22 Brilliant Kitchen Storage Ideas to Control Your Clutter (2024)

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Opt for Storage On Wheels

There’s nothing like storage on the go. Call on a cart island when more countertop space is needed for prep and, just as easily, roll it out of the way when the kitchen becomes the gathering space once the party arrives. Butcherblock countertops act as a pretty surface and a functional one too, plus cutting boards will be one less thing to store.

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Invest in Double-Duty Kitchen Items

Storage isn’t simply about out of sight, out of mind. It would be a travesty to hide away certain kitchen items, no matter how functional they may be. Here a pretty copper kettle, an array of cutting boards, and kitchen tools create a styled look that also manages to keep these most useful items at the ready.

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Install Secondary Shelving

Secondary shelving under upper cabinets can provide even more access to kitchen essentials. To keep things looking sleek and styled, even though they’re out in the open, call on special containers for housing everyday items like oil, salt and pepper, and sugar. A monochromatic color scheme, even if items come in a variety of shapes and sizes, can give visual order to the display.

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Build Basket Slides

Instead of drawers, a row of sliding baskets keeps essentials within arm’s reach of the range. The wicker also plays nice with wood details found in other areas of the space, but doesn’t read as too busy thanks to a mostly white and dark palette that keeps the overall effect minimalistic.

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Create an Island MVP

An island isn’t just a place to gather—it can be an undercover MVP of the kitchen, hiding everything from a wine cooler, microwave, to wrap-around storage, and more. Depending on how much space you have to work with, it can be as simple as providing a rack for wine glasses or a pull-out drawer for utensils and serving items. Use your island as an opportunity to customize your storage needs to fit you and your space.

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Create a Functional Pantry

The key to an organized kitchen might just be a pantry that works overtime. Here, a large walk-in pantry houses everything from small appliances to snacks to bulk cleaning supplies. That frees up valuable kitchen space for essentials like dishes, spices, and cooking utensils without overcrowding the cabinets.

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Go Minimal

In order to create an organized kitchen, you don’t need drawers that are perfectly fitted from top to bottom with specialized organizers. Adding even one small organizer with a few compartments can create order within an otherwise unruly utensil drawer.

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Mix and Match Storage

Side-by-side storage doesn’t have to match. Instead of opting for double upper cabinets, call it a compromise with a hint of whimsy.

Often, cabinets and shelving will be grouped together, with closed cabinets on one side of the kitchen and open shelving on the other. Here, the mix provides an unexpected twist that’s both modern and playful.

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Elevate for Organization

Layering the heights of surfaces should be filed under "Basics of Organization." Not only does it coral your items effectively, but it also elevates the aesthetic. When everything is on one level the sightline can feel cluttered—even if it’s not.

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Go Sky-High with Storage

Sky is the limit when it comes to storage, as long as you have the ceiling height to support it. Taking your cabinets all the way to the ceiling is one way to give your kitchen a more custom feel, but it can also provide a useful way for storing items that aren’t as frequently used, like serving platters and other special occasion items.

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Get Creative

To make your storage work for your needs, you might have to think outside the box. Here a set of organizers create a perfectly tidy under-sink storage solution with homes for soap, cleaners, brushes, and sponges. To make it even more functional, a hole in a lower bin provides a mouth for feeding out trash bags, one by one.

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Clip It

So you’re not into buying pricy canisters? That doesn’t mean you can’t reach your kitchen organizational goals. Taking the bags out of their boxes can free up space (a major bonus for small kitchens) while also making them easier to grab, pour, and put back in place. Opt for solid-colored chip clips and label them with a permanent marker in a color that pops for easy identification.

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Rotate for Easy Access

A turntable creates an easy way to keep your most used cooking items ready for snatching at a moment’s notice. Another favorite for beside-range storage is stair shelves that create different levels of elevation so nothing gets lost in the back of the cabinet.

Whatever your preferred mode of order, finding a system that works for you and your needs can help create space and promote efficiency regardless of the size of your space.

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Create Niche Storage

Specialized compartments are lofty goals, but if you have the space, they can be a solution that you’ll soon wonder how you ever did without. Here, even a narrow space finds a use, storing glassware while also creating an interesting visual. Sitting right on top of the counter and rising to the ceiling, not an inch of space is without a purpose.

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Opt for the Right Storage Aids

Whether you have a studio apartment kitchen or one fit for royalty, storage racks for pots and pans are a must. Not only do they help better utilize your under-cabinet areas with their efficient use of space, but they also help protect cookware from the scratching and wear and tear that it would experience if it was stacked.

If remodeling your kitchen or starting from scratch, consider creating a tall, thin baking sheet and cutting board cabinet, and built-in racks and hooks for pots and pans. If a custom kitchen is just a pipe dream, rest assured, store-bought organizers will net a similar result.

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Pull Out Storage

While this is a trick that might not work in smaller kitchens, if you have enough cabinet space to make it happen, pull-out storage for large appliances can make prep work a breeze. One of the drawbacks of getting yet another kitchen appliance isn’t whether or not you’ll use it, but rather if you want to stare at it on the counter day in and day out.

Here, a system of pull-out shelves within the lower cabinet keeps these typically heavier items easily accessible while also tucking them out of sight when not in use.

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Use Clear Bins

Kitchen towels, sponges, scrub brushes, and dish gloves are tricky to figure out. Where to place them, how to fold them, and when to ditch the whole collection for a fresh set are questions even the most seasoned of cooks might never know the answer to. But, when it comes to creating a more efficient way to store this hardworking crew, clear storage bins are the only way to go.

Start by grouping items together within the same compartments (sponges in one, gloves in another, washcloths in the next) then roll kitchen towels and stack on the opposite side.

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Use Expandable Dividers

It can be hard to find just the right bin configuration to fit your drawers. One of the most customizable options out there is the expandable divider. You can find them in budget-friendly plastic options and more substantial bamboo. Go for two, four, or more depending on the size of your drawer and your storage needs.

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Carve Out Nooks

If your kitchen doesn’t quite fit the standard dimensions, don’t lose out on the missed space. Instead, consider how you can use the leftover real estate for items that otherwise wouldn’t have a home. Here a set of three nooks stacked on top of each other carve out a tidy space for cookbooks, a pitcher, and even a small planter.

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Group Like Items

Whether you’re always reaching for your stash of wooden spoons, want to make quick work of finding the right measuring cup, or simply do it for aesthetics, grouping like items can be a valuable strategy when it comes to kitchen organization. It can also be a helpful first step in organizing when the kitchen clutter seems insurmountable.

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Don’t Let Any Space Go Overlooked

When working with a small kitchen, nothing is off bounds when it comes to storage. A tiny wall of shelves: check. A countertop crock for utensils: check. A wall of hooks for pots and pans: double-check.

Clearing up space below the counter can free you up for additional storage of items that you don’t necessarily want guests to see. Your cute little pot collection though, consider it decor.

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Introduce the Ceiling Shelf

Ceiling shelves are no longer fodder for faux grapes and a dusty basket collection. Here a pretty upper shelf makes a statement while also allowing for additional storage of items that aren’t necessarily used on the regular. A large stock pot, various canisters, and more can all find a home that’s tucked away and out of the way, though easy enough to grab when they’re needed.