It’s been one year since we had professional organizers come and work their magic in our house. Amidst newly moving and mid-renovation, the house was in disarray, so it’s exactly what we needed at the time, and it lowkey changed our lives. I remember being emotional during their reveal because I didn’t think I understood the weight that the dysfunction was causing until it was lifted. Since then, the house has evolved, our lives have evolved, and we’ve made some tweaks here and there. So I thought it would be fun, and hopefully helpful, to share some kitchen organization that’s working (and not working).
The organizers did wonders, but I also have to give so much credit to Jean Stoffer and her team for incorporating built-in systems into the cabinets. They were so thoughtful and intentional in making this kitchen work for us, and our lifestyle! Let’s get into it.
1. Upper Glass Cabinets
Brass Knobs | Brass Pulls | Task Lamp | Pitcher
The first one on the list is these upper glass cabinets on either side of the range hood. I absolutely love these cabinets for storing our everyday dishes and dishes for hosting. This works in that we have all the space we need (and more), but we haven’t created a proper place for each set. I want to find the sweet spot of giving every set a home that also looks good from the outside. The other thing we desperately need in this kitchen is a step stool! Chris is tall enough to reach the second shelf from the top, but I’ve been borrowing a chair from the dining room every time I need to borrow some height.
To solve this problem, I hunted and found the perfect solution (sneak peek here).
2. Shelves in the Range Nook
Spice Jars | Oil | Honey Pot | Salt Cellar | Sconce | Kitchen Sources | Brass Switch Plate
These built-in range nook shelves are the keystone to everything that Chris cooks. They keep his essential spices and oils handy while he’s cooking and are such an integral and understated part of the kitchen!
3. Lid Drawer for Pots and Pans
We could have never anticipated how life-changing it would be to have a drawer (within a drawer) for all the pots and pan lids. The main drawer holds the pots and pans, and then you can pull out the drawer stacked on top of the lids. This is what I’m I mean by “Jean Stoffer and her team are actual geniuses.”
4. Knife Drawer
Another one of our favorite drawers is this knife drawer. Chris is a knife connoisseur. He’s a collector, he’s a fanatic; he’s enthused over knives! In past kitchens, we’ve had a magnetic strip for hanging knives (which is a great solution), but I much prefer this pretty drawer to that. 10 our of 10 recommend.
5. Spice Drawer
This spice drawer is something the organizers did for us! They put everything in these pretty jars and labeled them all. It’s so nice to open it up and see everything clearly, rather than reaching into a cupboard to search for the cumin. Been there, done that.
6. Drink Station Cupboard
Above the drink station, we keep all of our protein powders, supplements, shaker bottles, Stanley cups, etc. It’s working really well, but I’m glad to be gaining a little more reach with the help of this thing I just bought. The bottle holders are something that has sold out before but is back in stock! Couldn’t recommend enough.
7. Refrigerator Bins
When our refrigerator finally arrived, we were so gungho about organizing all the food and making a designated place for it all. For the most part, we’ve kept it up, but some things need a bit of tweaking. For example, the berry bins. One thing we’ve noticed in general since moving to North Carolina is that the produce goes bad much quicker than it did in Idaho! However, the berries are going bad very quickly, and I need some tips to help them stay fresher for longer!
Hands down, our favorite part about the fridge is the egg tray. It’s incredibly helpful to clearly see how many eggs we have at any given point, and it makes for a quick grab without having to take a whole carton out. It’s all about the small things that make a big difference!
Fridge Organizers
Kitchen Organization that’s NOT working
I wish we had snapped a photo of what this cloth and napkin drawer currently looks like (this was fresh after the professional organizers came) because it’s almost unrecognizable. I think we could actually benefit from purging the contents in this drawer because there are linens are cloths spilling over.
If you saw my Instagram stories last night, then you know that the last and biggest dysfunctional space in our kitchen is… the junk drawer. Are we surprised? No. Are we looking for solutions? Yessss!
Hello,
I would like to ask as you have great knowledge and experiences about kitchens.
What is your opinion about kitchen in front of the house versus at the back?. Do you see the difference in the flow in the house.?
Does it really matter how kitchen is situated?
You house is truly beautiful. I am glad I have discover your beautiful style.
Greetings from UK
We’ve had both. Our kitchen now is at the front of the house, and our living room is at the back of the house. Ithink people naturally congregate in the kitchen, which for us is a great thing. If you would rather not have people gravitate toward your kitchen, it’d be best to put it in the back of the house.
Hello, where can I find details about your kitchen garage, hidden storage?
Thank you!
You can find more details on the post Everything About Our Beverage Station and Hidden Appliance Garage.
I have the Progressive Prepworks Pro Keeper produce set and it amazes me how long it keeps produce fresh. Each bin has a guide on top for various prodice types showing the best method (open, closed, water, etc.)
have an egg tray, the best! Just went through cords and chargers, next key box. afraid of getting rid of keys…
We wash our berries with 1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water solution. Swirl them around and let them sit for 10 minutes, then rinse, drain and dry. We dry our on a large baking sheet and then place them in a glass Rubbermaid brilliance container and place a paper towel on top. Our berries last us about 2 plus weeks.