The Kitchen Organization Hack That'll Save You So Much Space

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When you think of the room in your house that has the most stuff — and where new things are coming in all the time — you're probably picturing your kitchen. From cookware, to dinnerware, to utensils, to tools, plus pantry staples and ever-incoming groceries, you'd have to be working with a palatial space for everything to easily and neatly fit into its own nook. Or you can take one game-changing approach that will work in even the smallest room. For kitchen-organization hacks that make mealtime a breeze — and every other time too — think vertical. We naturally tend to store things horizontally, along counters and shelves. But we can add more surface area and make use of more space by working from top to bottom.

What exactly does this look like? Open shelving is your friend. Say goodbye to boring blank walls and instead install shelves that will provide valuable storage space. Where there's more narrow wall space, hang racks or hooks — these can also go in pantry closets or cabinets that have tall shelves. If you've got a lot of space between the top of your items and the next shelf, use it; but that doesn't mean making things messy with stacks. Hooks and racks take advantage of that room neatly. You can also use magnetic strips in these kinds of spaces, creating a whole new option for storing utensils and tools while also making them easier to grab and use.

To start reorganizing your kitchen vertically, assess how much space you have, what you have to work with — a closet? Cabinets only? A corner you never knew what to do with? — and think about what you want where for when you're cooking, baking, and entertaining. It helps to organize your kitchen like a chef by setting up stations. Picture moving around your kitchen and what you need for various tasks: a coffee station with shelves of mugs above the coffee maker, a cooking station with pans hung on hooks above the stove, a prep station with a magnetic strip of knives and a shelf of cutting boards and mixing bowls. 

You can buy a pot-and-pan organizer from Simple Housewares on Amazon for less than $20, which will keep cookware stacked in cabinets. Stick pan lid holders (like these from the Joseph Joseph brand) on the insides of cabinet doors. Hang a shoe organizer (like this one from Misslo) on the inside of your pantry door and use the pockets for spices. Shelf risers (like these from Simple Houseware) double the vertical space on shelves and in cabinets. Wall-mounted baskets from a brand like Jautokerdar are another handy hack, and some even come with shelves for twice the storage potential. Remember that vertical kitchen organization means a lot of your items and foods will be on display, so choose shelves, hooks, and baskets that you like aesthetically, like clear floating racks for spices. Keep dry goods in labeled glass canisters; follow Ina Garten's kitchen utensil organization advice and store them in crocks, choosing colors or patterns that you like, and punctuate spaces with plants.