Your kitchen is the heart of your home, which means it is the most loved and most visited room. And that makes it the most crowded room as well – which immediately leads you to the task of maximizing kitchen organization and storage space in order to make it seem “less crowded.”

Especially if you have a small kitchen, but for any kitchen really, you have to focus on saving space. Not only is your kitchen crowded with (often hungry and impatient) people but also with a host of utensils and food stuff.

To make the tasks of cooking, eating, cleaning, and socializing in your kitchen easier, here are 7 great ways to up your kitchen’s organization to a new levels:

1. Get New Cabinetry

If you don’t have enough cabinets in your kitchen, or if the old ones are too small or poorly laid out, it may be time for an upgrade. But it doesn’t have to cost a fortune: follow this link to find the best online cabinets (rta kitchen cabinets) that combine quality, affordability, and ease of assembly.

2. Don’t Neglect Vertical Space

Don’t leave useless empty space in your kitchen. Free space at ground level is there so you won’t feel cramped, but unused space along your walls is just “waste.” Vertical cabinets that reach from floor to ceiling are one solution. Another is using hooks and wall racks to hold items like oven mitts, measuring cups, or pots/pans.

3. Use “Stacker Shelves”

To better utilize the empty upper space inside of kitchen cabinets or in the pantry, stacker shelves are a huge blessing. These are small wire shelves that stand up on stilt-like legs, allowing use of space both on them and under them. They promote organization, save space, and make it easy to grab what you need fast without having to first move something else.

4. Opt for Drawers & Dividers

Extremely lower and upper-level cabinets may be better off with traditional doors, but at areas within easy reach from floor level, drawers are usually more convenient. It will save your back and, if you add handy drawer dividers in your drawers, reduce stress as you no longer have to fumble through a jumble of mixed up miscellaneous utensils to find what you’re looking for!

5. Invest in a Pantry

Your pantry may be a walk-in or simply a system of well-organized shelves laid flat up against your kitchen wall, but you have to have one. Don’t think you’ll just put all the food in the cabinets, because then you’ll crowd out that space – where your kitchen wares need to be. Even if you need to renovate the kitchen to add a pantry, it’s crucial and well worthwhile.

6. Organize Strategically

Once you have your storage space and organizers in place, you need to use them strategically. Group like things together for easy finding: cups, plates, bowls, silverware, cooking utensils, seasonal china, etc., should all be grouped logically. Then, use strategic positioning: cooking utensils by the stove, glassware near the refrigerator, mugs near the coffee station, and plastic ware and lids in the same location!

7. Use Lazy Susans

Don’t dismiss them as “old-fashioned:” Lazy Susans (turnarounds) are perfect space, time, and effort-savers. For spices, oils, vitamins, medicines, and more, they keep things from “hiding” out of view. Use them in your cabinets and pantry, on your kitchen table, and even inside your refrigerator, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start doing that years ago.

Taking steps to maximize storage space and then properly organize it for optimal use, will make your kitchen more functional, more enjoyable, and can be done at an affordable price. These 7 ideas should be enough to get you started, but there are dozens more! What is your best storage or organizing tip in the kitchen? Please share it with us below!