 14 feet

Homeowners’ request. A large, open kitchen ideal for entertaining, with lots of light, a built-in booth, a large center island, a beverage center and a symmetrical design.

Rustic palette. Leathered-granite countertops. Wood beams and floors. Stone fireplace in nearby living room.
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Other special features. Shiplap backsplash. Molded walnut stools. Pop-up vent hood on island range for unobstructed views.

Designer secret. “Clean, symmetrical lines and understanding that the exterior beauty was a highlighted element that we were designing around,” designer Laura Sullivan says.

“Uh-oh” moment. “We went back and forth a couple of times on whether to paint the booth Peppercorn [by Sherwin-Williams] or white,” Sullivan says. “We ended repainting darker for more of a wow factor.”

Wall and cabinet paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; trim and booth paint: Peppercorn, Sherwin-Williams; stools: Organic Modernism; pendants: Lamps Plus; designer-builder: Living Stone Design + Build

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This article originally appeared on houzz.com