Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen

I have never had a ton of space to work with as far as living arrangements go.

As a kid, I shared a small bedroom with my little sister. My next stop was a college apartment, which I shared with three other {fabulous} girls.

When I moved back to my hometown after I graduated to start my teaching career, I rented an itty-bitty apartment above someone's garage. It was steps from the ocean {so cool!}, but it didn't even have a kitchen {not so cool.} I literally had to wash my dishes in the bathtub.

I moved out of that space into a similar one... this one had a {tiny} kitchen. When I say tiny, I mean I could touch both sides of the kitchen at the same time by extending my arms out to my sides. But at least I had a sink for washing dirty dishes.

After that, my {now} husband and I moved in together. Since then, we've lived in three different apartments. Rentals = small kitchens & minimal storage.

My point is... I've had to learn a lot about organization. It's sort of a survival skill when you live in places with limited space.

With a little trial and error and a lot of organizational tools, I've gotten our cabinets, pantry, and closets down to a science. Or so I thought.

I was recently invited to preview a brand new The Container Store in Boca Raton. And let me tell you, I was giddy. I heart containers -- baskets, boxes, bins... if it hides a mess and looks pretty, it's for me.

Um. I think I fell in love at The Container Store.

Over.

Polka dots!

And Over.

A rainbow of storage containers.

And over again.

Chic desk organization!

Pure obsessive-compulsive love.

Color coordinated hanger bliss.

I could have set up shop right there in the middle of the canning jar aisle. Brought in a cot. Called the hubby and told him to bring the dog because I just found our next home.

It's a canning jar wonderland!

But that might have been kinda weird. And maybe made the customers a little uneasy.

Instead, I just took a lot of pictures.

So cute.

I oooohed and ahhhhhed over stuff like Elfa and Urbio and other really awesome and useful products. I marveled at the knowledge of our wonderful "tour guide". I made mental notes of must-haves.

Oh, hi. I need this garage. Thanks.

And then I remembered that the whole point of my visit was to bring back things to share with you!

So, I decided to gather some tips for you straight from the expert.

The expert, with a true look of organizational excitement on her face.

I asked, "What are the top 3 products or tips you'd give to someone trying to organize their kitchen?"  And here's what she said:

1. Line your shelves.

These shelves aren't lined, but how cool are these containers?

I have a confession: I've never lined my shelves. Shelf paper makes me think of my grandma. Quite frankly, I just never understood the whole shelf lining thing.

Well... grandma knows best. Shelf lining is the foundation of a well-organized cabinet or pantry. It protects your actual shelves from damage and warping, and keeps plates and other items safe, too. {Plus, it creates a nice layer between questionable shelving and the things you eat off of, renters.} Non-slip liners can also keep things from shifting and prevent cabinet landslides. It's also easy to clean in case of spills. {Have you ever spilled honey?? ugh.}

2. Be your own designer.

What are the odds your kitchen has drawers that fit everything you own perfectly? Slim to none, I'd say. Unstructured drawers are often the catalyst for out of control "junk drawers".

There's no gamble when you get to customize your own drawers to suit your specific needs. Enter: Lifestyle Systems Drawer Dividers.

Easy to customize. Relatively inexpensive. Removable if the need arises. Perfection.

3. Make every last inch of space work for you.

The Container Store is all about visibility and accessibility. Because when you can see and access all of your stuff, you're way more likely to use it! {Smart, aren't they?}

How many of you have nearly lost a limb pulling pots, pans, trays, etc. out of your overstuffed cabinets? It's like a game of Jenga that nobody wins.

Luckily, you can easily create custom solutions to fit your space so that your kitchen wares come to you instead of you digging for them. They've got tons of cool cabinet and pantry organizing tools that keep your kitchen stuff within easy reach, which in turn, keeps you from throwing in the towel and hightailing it to the nearest restaurant.

Chrome Roll-Out Cabinet Drawers.

And best of all, they try to keep their genius solutions{like these Chrome Roll-Out Cabinet Drawers or these Elfa Pantry solutions} easy to install. And for those of us who don't have one handy bone in our body... they offer installation services. Score.

I could go on and on about how wonderful The Container Store is, but it's really one of those things you have to see for yourself. Warning: You will be overcome by the need to organize every room in your house.

Fear not! It'll all fall into place... one piece at a time. 🙂

A huge thanks to my friends at The Container Store Boca Raton for the fantastic tour!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a blogger preview for this The Container Store location and was provided with a complimentary lunch and free organizational items for personal use. As always, the opinions you see here are all my own!