The kitchen cabinets are great. Until they aren’t. It starts with one extra mug tucked into the wrong shelf, and then what you know is that you’re ramming through the chaotic mess of forgotten mismatched tupperware, mystery spices and appliances you own. Whether it’s a rental in Portland or a home in Atlanta, Georgia, knowing how to organize your kitchen cabinets in a condominium in Chicago, Illinois will make your space feel bigger, calmer and much more functional.
This Redfin guide will round out the expert-approved organizing tips for a tidy home and help you cut the mess to ultimately get the cabinets to work for you.
1. Design your cabinet zone like a professional
“For kitchen cabinets, the most important tip is to prioritize functionality over style,” says Carramum, a Wood Harmony Custom Cabinet in Los Angeles, California. “We’ll start by organizing the layout based on how the space is used. Group group cabinets in zones for preparation, cooking, cleaning and storage.”
She also recommends going to a full height cabinet if possible. “They maximize storage and create custom looks,” she adds. And when that’s finished, she proposes timeless materials like light wood and white accented with wood.
Photo courtesy of Boxco Studio
Would you like to renovate your home?
Find the value of your home, edit the facts, and see the impact of your home project.
2. Everything fits in drawers and interior storage
“If you like a clean, streamlined look with a uniform door face, I recommend interior drawers and pull-outs,” says Bel Muller of Greenfield at Boxco Studio, a European-style cabinet maker based in MA. “The pull-out tray and drawers allow you to see everything in the cabinet at a glance, avoiding waste from pull-out trash and recycled cabinets.”
Jayme Seppala, a cabinet built in Linge, New Hampshire, agreed, “We recommend installing drawer organizers to organize and optimize your cabinet space. Pull-out shelves and stackable containers add tidying and accessibility. We donate unused items for free.”
Additionally, if you want a customizable system, Stelian Cotovici, a craft custom cabinet in Snohomish, Washington, recommends the Rev-a-Shelf system. “You can place a pull-out tray at any height, with the flexibility to adjust over time as storage needs evolve.”
3. Use cabinet doors for bonus storage
“If you live in a rental with a cabinet with a door instead of a drawer, you can still maximize your space,” Shuly Anenburg, a blogger with home design, tells Wall Whisperer. “Use the inside of the cabinet door and hang a spoon, scissors, or a small kitchen tool that looks like a peel, using tenant-friendly solutions, such as a 3M command hook.
Catie Kelly of Sistamatic Organizing, a professional organizer, added: “I love using glue hooks to store pot holders, strainers and more.
4. Avoid deep cabinets for pantry storage
“Do not use the cabinet next to the fridge as a food pantry,” warns Christina Morton de Saugaste, founder of an organizational company in Denver, Colorado.
She recommends using deep-down cabinets for small appliances (on drawer shelves if possible), and using the top third for cutting boards and trays stored vertically. “For your food, use a freestanding pantry that is 9-15 inches deep. It deserves an extra step to make sure you have a real view of the pantry’s contents and access them.”
5. Use lazy Susan and Riser in tricky spots
“Setting up lazy Susan turntables on corner cabinets and deep pantry shelves gives you easy access to oil, spices and cans,” says Katie, an organized home, a professional New York-based organiser. “They make everything visible and maximize tricky space while keeping everything within reach.”
She also suggests using a clear riser to create a two-layer display of a plate or mug. “It organizes items and prevents them from damaging the fragile parts.”
“The big lazy Susan works well in a very deep pantry. You can spin and find what you need,” says Kathi Burns, an organized and vibrant CPO in San Diego, California.
>>Read: Design the perfect kitchen for home cooks
6. Store food and staples in a clear container
“When choosing a storage container for dry goods, make sure to buy a rectangular or square, preferably tall and narrow,” says Catty Burns. “Round storage containers waste space. Tall containers hold more and reduce cabinet space.”
Lindsey Wilson, lifestyle blogger at Lindsey Lee & Co, is also a fan of transparent containers, especially pantry items. “The two-tier clear-out organizer doubles your storage space, displays essentials, and makes it easy to find what you need without any confusion.”
7. Control your Tupperware
“We don’t need a million withdrawals to keep Tupperware clean,” says Katty Burns. “I use two sterilelite bins, one for the lid and the other for the bottom. Keep the lid vertical and place it by size to quickly and easily identify what you need.”
Alice Organizer adds hot take. “I like to store plastic tupperware with a lid on it. There’s also a pot lid. GlassTupperware doesn’t actually make nests, so separating them doesn’t save much space.”
8. Sort your kitchen into easy-to-find categories
“To effectively organize your kitchen cabinets, we first sort kitchen items by category (pots and pans, plates, dishes, etc.),” says mum blogger Jacqueline Hernandez Lewis at the Moments of Musing Inc of Musing Inc in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “I use a pan protector to prevent scratches, removable handles, saving space and make the organizer tidy tools in a separate drawer.”
9. Easily grab spices and small items
“One of the best tips to keep your kitchen cabinets and drawers neat is the ease of viewing the food using an organizer,” says Kristin Hintlian, owner of Bonsai Kitchen and Bath in Leicester, Massachusetts. “The clear riser is perfect for food. I love using drawers to house spices with simple layered inserts. It makes cooking even more comfortable.”
10. Maximize your junk drawer
“I’m not a scramble at the time of cake because I always like to hold a ziplock bag filled with lighters with birthday candles and kitchen junk drawers,” says organizer Alice. “Other useful items include scissors, pens, post-it notes, utility knifes and eyeglass wipes.”
She recommends using a drawer organizer with a mix of sizes to assign each item to the home. “Use sticky tacks or removable adhesive dots to hold them in place so that everything doesn’t slip off.”
11. Beware of heavy items
“Don’t store your grandmother’s crystal punch bowl on the best shelves,” says organizer Alice. “Heavy items, whether they are not used frequently or not, will not be stored higher than their chest height. That’s a major safety concern.”
For deep cabinets, she also recommends using a lidded bottle on small items to avoid getting lost in the back.
Photo courtesy of Boxco Studio
12. Create a balance between hidden and display storage
“Press away less attractive items, including at least one or two closed cabinets,” says Bell Muller. “Then pair it with a floating shelf to display daily essentials and decorative items. Then your kitchen will remain stylish and functional.”
13. If you are remodeling, consider upgrading your cabinets
“The ideal Florida-based cabinet is a great Florida-based cabinet,” said Jason Stutes of Bartow. “The rollout tray and the spice pullout help keep everything visible and out of reach. You don’t dig into the messy shelves.”
He also suggests adding tray dividers or garbage rollouts to make your kitchen more functional and refined.
>>Read: Upgrade 7 kitchens to make your home stand out to buyers
14. Do not skip labels
“Labeling is an important and often neglected aspect of kitchen organizations,” says Ward Melville, owner of Melville Remodeling in Hubertus, Wisconsin. “After sorting the items, create a clear label for each section. This exercise is especially useful when sharing your kitchen with your family or roommates.
15. Make it yours
Even the best organizational systems require maintenance. “Once you’ve organized your kitchen, it’s important to keep it that way,” Ward Melville says. “Set reminders to review your cabinet organization every 3-6 months. During these reviews, we will check for expired items and reassess your storage needs.”
The key is to find a rhythm that will help your home. If you prefer color-coded bins, ask for it. Do you like the atmosphere of the labels on the blackboard? That also works. Organizing and upgrading your kitchen cabinet is not about following a strict formula. It’s about making your kitchen feel like it suits you and your lifestyle.
Want to save money on your mortgage?
Refinance now to reduce your monthly payments.
How to organize your kitchen cabinet
There is no one-size-fits-all way to ideas for kitchen organizations. Knowing how to organize your kitchen cabinet doesn’t mean aiming for perfection on Pinterest. It means building a system that makes your daily life easier. Does it add pull-out shelves, get smarter about food storage, and know where birthday candles are.
