Organising your kitchen: where to start?

The kitchen may be the heart of all our homes but it’s also often the most chaotic space.

Kitchens serve many functions, from entertaining to eating and working.

Here are some simple tips to help transform your kitchen into a space you enjoy.

6 tips to organise your kitchen

1. Put things away

Start by de-cluttering the bench tops and cupboards. Look around the benches and be honest about how much you actually use those dusty canisters that looked great 10 years ago when you filled them with funky layers of different coloured pasta.

Start by de-cluttering the bench tops and cupboards.

Pack up all your old items in to boxes and take to your local Salvation Army. Nothing feels as good nor starts this project better than a complete clean out.

2. Re-order your shelves

Next start packing away those items you decided are must-haves. But consider carefully where you store them. For example, save the top hard-to-reach shelves for the special crystal glasses or fancy dinner setting you only use twice a year and put your daily crockery in the more convenient cupboards.

3. Find your junk spot

Any normal person, couple or family will need a “junk” spot in the kitchen; it’s just the way it is.

So dedicate a corner, cupboard or storage basket specifically for car keys, pending bills, shopping lists and the like and try to keep all your “junk” there rather than scattered across the breakfast bar.

Dedicate a corner, cupboard or storage basket specifically for “junk”.

If you’re lucky enough to be designing a new kitchen, and if space permits, why not incorporate a column of pigeon holes somewhere in the cabinetry. One for each member of your family to walk past and drop in loose pieces of paper and other items.

4. Install cupboard organisers

These will give you quick access to things. It could be as simple as a plastic container to store similar objects together – such as food colouring bottles and other cake decorating paraphernalia – or a larger container for flour and sugar.

5. Put things in baskets

If you have open cupboards, keep it looking and feeling organised by incorporating rattan baskets. The repetition of the baskets will be naturally pleasing to the eye in addition to keeping your items tidy.

6. Hang your pots and pans

If space is tight in your kitchen cupboards but your ceilings are high, install a hanging storage system from the ceiling or walls where you can hang your pots and pans.

Turn it in to a piece of art by ensuring all the pots and pans have different textures and materials.

This article was originally published on 26 Aug 2014 at 7:00am but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.