2021 Real Simple Home Kitchen Organization

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I was very honored to be this year’s pro organizer for the 2021 Real Simple home in Westfield, New Jersey. Alongside a wonderful group of designers, we worked to create a home that would showcase endless home inspiration and valuable tips with home organization and design. One of the spaces I was most excited about was the kitchen. The kitchen is that place where we love to hang out and create memories. When I learned that the kitchen would be one of the spaces that I would organize in the Real Simple home I was elated. I grabbed my planner and started brain-dumping all the possible tips and ideas I could implement in this space. Having a blank canvas to implement a kitchen organization plan is an organizer’s dream!

5 Project Areas Within A Kitchen

When organizing your kitchen you can become overwhelmed easily. This is why I always recommend breaking the project up into five small projects. By creating small projects it makes the task of organizing your kitchen more manageable. By working in parts you are able to really take your time implementing smart organization without feeling overwhelmed by the entire kitchen. These are the five areas that I recommend breaking into projects:

• Upper kitchen cabinets
• Lower kitchen cabinets
• Kitchen drawers
• Countertops
• Appliances

Kitchen Mapping

When organizing a kitchen the first thing that I work out is the map of the kitchen. Some call it the layout but I prefer to say map. As with any map, it is a tool that helps you easily get to your destination. Because a kitchen has so many items from glassware, pans, appliances, and more, it is important to be able to easily locate items within the space. It is also important to place items conveniently next to areas that coincide with their use. For example, placing glasses in a cabinet next to the dishwasher will save you time when putting your glasses away, because they are right next to each other.

In addition to location, I think about how we use items in the kitchen. Making your kitchen user-friendly is essential. For example, placing your glasses in a basket can simplify setting the dinner table. Instead of walking back in forth to get multiple glasses, you can simply carry the basket over to the table and set the table in one trip.

I knew that sharing tips on how to organize your freezer could be a huge benefit to so many. This is an area that many people struggle with because oftentimes freezer designs can be a bit challenging to work around. When organizing your freezer think about a bookshelf within a library. First, categorize your frozen items and then line them up within those categories within the freezer. The goal is to easily view all of your freezer products and easily grab and go. You can watch the Real Simple virtual open house to learn more.

Organizing the Real Simple home was such a huge blessing and I am excited that I was able to take you on this journey with me. Check out my YouTube channel for more home organizing tips and ideas. Also, if you feel like you need more one-on-one guidance in your home when it comes to organization, my team and I would love to work directly with you. Simply schedule your first session today!

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