HALL CLOSET TURNED PANTRY
This hall closet, located off the kitchen, was being used to hold a multitude of homeless items. The homeowner wanted a true pantry and we made it happen. All it took was removing old shelving, installing a new metro shelf, and mounting white foam board on the back to hide the HVAC tubing, in order to create a totally different space.
DECLUTTERING 101
The picture on the left is what we call "Jenga" and the picture on the right is after we decluttered, leaving room to grow! You must organize for your SPACE, not your STUFF. This client could not remember the last time she had made pancakes because she could not access her griddle. Now she and her family are enjoying pancakes every weekend.
BAKING CABINET OVERHAUL
This baking cabinet belongs to a seriously talented baker. She owns EVERYTHING a baker needs to bake successfully and creatively. Now, all baking categories are kept together in their own container and it is easy to access hard-to-reach supplies from the top shelf. But most importantly, everything is easily put away.
FIND YOUR ZONE
Everything in your kitchen should be in zones. For example, coffee mugs near the coffee pot, dishes and glasses near the dishwasher. In this kitchen, mugs were in the most uniquely shaped cabinet to the right of the stove, not near the coffee maker. We took out a shelf to adjust the space and voilà, cookie sheets, brownie pans, and cooling racks found an appropriate home. They are easy to access AND in the correct zone (near the oven).
DOORS MAKE GREAT STORAGE!
Fact - some kitchens do not have enough drawers. But often there are doors near the kitchen, such as basement or pantry doors that work great for additional storage. In this case, we mounted holders that would work for baggies, aluminum foil, parchment paper, and plastic wrap.
CONTAINERS AND LABELS ARE KEY
This full-time working mom still manages to prepare a home-cooked meal almost every night. And that means a FULL pantry. We organized by zone and used containers to keep categories separate. Then, so her family could help maintain the system, every bin got a label. Six months later and her pantry still looks like it did the day we finished.
YES, THE ORGANIZED KITCHEN DOES CLOSETS TOO...
After completing a client's kitchen and pantry she asked if we could organize her closet. Yes, I specialize in kitchens, but I also work in other areas of the home. This closet needed some decluttering, some containers, and shelf adjustments. The shoes were moved out and now hang on the back of the bedroom door; we made room for the hamper IN the closet; and we took advantage of vertical height with large bins on the top shelf for off-season clothing. The client is in love!
ON YOUR OWN
After spending 2 days reorganizing the kitchen, this client struck out on her own and tackled a shelf that had been bothering her for a very long time. With her newfound confidence, she cleared out that space in 15 minutes and created space to grow. At the Organized Kitchen, we will work side by side and I will TEACH you how to continue the work long after I've gone.