Kitchen Organization

Here are some tips and insight into kitchen organization that will hopefully be helpful. To go along with this handy set of tips are some photos to use as a guide to find your inner organizer. As a caveat to this blog, these photos belong to a kitchen we just remodeled in Newton for our bookkeeper, and as you may know, bookkeepers are supposed to be methodical and organized… or somewhat anal retentive, (sorry Lauri, but we share that trait)- so if you’re an artist, just wing it and throw some spices in the same drawer you put the Tupperware :)

• Don’t fall for every cool thing you see. In our showroom, we actually have many of the “add on” items throughout our displays- however, unlike some showrooms, we display many of them to talk the pros… and cons of each item. The first photo is for the kitchen aid mixer. This kitchen belongs to a master cook- and she uses the mixer all the time, and OBVIOUSLY doesn’t want to see things like mixers on the counter top. This mixer lift keeps it out of the way and easy to access. Remember, I know most of you own a mixer- so be honest about how often that thing makes an appearance before you dedicate a space. If it’s less than twice a month- throw it in the pantry.
  
  
• We all have spices, and some folks collect spices (remember to look at the expiration dates… they are on almost every one and they do expire). I am old school and love to cook, so the salt and pepper grinder never get put away. I find that almost anyone (even the best chefs) does not need more than one cabinet door near the cook and prep area for all the main spices. So before you think you have to have room for 300 bottles- take a mental inventory of everything you cooked in the last season and make room for it. If you have a friend that likes all the labels facing front- turn a couple of them around, shoot a photo and then write a blog post… Monday should be interesting!
  
  
• Appliance garages are terrific and we have a lot of clients who are of the neat and tidy crowd, so before you just add one, find out how the doors open, if they can stay open without interfering with anything and if you really need one. I loved finding the food processor in this photo because I use mine about once a week and wish I had it in a more convenient location like this.
  
  
• Drawer organizers are great. We recommend holding off on this item initially and using an inexpensive organizer until you are all moved in and satisfied you like where you have put the silverware and utensils… these can migrate a bit until you get in the groove of your new space. Once you have them though… I challenge you to open the drawer at random… as we did, and find everything looking so tidy… I mean really!!! Look at the knives, Lauri.
  
  
• When you are designing your next kitchen… the most important thing is to work with a professional who thinks in advance about all the items you have and where it will work to have them.

Happy cooking!
RAY