Clear Your Counters

One of the main goals of organizing your kitchen should be to clear as much off your countertops as possible. Not only does this give you the largest available working space, it makes your kitchen look much more attractive. You'll be able to walk into the room and feel a sense of peace--not frustration at the clutter all around you. The question is if you can't use your counters, where will everything go? Luckily, your kitchen is full of nooks and crannies that you probably aren't taking advantage of. You just have to know where to look.

Use Your Wall

There's no reason to have a kitchen with blank, empty walls. You can hang nearly anything on your walls, and they provide important storage space for kitchens of any size. Put up pegs to hang your aprons or pot holders. Hang pots and pans from hooks on your wall (or even your ceiling). Knife racks keep your knives safely out of the way of small children. You can also install extra shelves to store food, utensils, or cookbooks.

Maximize Your Pantry Space

Don't just shove food into your pantry with no plan. Use baskets and other dividers to group food by category (canned veggies, pasta, etc). When you need something, just pull out the whole basket to find what you need.

Another great tip for creating extra space in your pantry is to use the back of the door. Buy an organizer with lots of see-through pockets that can hang on the back of your door. This is perfect for keeping smaller items in a handy place where they can't get lost.

Set Up Workstations

Once you've maximized your kitchen space, make it more efficient by organizing your utensils and appliances into a convenient arrangement. One of the best ways to do this is by setting up "workstations" around your kitchen, grouping together all the items that you need for one activity. For instance, store your pots and pans near the oven. Store things like spatulas, bowls, and measuring cups near a large counter that provides plenty of workspace. This way, you'll have everything you need within reach while you're working.

Cabinet Organizers

There are many different types of cabinet organizers that you can use to make your cabinets and drawers more accessible. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Organize your drawers by using trays or baskets to hold similar items. You probably already have a tray for your silverware, but you can use similar products to keep the rest of your drawers in order. You can even use them to make sense of your junk drawer: find small baskets to hold your pens, scrap paper, or batteries, and it will be much easier to find what you need.
• Cabinet pull-outs come in many shapes and sizes, and allow you to see everything in your cabinets instead of rooting around for ten minutes trying to find the right spice or Tupperware container.  They can also double your cabinet space by letting you use the whole height of the cabinet.
• Lazy Susans are rotating, circular trays. They are often used at the table to serve food, but they are also ideal for cabinet storage. Like pull-out organizers, they let you see everything in your cabinet without having to completely empty it. Some come with multiple levels, which can help you take advantage of all the space in taller Deerfield kitchen cabinets.