I’m back with a new series on OLJ this fall all about kitchen organization.  In this post and coordinating video I share how I organized the kitchen drawers at our family vacation home in Utah.  I wanted to keep the drawer contents the same for the most part, but tidy up each drawer with a thorough clean up and neater arrangement using mostly organizers I purchased at Bed, Bath, & Beyond as well as a few we already had on hand.

Acrylic Organizers (image source) & Made Smart Organizers (image source) can be purchased at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

I love the clear acrylic organizers by InterDesign that you can find at both Bed, Bath, & Beyond and The Container Store.  They are well made, easy to clean, and stay put thanks to rubber feet placed on the bottom of each organizer.  I prefer clear drawer organizers, because I think they make drawers look particularly tidy and uncluttered.  The Made Smart organizers are nice if you prefer an opaque option.  They offer rubberized interiors to prevent the organizer contents from shifting.  You can find the grey ones pictured above at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and a clear version with a white base at The Container Store.  I feel well prepared for drawer organizer shopping when I have considered what I’d like to store in each drawer beforehand so I know what shapes and sizes of organizers might work best.  Having a list with the exact measurements of the drawers helps me purchase organizers that will fit properly.  I tend to purchase a few more organizers than I think I might need so that I have some wiggle room once I am working on my project with the organization process.  I make sure to leave all of the tags and stickers on the organizers until my project is finalized and then simply return whatever is leftover.

I am including a few photo collages of the finished kitchen drawer organization below:

There are seven drawers on the lefthand side of the kitchen sink (the drawer containing pot lids is not pictured above).  I worked on one drawer at a time, first removing all of the drawer contents and giving it a thorough cleaning, and then used my new organizers as well as repurposed some of the old ones for an optimal arrangement.  Here is a list of the drawer contents pictured above:

1. Flatware, cheese knives, kitchen shears, and paring knives.
2. Serving utensils, basters, and miscellaneous kitchen tools.
3. Storage bags in different sizes, aluminum foil, cling wrap, wax paper, brining bags, and chip clips.
4. Wine and bottle openers, kitchen appliance manuals, and first aid items.
5. Large knives, grilling accessories, and thermometers.
6. Extra steak knives and miscellaneous kitchen utensils.

We also have a few drawers located in the kitchen island right next to the stove top where we store frequent cooking aids (#1-3).  There are three narrower drawers on the righthand side of the kitchen sink where we keep less frequently used kitchen items (#4-6).  Here is a breakdown of the drawers pictured above:

1. Spatulas, wooden & slotted spoons, tongs, and a spoon rest.
2. Measuring cups and spoons, funnels, twine, grater, and a salad dressing shaker.
3. Tubs with sugar and flour, cooking sprays, and a small cutting board.
4. Tea and coffee filters.
5. Most frequently used kitchen towels and potholders.
6. Aprons and extra kitchen towels and rags.

If you’d like a closer look at this kitchen drawer organization, including looks at the drawers before I organized them as well as more information about my organizational progress, I recommend checking out the video below:

I have several other posts and videos planned in my 2013 Kitchen Series.  Stay tuned! 🙂

* I am not affiliated with any of the brands or stores mentioned in this blog post or video.  All opinions are my own. *