Contrary to what a lot of people think, you don’t need an enormous space to have a functional kitchen – it’s more about how you organize the space you do have. You also don’t need a major overhaul to banish clutter and become organized – just a few handy tips and tricks to get you started. Here’s what I suggest to optimize your space and get a functional kitchen you actually enjoy being in!
The kitchen is the area of your home that gets used more often than most others. So it stands to reason that if your kitchen is more organized and simple to use, your life will feel easier. When trying to maximize the organization of your kitchen, choose locations strategically. An efficient kitchen won’t have you walking back and forth to unload the dishwasher or prepare a meal.

• Identify prime real estate in the kitchen -- The upper cabinet closest to the dishwasher is prime real estate. Store your plates and bowls there, but make sure you can easily reach the cabinet when the dishwasher is open.
• Go low with pots and pans -- A lower cabinet or large drawer closest to the stove is best for pots and pans. Categorize pans by skillets, sauce pans, stock pots, and lids.
• Close to the oven -- An upper or lower cabinet close to the oven is perfect for cookie sheets, baking stones, and muffin tins. Narrow cabinets work well for this.
• Keep items within kids’ reach -- Keep kids plates, bowls, and cups down low where they can reach them. Drawers or lower cabinets with baskets are good choices.
• Identify your food prep area -- Determine which area of the counter you use most for food preparation. An upper or lower cabinet near this area should be the place where you store things like mixing bowls, colanders, and liquid measuring cups.
• Reduce kitchen clutter -- Let go of the excess. Paring down your kitchen will keep things simple. 
• Use the right tools to keep your kitchen organized -- Use products like vertical organizers and lazy susans to help you access items quickly and easily. Helper shelves give you an additional shelf for shelves that don’t adjust or when you need a double shelf on only half of the cabinet. Pull outs assist when cabinets are deep and hard to reach. They are particularly helpful for storing heavy or bulky items that are difficult to pull out from the back of a cabinet.

Having a more organized space will give you more time in the long run. Can you find three things you can change to maximize efficiency in your kitchen right now? Let us know in the comments what they are!