15 Kitchen Cabinet Organization Ideas, According To The Pros

Try these expert-approved ideas for tidy kitchen cabinets.

Between ingredients, dishes, utensils, and everything else life throws your way, kitchen cabinets just might be the hardest-working storage space in the whole house. They store everything that we need, often are stuffed way too full, and usually don’t get the credit they deserve for supporting household life and so many home-cooked meals.

If your kitchen cabinets are disorganized, it can throw the entire kitchen routine out of whack. If you can’t find the can opener or your cutting boards are on the opposite side of the island, you'll end up adding time to every meal prep. No one has time for that on a busy weeknight. Getting your kitchen cabinets organized promises to make daily life and cooking easier. Here’s a few expert ways to promote tidy and efficient cabinets.

Meet The Experts

• Marissa Hagmeyer is the co-Founder and COO of NEAT Method, a professional home organization service with locations across the United States.

• Ashley Murphy is the co-founder and CEO of NEAT Method.

Store Supplies Nearby

Consider how you use your kitchen and what kind of storage will be most convenient for you. For example, putting the utensil drawer near the dishwasher is a good, convenient choice, as is storing cutting boards near the counter space where you tend to do your chopping. As much as you can, place supplies in the cabinets within arm’s reach of where you expect to use them most.

Store By Usage

“Focus on placing your most frequently used items in top drawers and on the bottom shelf of your upper cabinets,” says Marissa Hagmeyer, co-Founder and COO of NEAT Method. “Top and bottom shelves should be reserved for less often used cake stands, stock pots and speciality items. Don’t be afraid to get rid of stained mixing bowls, mismatched food storage containers, duplicate gadgets, and chipped dishes.”

Don’t Mix And Match

Experts recommend storing like things together for ease and clarity. For example, your plates should be in one place, perhaps near bowls, while the ice cream scoop and cheese grater should be in another place altogether. While some things can be stored together, co-founder and CEO of NEAT Method, Ashley Murphy, advises against stacking multiple things in the same pile.

“Stacking items of different categories such as bowls on top of plates isn’t the most functional solution,” she says. If you do so, you’ll have to lift up the bowls to access the plates, which will surely get old quickly.

Related: 7 Items You Shouldn't Store In Kitchen Cabinets

Store Inside Other Things

If space is a concern, it’s time to get crafty. Store small items inside big items. For example, perhaps you can keep the whisk inside the mixing bowl. Odds are, you’ll need them both at the same time, so the storage double-dipping won’t become too bothersome.

Take Advantage Of Extra Space

Inside the cabinets aren’t the only place where supplies can find their home. If your cabinets do not reach the ceiling, that space on top of the cabinets is prime real estate, as is the side of the cabinets or counters if you hang some helpful hooks.

Add Shelves

“If you can, add shelves,” advises Murphy. “If that’s not an option, try adding a shelf riser. This will allow you to separate stacks of bowls, plates, and rows of mugs so you don’t have to unstack different categories to access what you need.”

Use Vertical Sorters

“We love adding vertical sorters to separate baking sheets, cutting boards, and even lids for your pots and pans,” says Murphy. “Offering this separation prevents toppling piles and makes it easy to grab one item without disturbing the rest.”

Get Gadgets

There’s no shame in getting a little organization help from a dedicated divider or organizer. The pros say that they rely on these additions to keep cabinets and drawers tidy.

“Our go to kitchen cabinet organizer is our expandable Acacia Drawer Insert,” says Murphy. “It comes in three different configurations for storing anything from keys and batteries to utensils and flatware . Since it’s expandable, it works in almost any kitchen.”

Small Space Solutions

“In small spaces, it’s important to avoid storing unnecessary duplicates. Nest dishes and glasses when you can and offer boundaries in drawers,” recommends Hagmeyer. “We like our shallow, short Acacia Drawer Dividers for separating utensils and dish towels in smaller dimension cabinets”

Swing A Lazy Susan

Without any innovation, corner cabinets can become an inaccessible and deep pit for kitchen supplies to fall into and never emerge. A lazy Susan-style spinning shelf will maximize storage and boost accessibility.

Add Drawers

Odd ends stored in the back of deep, narrow bottom cabinets aren’t the easiest to access, so they often go forgotten. However, if a drawer is installed to pull out of the cabinet, everything will be within easy reach.

Install A Tip-Out Tray

Just below the sink, a tip-out style drawer is a small detail that can make a big difference. This shallow and slim drawer is perfectly suited for sponges, dish brushes, dish gloves, and any other supplies you need for dishes but probably don’t want to keep on the counter.

Zone To The Pantry

If you have a spacious pantry, be strategic in what items you store there versus what is designated to the kitchen cabinets. Use the pantry to free up that valuable cabinet space as much as possible. However, what should go where will be unique for each household, reveals Hagmeyer.

“It depends on the available space and what your priorities are. Coffee drinkers can benefit from storing their coffee and sweeteners in the kitchen near the coffee maker and frequent bakers might find a kitchen baking zone to be the most functional in their home,” she says. “Beyond creating a zone in your kitchen, the remaining dry goods should live in the pantry. Small appliances can live wherever you have space, however we often use the bottom shelf of the pantry.”

Re-Home Food

Snack cabinets are often chaotic places prone to disorganization and even the occasional snack avalanche caused by disorderly and snack bags without a sturdy base. To avoid this conundrum and promote aesthetically pleasing snack storage, try re-homing food into standardized glass or plastic containers that will keep food fresh and organized.

Display on Open Shelves

“Open shelving or glass front cabinets are perfect for storing everyday use dishes and glasses,” says Murphy. “The easiest way to achieve a neat look is to select dishes that match each other and your kitchen’s decor. Nest items of the same category and line drinkware up in straight rows for a clean display.”

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