We were contacted by a lovely couple with two young children that had recently moved into a spacious house in the suburbs. But because of an unplanned early labor with their second child, had yet to unpack a majority of their kitchen 4 months later. And this was not working for these busy parents of two who desired order and function in their kitchen!
We began this kitchen overhaul by pulling all kitchen items still in their packed boxes from the basement. And while the client already had quite a bit of items in the kitchen, the amount of packed away was double. Using the cabinets and pantry to their best use for such a large amount of items was going to be challenging, but we were ready to work our magic.
Among the complaints we get from clients who desire to be organized, the top is that their husbands (sorry guys!) never seem to hold the same sentiment, haphazardly putting items anywhere they can find a spot for them, rather than where they belong. Add a few children doing the exact same to the mix....feel all of those negative vibes and frustrations?! Us too. So to make it easier on the men in our clients lives, we strive to find permanent homes (accompanied by a label) to help make putting items back a breeze. Ever heard of that saying, 'happy wife, happy life'? Yep, that's why we do what we do!
In the pantry we used hyacinth bins with silver handwritten labels, grouping items like dinner, rice & pasta, breakfast, and even giving a basket to their 3 year old son for his snacks. What kid doesn't love to have control of their snacks! We decanted several breakfast items for easy retrieval in the morning, a riser for a few canned items, and several turntables for easy access to spreads. butters, and dips. We removed all oils and vinegars from the pantry and added them to the cabinets by the range for convenience when cooking. By doing so, we freed up necessary space for cake risers, serving platters, and overstock of paper towels that were all missing a home. To add some additional space, we installed an elfa pantry door rack to maximize storage behind the door, accommodating any and all items from canned goods to beverages. In the case of this client, we added all plastic food storage bags, aluminum foil, and plastic food wrap to keep accessible and all in one location.
We left no cabinet or drawer untouched, beginning with the silverware and utensil drawers. We started by lining each drawer with bamboo drawer liner, giving each drawer and extra pop of color behind the drawer organizers. Next, we selected a variety of organizers to create division of spaces. We used bamboo organizers for the silverware and cookie utensils, acrylic for the coffee station and bar items. For the drawers that organizers wouldn't work, we divided the space with bamboo drawer dividers, to give separation and make finding items easier.
Next up, maximizing all cabinets to the best potential. Again, we lined all shelves with the bamboo drawer liner, blending the cabinets with the drawers. By adding undershelf baskets to many of the cabinets, we created additional space for dishes, coffee cups, ramekins, etc., helping them from being overstuffed. We also created a perfect home for all of the clients baking dishes, which were stacked in a drawer prior, making them super difficult to find. By adding several 4-sort dividers side by side and moving a few shelves with a cabinet, we created an area for sheet pans, baking dishes, and muffin tins to stand upright above the oven, making all items perfectly accessible and easy to retrieve. When then used the drawers below the oven to house small appliances and other baking items, keeping all like items together in one area of the kitchen.
Another area that was in need of serious assistance was all child related, baby bottles and kids dinnerware. For the former, we designated a cabinet just for the bottles and all of their bits and bobs that go with. By using the linus open stacking bins, on when shelf we organized the bottles by type, on the next shelf, we used acrylic bins to keep those bits for bottles separated, making those night feedings simpler for all involved. For the kids dinnerware, we used multipurpose bins to create a cabinet that was kid friendly, helping the children learn independence and help make a space just for them. Not to mention, it keeps all the unsightly kids ware out of the common areas!
We also created a space designated for the client's grilling items, keeping them in a drawer, easy to find when needed. Lastly, tackling the overwhelming plastic food storage drawer, we simplified by adding a food storage organizer to a deep drawer, creating a division for lids and containers, simplifying the process of finding matching tops and bottoms.
This large kitchen project was a blast to work on. The dramatic improvement of storage to incorporate a huge amount of kitchenware was a definite challenge, but with carefully planning, we incorporated everything into the space that the client desired! And because of that, it was a job well done!