The kitchen tends to be the heart of many homes but it’s also a clutter magnet! Because nearly everyone uses the kitchen—and many socialize in the kitchen, too—it is one of the most difficult rooms in our homes to organize. With a few easy modifications, though, you can make it a spacious, uncluttered area that makes meal preparation a real pleasure.

If you’re like me, you enjoy seasonal decorating and that includes your kitchen. Kitchen towels, dishcloths, area rugs, and even stove top covers can reflect seasonal holidays. Storing off-season linens is easy and takes very little space when I put them in Spedalon Vacuum Seal Storage Bags. They take up very little space in my closet and they are safe from mildew, dirt, moths, and other hazards. That also gives me more drawer space because I no longer store the linens in my kitchen.

Another small alteration I made really makes a difference in how my kitchen looks. I attached a hook inside the door of the cupboard underneath my sink. I have a Spedalon Mesh Laundry Bag hanging on that hook and it holds the scrubbers and scrubbing sponges I use when I hand wash my skillets and good china. I don’t have to look at the clutter caused by those tools and they are in well ventilated containment until I need them again. It makes my kitchen look less cluttered when the sink area is free of these tools.

I use a lot of seasonings and spices when I cook and bake but making room for all those little bottles and packets was a big problem. Searching through a cupboard was time consuming and irritating and a revolving spice rack on the counter just took up needed space. The racks that attach to the inside of the cupboards restricted my space inside that cupboard so I had to get creative. I finally settled on a rectangular woven basket that looks nice on top of my fridge and put my spices and seasonings in it. I freed up one entire shelf of a cupboard and I can easily find just what I need.

On a side note, I’m not spending a lot on spices and seasonings anymore. I buy my spices and seasonings from the bulk section of my grocery store and refill the bottles as I need. I can buy as little or as much as I want so they never go stale. For seasoning mixes I wash and thoroughly dry prescription bottles after peeling off the label. I add my own label and get a free container for seasonings.

Pots and pans take up a lot of space and like a lot of people I used to store them in the drawer beneath my oven. That’s not what that drawer is for, though. Did you know that it was designed as a place to keep dishes warm until you’re ready to serve them? I began using it as it was designed and wondered how I ever got along without it! But now I was wondered where to put my pots and pans. I shopped around for wall mounted racks but did not find any I liked or any that had a price I was willing to pay.

I solved my problem by having some fun with wood. I bought a length of wood 30” long and 10” wide along with a set of wrought iron shelf mounts and some screw-in cup hooks. I sanded and painted the wood, placed the cup hooks on the bottom, and installed it. Pans hung below the shelf and I stacked the smaller pots on the top. The lids were a problem but I propped them up behind the pots and it looked very attractive.

If you don’t want a shelf or if you have very limited kitchen space you can mount a decorated board across your kitchen door and attach hooks to hold your cookware.

Now where to put all those small appliances? My blender, toaster, can opener, small deep fryer, and popcorn popper all needed a home in order to clear my counters. Luckily, the old fashioned utility cart my mother had has made a comeback! Some even have electrical cords and outlets so that you can use the small appliances right on the card without having to use your counter space. The carts are small enough to fit in an out of the way area or even in a pantry.

My kitchen looks much bigger than it is now, neat and clean and very welcoming. Your kitchen doesn’t have to be cluttered and you don’t have to spend a lot to make it beautiful!