21 Before & After: From Tired Cabinet to Bathroom Storage

Our bathroom vanity is only 30" wide so we have always had to get a little creative with our storage situation. Up until recently, we had been utilizing a tall bathroom cabinet to house many of our daily toiletries. Over the years, that cabinet began to slowly fall apart. First, the bottom drawer front fell off so I just put a tall basket in its place. More recently, all of the drawer fronts had completely fallen off, the sliding drawer hardware had snapped, and the cabinet wasn't even hanging on by a thread. It was time to snip that thread, cut our losses, and look for an alternative solution.

(You can see my previous post on our bathroom organization here.)

The bathroom itself hasn't been updated in about 15 years now and is something we would like to tackle within the next year or two. Once we were sans cabinet, I needed something ASAP to keep our limited counter space free of my clutter and to make up for the loss of three drawers and three shelves. You know where I am going with this right? I really didn't want to invest a lot of money into something knowing that we aren't too far away from making more permanent changes to the bathroom.

With that in mind, I went straight to Facebook Marketplace to look for an inexpensive solution. I was looking for a piece of furniture that wasn't too deep (I didn't want it to be obtrusive in our modest-sized bathroom) and something with doors. With the germs that fly in the bathroom, I always prefer storage behind drawers and doors. Doors also cut down on the amount of surface that I have to clean and wipe down frequently. I initially thought a lawyer style bookcase would be a bit different, but with our bathroom being on the smaller side, I ultimately decided it would be nice to do something with more glass. So I started to search for curio style cabinets that were less than 14" deep.

I figured that it would be a quick find, but it took some weeks of checking in and trying a variety of search terms. I finally stumbled upon something within my low budget, but it would require some modifying to make it juuuuuuust right.

The picture above is from the original listing, and my husband raised his eyebrows when I told him I wanted to take a drive to pick up this piece of furniture for our bathroom. Although the wood wasn't in great shape, the price was low and I saw a diamond in the rough.

What I was instantly drawn to was the top half of the cabinet. The glass portion was the perfect size and I also appreciated the decorative moulding for a more traditional look. The bottom of the cabinet wasn't at all my style and felt too bulky, but my hope was that we could construct something a bit more streamlined. As soon as we got the cabinet back into our home, we began to slowly deconstruct it to separate the top piece from the bottom.

We built the new base from hardwood 1" x 2" poplar boards.

Our Kreg Jig was our best friend for this project, as it allowed us to create a series of concealed pocket holes to assemble a clean looking finished product.

The base of the cabinet was going to be about 12" deep by 24" wide. We did two tiers of support so we would be able to add a shelf at the bottom as well. The legs were constructed of 2" x 2" boards.

We screwed the 1" x 2" side pieces into the 2" x 2" legs (twice). Then we attached the back and front 1" x 2" pieces.

Almost there!

We cut a 1/2" piece of birch plywood to create the bottom shelf.

I always freak out a little during the middle. I was worried the clean and simple bottom wasn't going to tie into the more traditional top. But before I made any final judgment, I decided to prime and paint the entire piece a solid color.

Prior to painting, I did a few things to prep the cabinet. We used our brad nailer to affix the shelf to the base. Then I caulked all of the cracks around the legs. I used a sanding block to sand everything down. After that, I took a liquid deglosser to the top half of the cabinet because the wood had a chipping top coat and I wanted to be sure I wasn't going to have any trouble with paint adhering. Not done yet, I used some wood filler to fix any cracks, dents, holes, scratches, etc... Finally, I taped all of the glass off with painter's tape and found my oil-based primer.

Once the primer was dry, I sanded everything again and did two coats of Benjamin Moore's Westcott Navy.

Once painted, the cabinet turned out really lovely. The entire project came in under $75 for the cabinet, wood supplies, and paint. Considering I had been pricing out new options for between $250 - $1200, I am very happy with how this turned out.

I use the cabinet to hold everything I reach for on a daily basis. The top shelf holds a divided basket with face cloths, washcloths, and an extra roll of toilet paper.

An acrylic tray corrals all of my lotions and facial creams.

While a small handled basket works great to hide my makeup clutter. I also use a basic drinking glass to hold some facial cotton pads and a clear apothecary jar for cotton swabs.

The bottom shelf holds a couple extra clean towels, bath salts, and a spa brush.

Because we added a small shelf below, I was able to fit two tall baskets to conceal the less sightly toiletry clutter such as small grooming tools and a manicure kit.

Let's take a look at a side-by-side before and after to show what a little out of the box thinking can yield.

The original base was salvageable enough to donate so hopefully someone else can put that piece to good use also.

Don't you love a good "one man's trash is another man's treasure" story? The overall depth of the cabinet is only 12" so I was able to add quite a bit of storage with a tiny footprint. And it's so pretty I hope it sticks around even after we get to updating our bathroom someday.

I would love to see/hear about your Facebook Marketplace finds too! Or how you are getting creative with storage around your home! Share the details in the comments below or tag me on Instagram!




P.S. I purchased this cabinet on Facebook Marketplace weeks prior to any news of COVID-19. I completely understand the sensitivity of the current situation and Facebook Marketplace may not be the best way to shop given current social distancing recommendations. I still wanted to share in case you have a piece of furniture that might need some new life, or if you are just looking for inexpensive and space-saving bathroom storage solutions. Please stay safe and healthy my friends. ♥ 

19 Doubling up on Under the Sink Storage Space

A few weeks ago we were hosting a guest and I went to my son's bathroom to do some cleaning and prepping. Our guests typically stay in our son's bedroom while visiting because it has an adjoining bathroom that allows for added privacy. I realized that the area under his sink could use a better system, and with a limited timeframe, I came up with a quick solution to maximize the awkward cabinet.

I will help my kids with their chores from time to time, but for the most part, they take complete ownership of keeping up on their spaces. It is always my goal to give them systems that are easy for them to maintain on their own, but I definitely didn't do that here. Under this bathroom sink was a mish-mash of random baskets and bins with no designation or reasoning...

44 Before & After: An Organized Nightstand Drawer

We all have that one drawer. The one that becomes a dumping ground with an endless pit of random items. It happens to the best of us!

Most of the drawers around our home are set up in a way that they self maintain, but there are a couple that demand attention more often; our junk drawer in our kitchen, and apparently, my nightstand drawer both top that list.

I clean out the junk drawer every month or so, because even with dividers, random items that don't have an instant home, end up in that very popular drawer. Being in such a high traffic area that we all utilize, I am pretty good about tackling it frequently to keep some semblance of order.

60 My Favorite Tips for Organizing a Deep Pantry

Kitchens seem to be a very popular request for me lately, and I have been helping a few different folks plan out and organize their cabinets, pantries, and drawers. I have also been compiling a lot of the common questions and themes that have been arising, and hope to do a post in the near future outlining how to get started and tips for creating a solid kitchen storage plan.

But a similar subject worthy of its own post, and a question I receive almost more than any other, is what to do with a deep pantry closet? Or any deep cabinet really. They can be such dark and confusing places and definitely require a little extra thinking and planning.

One of the kitchens I was recently asked to help with, has a deep pantry closet very reminiscent of our previous pantry. I vividly remember the days of frustration and trial and error and constant reorganization.

Around the time I was consulting on this project, The Container Store had reached out to me to see if I would be interested in partnering with them on a kitchen organizing story. Talk about the stars aligning just right. Their supersized kitchen sale is going on now through the end of the month, which means the majority of their very best organizers are on sale for 25% off. If you are going to stock up on your favorite bins or tackle a kitchen organizing project, big or small, now is the time to do it!

I am definitely particular about the brands and sponsors I select to work with, and The Container Store was a no-brainer for many reasons. I have used quite a few of their products around our home over the years, and have yet to be disappointed. In fact, I always feel quite the opposite, especially when I have the chance to use my all-time favorite organizer ever (mentioned here, here, and here), the Multi-Purpose bin.

The before and after photos of this project make my heart sing for a variety of reasons, but this post is much more than that. I really wanted to talk about my favorite tips for tackling a pantry, especially one that is on the deeper side.

So let's check out what the pantry looked like at the beginning of this story. Look familiar? In our area, there are so many homes built with similar style pantries; essentially a 2 ft x 2 ft closet with shelves. Is this a nationwide epidemic or just regional to the midwest?

Although these closets seem to be fairly common, how they are used will be different for everyone. This particular closet is used by a husband and a wife, kids have all grown up and moved out, and they now have seven grandkids who love to stop by with their parents for a visit.

Their storage needs vary from week-to-week. They will buy in bulk if there are sales, they enjoy hosting during the holidays, and also like to have foods and snacks on hand for their visitors and grandbabies. It is also worth mentioning that they have alternative storage in their kitchen carved out for additional pantry items such as spices, oils, and baking supplies.


T I P   N U M B E R   O N E

Begin with a stocked pantry. Do your grocery shopping for a typical week, and then take note of additional items you may purchase frequently and even some that may only be on rotation on occasion. Compile a list of everything you would like to be sure is accounted for in your pantry project.


T I P   N U M B E R   T W O

Completely clear out the pantry and any other cabinets in your kitchen that contain food items that probably should be in your pantry. Discard any items that are expired, and categorize the remainder into groupings of "like" items.


T I P   N U M B E R   T H R E E

Measure and create a plan! I tend to take this part pretty seriously, and I generally tackle these types of projects with the following goals:

• Maximize the available space
• Store the categorized items based on their frequency of use
• Select products with longevity (this means that it will last many years either in the current space or is versatile enough to be reused in a variety of ways down the road)

You have seen quite a few of my closet plans in the past; here is the one I had dreamed up for this specific pantry:

As with any project, the end result evolved a bit as I began ordering and installing and doing some final assessments. But as you can see above, the plans included drawers, door storage, bins to take up both the width and the height, as well as some room for change and growth.

To come up with the closet plans I measured the width and depth of every shelf. They had already installed the shelving with ledger boards and wanted to work with what they had if possible. In these types of closets, adjustable shelving may add a bit more versatility, but it definitely is not necessary. From there, I sourced the products that I thought would make the best use of the shelves from top to bottom and front to back.

While planning, I looked at all of the items that they currently had stored in their pantry, and also considered how they ultimately wanted the pantry to function. Could we maximize the floor to ceiling shelves and add a door unit, therefore freeing up additional cabinets in their kitchen for other things? You bet! 

T I P   N U M B E R   F O U R

Let's talk about the beautification process. This is NOT a necessary step, but it is something that I like to do. It doesn't make the closet more effective to paint it or paper it, but it does bring a little bit of joy and happiness and can even act as a bit of a motivator to maintain it. I will never tell you that have to install wallpaper and create labels from fancy vinyl lettering if that is not your thing. Those are just the details that I personally enjoy, and that many of my friends and clients also appreciate in the work that I offer (some people like to decorate rooms, I like to decorate hard working cabinets and closets). 

My plan recommended removing the bottom shelf of the closet, so because we were going to patch and touch up paint anyway, I decided to paint the entire interior of the closet the same color as the adjoining kitchen walls with some of their leftover paint. 

Once it was dry, I also added a peel-and-stick wallpaper between each of the ledger boards for some additional wow. The paper is temporary and removes just as easily and quickly as it went in (no residue or commitment necessary).

As things were coming together, the pantry owner walked by, caught a glimpse, let out a happy shriek and clapped her hands. This is 100% what it is all about for me. I almost cried seeing how happy she was with her new closet coming together.

T I P   N U M B E R   F I V E

If you take anything away from this post, it is to add drawers whenever possible. Drawers will take advantage of the area from front to back, and naturally bring the items from the back forward for you (vs. you needing to move things or reach over things). I added drawers to this pantry in a couple of ways; you can be as literal or creative about it as necessary. I do consider some types of bins as drawers, they can serve the same function and bring items from the back, forward.

The most impactful set of drawers was added at the bottom of the closet via a narrow elfa drawer unit. Originally, the closet had a single shelf and the floor to hold the items in this area, but now there are five nicely sized drawers, as well as a spot for a step-stool, a place to store grocery sacks, and even a little room to grow! Hello increased functionality and storage! For this particular elfa combination, I picked two of the narrow 2-runner drawers, three of the narrow 1-runner drawers, then added a narrow white melamine topper.

Bag holder is a medium Multi-Purpose bin affixed to the closet wall with screws.

Closets like this can be tricky in terms of drawers because there are a few inches of recessed shelving area on either side of the door, and finding ways to not lose that space requires a little extra thinking. Although I knew we were already gaining storage by adding the elfa drawers, which are slim enough to pull through the narrow door opening, I was even happier that we were still able to add a little extra function on the one side of the drawer unit as well.

I was going to wait until a little later in the post to show how amazing these drawers are, but since we are on the topic, let's take a closer look inside of each one. This elfa combination is small but mighty and comes in at just 21" deep, 14" wide and 29" tall. Looking at those dimensions I was wondering if it really could store as much as I planned and hoped, and it certainly surprised us all.

The top drawer was created just for the grandkids. The homeowner mentioned that her grandkids will come over and know right where to look in the fridge for drinks and snacks, and she really wanted to duplicate that concept in the pantry.

The elfa drawers are easily organized with fitted and divided clear trays, so I added them to the top two drawers to do just that. Very convenient! I am pretty sure the snack drawer was the homeowner's favorite, her reaction was priceless!

The next drawer was one of my personal favs, just because I love quick and easy entertaining that also feels a bit special. I always recommend putting together a small spot in your kitchen to store some basics such as napkins, candles, dishes, party decor, notecards, etc...

These slim drawers are also nicely sized for food storage bags and wraps.

While a deeper drawer conceals large bags of popcorn and chips.

Last but not least, the bottom drawer now holds their produce, which was previously being stored in some buckets on the floor. I lined the drawer with a couple of basic bins to catch any juices or onion flaking.


Quick Tip: Anytime I post about storing veggies, I do caution that keeping onions and potatoes together may increase their spoiling time. If you are only purchasing what you need for a week or two of meal planning, they are probably fine to be stored together (we have done this for years and never had any issues). But if you want to keep your potatoes for longer periods of time, they can be stored inside of an open box or paper bag in a cool, dark place (away from the onions).

Moving along...

As I mentioned above, I also used a few bins as drawers; specifically, these small clear Linus Handled Bins for a shorter shelf and my favorite Multi-Use helpers for some lighter weight cracker, snack, and pouch wrangling.

Previously, there was no finding anything on the back of that shorter shelf without moving a variety of items out of the way first, but now the bins easily bring the smaller items out of hiding.


Quick Tip: Most often times product packaging and boxes can create added bulk in your pantry, and you may find that quickly removing the box and storing the contents in a bin or drawer will give you twice the space. I like to keep a small vessel of clips in our pantry so we can remove crackers and cereal from the boxes and clip them closed to keep them fresh between uses. There are times when boxes may actually Tetris stack nicely, but I encourage you to give it a try. You just may be surprised about the space you gain.


T I P   N U M B E R   S I X

Tier your storage and your shelves!

In the initial plans, I included a shelf/tier of some sort for the back of the shelf that held all of their canisters and containers, but once we cleaned everything out, that wasn't exactly necessary. I still placed the taller items near the back, and the shorter items in front, but there was enough space left to create a path that would allow some easier access to all of the boxes and containers with little disruption to the setup.

Quick Tip: Place your everyday food and containers near the front, and store your overflow items near the back. In this case, extra boxes of cereal are placed behind the cereal containers, and extra boxes of grains and noodles were stored behind the pasta/rice section in another Multi-Purpose bin.

This closet was installed with a few full-length shelves throughout, as well as a couple of shorter shelves that were set further back. I appreciated this so much because it added an additional row of storage without impacting the overall accessibility of the other items in the closet (especially when the drawer-like bins were added).


T I P   N U M B E R   S E V E N

Maximize that vertical space and use the door or walls of the closet.

Although the door and walls are narrow, it doesn't mean some narrow baskets or shelves can't be added to increase the usable storage area. I initially considered spice racks on the recessed areas of the walls, but with all of the storage we were able to add to the door, we didn't end up needing the spice racks after all.

I have used the narrow elfa door rack in our own home for storage in our hallway closet, I can't rave about the system enough. It is sturdy, versatile, easy to install, and won't do any damage to the actual door. Not to mention, the baskets come in a variety of sizes and can be mixed and matched to fit the space beautifully.

The mesh baskets come in two widths (I went with the narrow), and a couple of different heights and depths. The shorter baskets can hold everything from cans to jars to small packets, while the deeper options are great for boxed foods, tall packages, and pouches.

The organizer is mounted with two over/under the door hooks that are tightened into place. When the door is closed, the baskets live inside the door jam area, not at all intruding into the actual closet.

Quick Tip: A few additional ideas for using these door baskets in a pantry could be for vitamins/medications, spice jars/packets, bottled water/drinks, cleaning supplies, meal planning supplies, and baking ingredients... 


T I P   N U M B E R   E I G H T

A turntable is always a good idea. I especially love them in corner cabinets, but they can also make use of awkward nooks and open shelves in deeper pantries. They are known for corralling heavier jars and cans or categorizing cabinet contents, and a quick spin swiftly brings items from the back to the front. They are available in a variety of sizes and some are even tiered to make better use of available height. (Remember this pantry project I worked on? Turntables galore!)

In this situation, a tiered shelf may have used the space a bit better due to the available height, and it is definitely an option to easily swap things out down the road if necessary. This lazy susan can always be reused under the kitchen sink for cleaners, in the fridge for condiments or near the stove for oils, salt, pepper and cooking sauces.

T I P   N U M B E R   N I N E

Categorize and store items based on how they are used.

Originally we planned on storing small appliances up on the upper shelves, but thanks to this closet project, we were actually able to keep them in another location and save the homeowners from having to pull down heavy items from an upper shelf. That said, paper products now have plenty of room on the top shelf, as do some white stacking Nordic baskets filled with disposable dishware and ingredients used for on-the-spot snack and treat making with the grandkids.

The items stored on the upper shelf should generally be things that you have on hand for convenience or special occasions or larger items that you purchased in bulk at membership-only warehouse stores. Pulling out a stepstool to reach that upper shelf each day will become cumbersome over time and the goal is to streamline your daily processes.

By placing some of the awkwardly shaped items into baskets, it visually cleared up the available space and made it much easier to bring it all down to the counter in one swooping motion.


Quick Tip: Speaking of making things as easy as possible, stacking bins and baskets are absolutely fantastic. Buuuuut, they are not really a great option for everyday items and accessibility. Do you want to have to remove a basket just to open a lid and access another basket? No, you don't. Especially not on the daily as that would get old pretty quickly. Stacking baskets are really wonderful for maximizing height, I just recommend you think about how often you will need to get to the actual contents inside of the bins/baskets, and also consider using stacking options that have open fronts for the items used more frequently.


T I P   N U M B E R   T E N

The last step I take in any organizing project is to label everything so everyone in the house can be on the same page and take part in keeping it somewhat tidy. And also so that concealed items are quickly identified and easy to locate.

How much to label is always a debate, and there are times I have felt the need to label my kids' backpacks, pencils, foreheads, and toothbrushes. When there multiple small kids involved, everything is easily mixed and lost and confused. Also, getting the entire fam clan on board with putting things back where they belong, even in seemingly obvious situations, can be a bit of a challenge.

So, while some people are strong Team Label people (I am right there with you), there are also times when it is necessary to pick your battles. For example, if you have clear containers and can see the contents, do you need to label them? Especially if it contains items that may change time and time again based on your meal planning and supply levels? Probably not. However, if you have clear containers and one has flour and one has powdered sugar and one has gluten-free flour and another has baking powder, labels are extremely helpful in identifying products that look the same but definitely are not. Labeling is also important in the pantry when allergies are involved.

In this closet, I labeled any bin or basket that was not clear or see-through, and nothing more (I used these label holders with the elfa drawers and these label holders on the white stacking baskets). The small clear drawer-like bins can be used for a variety of snacks and mini-packages, the larger multi-purpose bins can hold a mixture of pouches and boxes, the airtight food canisters can store cereals and pasta as needed (while offering the owners a quick visual inventory of the contents), and the door baskets can serve endless functions as groceries rotate through week after week.

One of my bonus tips is something I always recommend when working on these types of projects, and that is to leave a little white space. Life changes, needs evolve, and it is almost always inevitable that something won't be taken into consideration during the initial planning phase. Having extra space allows for some flexibility down the road, and also allows your space, and yourself, to breath a little easier. It is always good to maximize your space, yes, but you may find that with the right products and systems, that you actually have more space than you initially imagined. I loved walking away from this project confident that the homeowners will continue to have room to grow and play with this closet, and that their overall usable space more than doubled with the help of these particular tips.

__________

How about a few before and after photos to see what a difference these changes made:

I love it so much that I sort of wish I could pick it up and transplant it into our own home! Never did I think I would say that about this type of closet or setup again. And if you adore it too, the majority of these tips should be simple to translate and work in your own pantry, even if you are a renter! The product is all very versatile and removable, right down to the peel-and-stick wallpaper.

Don't forget! Many of the products shown in this post are on sale through April 1st, and you can save 25% off of so many great kitchen organizers and storage containers. 

I can't thank The Container Store enough for partnering with me on this tremendously fun and functional pantry project. Although they provided a portion of the product, all ideas, thoughts, and tips are my own. Also, a special thank you goes out to the homeowners for asking me to help with this closet, giving me full control of the space, and offering me permission to share it all here on my blog. ♥

16 Client Kitchen Cabinet & Drawer Overhaul: The Steps & Tips

Hello, my darling friends! I hope that you all had a wonderful long weekend doing things you love with people you love.

This blog has always been about all things home; specifically DIY, home organization, cleaning and simplifying. That said, it can feel conflicting to just keep blogging about those things because they seem a bit trivial at the moment. I have so much sadness for those who have endured the recent storms and destruction and am also keeping the folks located in the Carribean and Florida in my thoughts as they brace for the major storm heading their way. We have a lot of friends and family located in both Texas and Florida, and I have been keeping my eyes and ears peeled for appropriate ways to help from here. Although the hurricane has been absolutely horrific, it has been really heartwarming to see our small town put together fundraisers and donations, and watching so many people across the nation come together to help those whose lives will forever be impacted. If you are looking for reputable charities and donation resources, I encourage you to check out this list here. Also, keep your eyes on social media where new ways to join together and help and donate are shared daily. And as much as I always encourage individuals to use their recently purged items for good, it is important to be aware of how too many items and belongings can negatively impact the affected areas.

Over the past couple of months, I have shared a few glimpses of a bigger project I recently worked on (check out the pantry here and the lined dish cabinet here). It was honestly one of the most incredible, fun and rewarding organizing projects I have ever been a part of. And I have SO much to share.

To quickly refresh your memory, I was asked by a dear friend to help her put some order into her kitchen for their family of five. Not only did I want to help because I absolutely adore this family, but their kitchen was like so many I have seen over the years. This family spends a lot of their time in this space, and they do a lot of cooking at home, so it was important to me to set it up in a way that makes their daily lives easier, saves them money and even brings them joy.

We all have spaces in our homes that could use some TLC and they get to that point for a variety of reasons; we get busy, the space wasn't initially setup with the proper tools, we go through something personal, it isn't easy for our family members to understand or maintain, once it reaches a certain point it becomes overwhelming, etc... And if even one cabinet becomes too full, then it can quickly snowball to another and another. If this is you, you are normal! This happens to all of us, even those of us who organize around the clock.

Being that this was such a real and relatable situation, I thought I would break down all of the steps that we took and the key things we learned as we tackled this kitchen one cabinet and drawer at a time.


S T E P  O N E

Commit! My friend finally decided enough was enough and asked for my help. We scheduled dates on our calendars and made sure to cross tasks off of the list together. Working with someone is a great idea for holding each other accountable and staying on track. Trying to take on large spaces on your own can quickly become overwhelming and cause you to shut down, so grab a pal whenever you can. Regardless, it is important to schedule time and be willing to give the project your attention. Don't forget that organizing is a huge return on your investment both financially and in terms of time. You will get back out what you put in.


S T E P  T W O

Remove everything! Whether you are just working on a single drawer, cabinet or closet, or taking on an entire room, start with a blank slate. This ensures that you touch everything, that you are thinking through where things go and why, and also encourages some deep cleaning in easily forgotten areas.


S T E P  T H R E E

Sort and purge! As you are removing items from cabinets, drawers, shelves, etc... discard obvious items right away. Things that are old and expired, broken or that you no longer love. Bye bye!

Next, create general categories and begin grouping items accordingly. In this kitchen, for example, we created categories for pots/pans, utensils, food storage containers, dry foods, baking supplies, cleaning, small appliances... We also added a "keep" bin for anything that didn't quite fit a category or that we were on the fence of keeping or discarding.

Purge again, and this time be really ruthless. Now that you can see how much you have and things are broken down by category, it is time to rid yourself of any duplicate pieces. How often do you use those really specific kitchen gadgets, and could other gadgets and knives create the same outcome? How many potholders and dishtowels do you use/need? Sure, your quesadilla maker might make a mean lunch, but could you achieve a fairly similar result in a pan? Just things to ask yourself as you go, really question every single item you touch.

It can be really hard to let go of items. We work hard to pay for these things, and getting rid of them might make us acknowledge we made a purchasing error. Or that something didn't work out as we had hoped. We think about that one specific time we needed it or who gave it to us and how they might feel if we didn't keep it. But it is also really important to think of how that item might be slowing you down and frustrating you the other 364 days of the year you don't use it. That stuff is just stuff, and that less is more. That donating your belongings to those less fortunate is a really great feeling. And that true friends and family will understand your quest to simplify (or may never even know that you didn't keep aunt Ruth's old table runner).

For this project, we were able to remove three full bins of expired food, old cookbooks, mismatched dishes, broken utensils, duplicate items, etc... This one very important step made all of the difference in the world.


S T E P  F O U R

Clean! With all of your drawers and cabinets empty, take a vacuum to rid the surfaces of crumbs and dust. Follow up with cleaner and a rag to remove smudges, sticky residue, fingerprints, and spills. This is a great time to get at nooks and crannies that are rarely accessible and require a good cleaning from time to time.


S T E P  F I V E

Put items back where they make the most sense. For this step, think really hard about how you use the space each and every day. From sun up to sun down, consider the activities that take place and the motions of the individuals that come and go. Where do you make your coffee and are the filters and mugs nearby? Where do you unload the dishwasher and are the dish cabinet and silverware drawer easily accessible? Where do you store your leftovers and are those containers easy to find near the fridge? What if you want to bake, are the cookie cutters near the flour?

Play through your day in your head, then categorize and set up the space accordingly. Put things back loosely and use temporary storage bins and containers if necessary. DO NOT PURCHASE ANY STORAGE YET.


S T E P  S I X

Now it is time to just live and enjoy the new space. Play around with the new changes and adjust if necessary. Ask your family to weigh in and give their feedback. What is working? What could use some tweaking? You most likely won't get everything right the first time, and if you do, consider yourself a rare genius.

Spend a good amount of time in this phase. Do you miss any of the items you discarded? Are there even more belongings that you don't use as often as you thought you would? How have your days changed?

A few things my friend said at this point in the project:

"I feel like I can breathe again!"

"My family was in shock, and they were able to find things so much faster in the morning and after school!"

"I am constantly categorizing everything now, and I love it! It has become second nature to group like-items when putting them away."

All of those feelings and still not a penny spent.

I know that you will want to just be done, believe me, I get it. I am ridiculously impatient and I also thrive when everything is in order and tidy and another box is checked off of my list. But rushing to purchase storage can be costly and problematic down the road. And we found that as close as we were with this kitchen to getting most things right, as they continued to use it, a few things wiggled and shifted and new ideas were born.


S T E P  S E V E N

As you live with the changes, begin making a list of the types of storage that would take things to the next level. What would make the new setup even easier? Stacking open face containers? Filing bins? Lid organizers and drawer dividers? There are some cabinets and drawers that we didn't add any new storage to because the simple act of cleaning things up and categorizing was enough. But sometimes storage can be crucial in protecting your items (think a knife block for sharp blades), and make your life easier (think a food storage container lid organizer for preventing jumbled messes). Clear canisters are a great way to give yourself visual inventory and may even be space saving and provide longer shelf life for your ingredients. Simple baskets corral smaller items and prevent them from falling off of shelves or out of the cabinet when the door is opened.

As you are taking note of the specific items that you would like to source, also take a plethora of measurements. We measured every single cabinet and drawer in this space, and referenced those notes multiple times over the course of the project. Remember to consider any obstructions such as hinges and drawer handle hardware screws, even the smallest things can impact final dimensions and fit.

Lastly, shop around! We found the majority of the items we wanted at The Container Store, but there were times when we found a better fit or price at HomeGoods, IKEA, Target, Amazon, etc... We even made some of our own dividers when we couldn't track down any with the exact measurements we needed. Don't settle until you find exactly what it is you are looking for. The best part is that most stores provide very specific measurements right online, which can reduce errand running and error making.


S T E P  E I G H T

Line and dine. Yeah, baby.

Are lined cabinets and drawers an absolute must? No. But, a good shelf liner really does make a difference in protecting your cabinet and drawer surfaces. It is easy to clean and also adds some motivation to keep your drawers tidy enough to see it. We added a thick, striped vinyl liner to all of the drawers and cabinets, and we also lined the backs of all of the upper cabinets with black poster board from the dollar store. That was purely cosmetic, but it added a little wow and blended her newly organized cabinets in with the remainder of the gray, black and white kitchen. A couple of the drawers had some loose items that we wanted to stay put, and we found a grip/no slip liner to be ideal for holding glass food storage containers and a couple of loose filing bins in place when the drawers are opened and closed.


S T E P  N I N E

Fall in love with labels! You know I am already in love with labels, but now it's time to make them work some final magic in your newly organized space. No need to label your dog or kitchen sink scrubber, but labeling does have a lot of added benefits. Most importantly, it allows you to differentiate specific food types (gluten-free flour from regular flour). It also keeps your entire clan on the same page. It's easy to understand how things fall apart quickly when no one understands the new system or knows where things should be put back.

For this project, I tried out a new mobile friendly label maker. It allowed me to create labels through an app on my phone and Bluetooth print them for areas around the kitchen. I kept everything simple and basic, but I am excited to explore more of the functions of my new labeling tool and then share it with you. And yes to clear label tape! Such a clean look!


S T E P  T E N

Enjoy! Kick back and celebrate the space with a glass of wine, or have a party with your favorite friends and family. You earned it!




A few final tips for tackling a space of this magnitude:

Work with a friend or a partner. You don't have to do these projects alone (unless you want to). Working with someone makes the overwhelming seem doable and even fun. We listened to music, laughed, sang, celebrated, shopped and bonded over this project. There are parts of organizing that can feel mundane and monotonous, but when you have someone to chat with and sing with, it doesn't feel like such a chore.


Be gentle on yourself. Organizing is a process. It takes time. It is ongoing and evolves. There is no right or wrong way to get there. And trial and error is the key! Be open to learning and just know that even the pros don't always get it right the first time. And never feel bad about your "befores" or how you got there, just be proud that you are doing something about it.


Find your motivation, whether it be Instagram, Pinterest, blogs, magazines, catalogs, store displays, etc... Look for ideas that inspire you and excite you to create systems that make your heart pitter patter.


Use your sorting, lining and labeling time to catch up on movies, podcasts, and audible books.


Get your family on board with your goals. If they understand the process, provide input and feedback, and even lend a hand with the sorting, purging, and installation, they will be more invested in wanting to maintain it with you.


Take before and progress photos on your phone and store them in a project folder. This is a great quick reference of where you were, what you still want to achieve, and is extremely helpful as you begin sourcing product.


Play a lot of Tetris as a kid. It really does come in handy someday.


In the words of Sinéad O'Connor, Nothing Compares. You and your space are unique. What works for me may not work for you, and that is OK. Don't forget that everyone has a different set of circumstances, resources, available space, budgets, time, etc...


The end goal should always be to simplify. You want to make your life easier and less stressful and your systems should also be simple enough to match that goal. Set up solutions that work for you and your clan, don't over think things, don't overly decant and label and stack and store. But do pick storage that is helpful and provides you a service.

If you are looking for a great project planner to take notes and schedule your time, you can download one that I created for free here.

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This kitchen received a lot of love over the course of a couple of months. We purged, cleaned, planned, shopped, planned some more, lined, labeled, painted, built, and overhauled almost every single cabinet, drawer, and closet. Everything about this space made me happy and excited and I loved helping someone else create some harmony in the heart of their home. This was so rewarding in every way, but it especially fills me with joy to visit and watch their family navigate the space so naturally, and seeing how easy it has been for them all to maintain.

This post is already bursting at the seams with information, but I still have all of those before and afters and more specific details about how each cabinet and drawer evolved, as well as the products we found to be our workhorses. You can find all of that in this post here.