Kitchen Organization with Simply Spaced

Kitchens are the heart, and backbone, of a home. Often the most-used space, it’s easy to let things like daily mail, packages, and random clutter begin to take over countertops and fill junk drawers. Instead, intentionally keeping this one room organized and tidy can have a positive effect on the entire household. To bring you some organizational tips and tricks, we chatted with Monica Leed, owner of Simply Spaced, a Los Angeles, California-based organizing service. “When set up with intention, a kitchen can become the backbone of a happy, healthy, and functional home,” shares Leed.

Leed takes us through her three-step process, as shown in this Los Angeles, CA, kitchen that she and her team organized.

SIMPLIFY: Declutter Your Chaotic Kitchen

The quickest way to create order in the kitchen is to simplify and declutter. Be relentless and honest with yourself! Leed suggests thatyou touch every item and ask yourself, “Do I love it, need it, or use it?”

Things to Let Go of Now:

• Expired foods and spices

• Foods misaligned with your current diet

• Toxic and expired cleaning supplies

• Mismatched food storagecontainers

• Broken or missing-part appliances, dishes, and tools

• Gimmicky gadgets

• One-purpose appliances that will get used “someday”

• Dud duplicates (4th strainerwith the broken handle)

• Reusable bag overflow

• Outdated cookbooks and recipe cards

• Unused china/crystal

• Gifts you wish you never received

• Expired coupons, old receipts,menus, and manuals

• Junk-drawer junk: overflowing rubber bands, twist ties,corks, caps, and packagedcondiments

• Souvenir mugs/impulse buys

• Scratched pots and pans and warped utensils

• Single-use disposables like paper plates and plasticutensils

STREAMLINE: Optimize Space in Your Kitchen

Once you have decluttered your kitchen, the next stepis to optimize the space in your kitchen. Create zonesfor ease of use—establish a designated home for eachcategory of items in your kitchen: cooking, baking, pots+ pans, plates + bowls, glasses, mugs, flatware, cutlery,cooking utensils, and large appliances. Think aboutvertical storage solutions like wall shelves and racks,shelf risers, pull-out drawers, and lazy susans.

PRO TIP: Use sticky notes to map out the best place foreach zone mentioned above.

Create stations based on the activities you do most in your kitchen. If you make the same smoothie every morning, perhaps you need a smoothie station with your blender and ingredients in one cabinet. If you’re an at-home barista, create a coffee station complete with hanging mugs for an efficient morning routine.

Floating shelves and a vertical wall grid were used to create a beautiful and functional vignette. Clear glass containers keep dry goods looking chic, while an oil painting and greenery bring life to this side of the kitchen.

STYLE: Curate a Stylish Kitchen

To curate a kitchen that’s the heart of your home,you want it to look and feel beautiful. Find decorativeaccents that you love—petite paintings, vases, a teakettle in a vibrant color, tea towels, a comfortable rug toplace under the sink, etc.

PRO TIP: Place all food items into mason jars or BPA-free containers. It’s not just beautiful, it’s a healthy alternative to storing food in plastics that can release toxins.

Adding labels is a great way to keep your kitchen organized. Use them on shelves, baskets, fridge bins, and more to keep the entire family in sync.