5 Organizing Essentials
5 Easy Organizing Essentials to Add to Your Kitchen or Pantry
I get lost in the images of gorgeous, Pinterest-worthy pantries all over Instagram. You know the ones - where every bag of chips lives in its own stylish container, perfectly labelled by a calligraphist. If you don't know how to begin getting your home organized, it can be really frustrating!
The internet would have us believe that we must go purchase every product before we can even get started. As a Professional Organizer, I'm here to tell you that you really don't need to buy a ton of stuff to transform your space. On the contrary, I always advise clients to repurpose things they already own - it is less expensive, more creative, and has a smaller environmental impact. There are, however, five key products that I believe will improve every home.
Label Maker
I can't think of a room in my house that doesn't have a label somewhere! Label makers are inexpensive, fun, and make life simpler. Whether you're creating a paper filing system, labeling spice jars, or organizing the inside of a linen closet, you will find that clearly labeled areas cut down the time spent on figuring out where things go. I put silly labels on the inside of our kids' medicine cabinets, or love note labels for my husband to find. This label maker has fun graphics and many layout options, so you don’t need to worry about signing up for that calligraphy class just yet.
Magnetic Knife Strip
The traditional knife block takes up too much valuable countertop space, and you can’t easily find the knife you need. A magnetic knife strip mounted in your kitchen solves both these problems. They also work great in craft rooms and garages!
Drawer Inserts
Whether you’re containing smaller items in a junk drawer, organizing a garage work bench, or corralling your favorite beauty products, drawer inserts are a must-have. I personally love the bamboo inserts, but these acrylic ones are really versatile as well!
Photo Storage Boxes
If you have a handful of printed photographs crammed in a shoe box somewhere, this product is for you. The individual compartments allow you to organize your photos by event (and you can use your new label maker to label them!), so you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for much faster. Bonus tip: these are also fantastic for organizing greeting cards.
Pull Out Drawers
Pull out drawers are a must! Available in every shape and size, these will maximize the usable space in your kitchen and bathroom. The key is that they absolutely need to be mounted to the inside of your cabinets (which is super simple - just four screws and a screwdriver), or they won’t be sturdy enough to be functional. These drawers are my go-to, but SimpleHuman makes a cool version that has a solid drawer as well (helpful for smaller items).