Cupboard Organization

Organizing your cupboards is really easy - you just have to do it and stick to it. With regard to food pantries or cupboards it is really easy to try to stuff things on the shelf to make everything fit. Doing this makes it easier for you to push other things to the back, only to forget about them and purchase duplicate items or let the food go bad. One thing I am in charge of in my house is organizing the newly purchased groceries. I actually look forward to coming home, unloading the groceries and finding a spot for them in the cupboard or refrigerator.

For those of you who are able to regularly take the time to keep your food nicely arranged some tips are: maximize your cabinet space by using elevated platforms so you can put things on top of the platform and underneath it, utilize the shelves that come in your cupboard or pantry and adjust them based on your needs; create zones on your shelves, such as a rice zone, a cracker zone, a pasta zone, a cereal box zone, and a canned food zone, or simply arrange by size and organize your food that way; use baskets or small plastic storage buckets to store things like treats, granola bars, bread, or single-serve oatmeal packets.

When organizing your other cupboards use the same general ideas that you would for your food storage areas, such as maximizing space and utilizing the shelves that you have. My bathroom cupboard has a lot of stuff in it, so I use an elevated platform to add to the usable storage space, in addition, I have a plastic basket where I put my hair products, and a small plastic divided bucket where I store things like headbands and bobby pins, I use a travel makeup bag to store my makeup, a beautiful ceramic bowl to store my lipstick, and a small basket that holds my perfume. I would go crazy every time I opened the cupboard door if I didn't have everything contained in its own area. These tips can work equally well for the cabinet under your kitchen sink, too.

The same rules go for cupboards in play rooms, entertainment rooms, bedrooms, offices and anywhere else you have a cupboard in your house. Utilize bins, buckets, tubs, baskets, etc. to store your objects. My favorite are either small baskets or small clear plastic stackable storage containers with lids.

Remodeling is a great time to re-evaluate the usefulness of your cupboards. I really love cupboards that have sliding shelves where you can pull them out and really maximize their usefulness, lazy Susan cupboards are great for using the corner space that would otherwise be wasted or nearly impossible to reach, and customizing your space to meet your needs. Meet with a custom cabinet designer if you're considering remodeling or adding any cupboards to your home. Explain your wants and needs and the designer should be able to create something exquisite that suits your style.

If you're interested in purchasing cabinet organization kits or supplies, my suggestion is to get creative and figure out your ultimate goal with the space, then visit a store that sells organizational tools or kits. Be creative here - there are so many things you can use to better organize your cupboards.

I really like to line the cupboards and drawers in my home with contact paper or a shelf liner. This makes it so much easier to clean - plus if you have really ugly cabinets this can bring some life to them. Underneath my glasses and cups I use a thicker shelf liner that has a sticky feel to help keep my glasses from chipping and adds some style in the process. You're not the only one who looks in your cupboards, after all... Why not have them look nice like the rest of your house?