Storage & Organisation
8 Things You’re Storing in the Kitchen That You Don’t Need To Be
Prepare to get your cupboard space back – it’s time to declutter
Say goodbye to the drawer of shame and hello to a neatly organised pantry, shelves and cupboards. This quick ‘declutter list’ will help you reclaim your kitchen.
2. Souvenir mugs
Whether it was an ill-advised holiday souvenir or an ‘ironic’ secret Santa present, the comedy mugs cluttering up the back of the cupboard have to go.
Keep your favourites – displayed nicely – and send the rest with their comedy slogans off to the nearest charity shop.
You’ll probably get more pleasure out of a tiny collection of beautifully made mugs you use every day, like these in a design by Sustainable Kitchens, than from a plethora of garish ones you feel you can’t throw away, but have no intention of ever using. Not convinced? Just let this display inspire that declutter.
Whether it was an ill-advised holiday souvenir or an ‘ironic’ secret Santa present, the comedy mugs cluttering up the back of the cupboard have to go.
Keep your favourites – displayed nicely – and send the rest with their comedy slogans off to the nearest charity shop.
You’ll probably get more pleasure out of a tiny collection of beautifully made mugs you use every day, like these in a design by Sustainable Kitchens, than from a plethora of garish ones you feel you can’t throw away, but have no intention of ever using. Not convinced? Just let this display inspire that declutter.
3. Old or ‘best’ crockery
Do you have cupboards jammed with mismatched plates and bowls, collected over several years and slowly gathering dust?
There are two options here. Either you admit you’re an inveterate collector and display that collection of floral china saucers or glazed earthenware mugs loud and proud where you can see, and enjoy, them every day.
Alternatively, you admit your collection has got a bit out of hand, have a good sort through, keep your favourite set of crockery and donate the remaining pieces to a charity shop, where someone else will get use and enjoyment from them.
In this kitchen with open shelves designed by Flower Michelin, crockery on display looks casual and well used, yet pleasingly ties in with the colours of the artwork nearby.
On a side note, if you’re holding onto them just in case you need to throw a sit-down dinner party for 100 people at some point in your life, set yourself free from that worry.
Reclaim the cupboard, enjoy the extra space it will afford you and, when you do need to throw that once-in-a-lifetime dinner party, just rent a set of plates for the evening.
Keen to revamp your kitchen space? Find a kitchen designer in your area.
Do you have cupboards jammed with mismatched plates and bowls, collected over several years and slowly gathering dust?
There are two options here. Either you admit you’re an inveterate collector and display that collection of floral china saucers or glazed earthenware mugs loud and proud where you can see, and enjoy, them every day.
Alternatively, you admit your collection has got a bit out of hand, have a good sort through, keep your favourite set of crockery and donate the remaining pieces to a charity shop, where someone else will get use and enjoyment from them.
In this kitchen with open shelves designed by Flower Michelin, crockery on display looks casual and well used, yet pleasingly ties in with the colours of the artwork nearby.
On a side note, if you’re holding onto them just in case you need to throw a sit-down dinner party for 100 people at some point in your life, set yourself free from that worry.
Reclaim the cupboard, enjoy the extra space it will afford you and, when you do need to throw that once-in-a-lifetime dinner party, just rent a set of plates for the evening.
Keen to revamp your kitchen space? Find a kitchen designer in your area.
4. Duplicate spices
It’s so easy to hesitate in the spice aisle when doing a weekly food shop and think, “Have I got any ginger/cinnamon/turmeric in the cupboard?” – only to get home and find that, yes, you did have the aforementioned spice in your cupboard, in duplicate. And now you have it in triplicate.
Bringing all your spices to the front of a cupboard and doing a frequent audit can help with this and prevent you storing three times the number of tiny jars you need to, cutting down on waste as well as clutter.
Of course, a beautifully made pantry cupboard with bespoke storage for spices and more, like this one by The Secret Drawer, would also be quite motivating.
It’s so easy to hesitate in the spice aisle when doing a weekly food shop and think, “Have I got any ginger/cinnamon/turmeric in the cupboard?” – only to get home and find that, yes, you did have the aforementioned spice in your cupboard, in duplicate. And now you have it in triplicate.
Bringing all your spices to the front of a cupboard and doing a frequent audit can help with this and prevent you storing three times the number of tiny jars you need to, cutting down on waste as well as clutter.
Of course, a beautifully made pantry cupboard with bespoke storage for spices and more, like this one by The Secret Drawer, would also be quite motivating.
5. Shabby tea towels
If you have a cupboard or shelf heaving with an array of tea towels that are past their prime, it’s time to do an audit. Let this pristine display by Sara Ray Interior Design get you in the mood. Neatly fold and store a set of your newest and freshest towels, and relegate the old and tatty ones to the scrapheap.
By that I mean turn them into scraps that can be used as floor cloths or rags for heavy-duty cleaning to give them a second life. A small box of these ‘rags’ in the garage or shed is usually very useful.
If you have a cupboard or shelf heaving with an array of tea towels that are past their prime, it’s time to do an audit. Let this pristine display by Sara Ray Interior Design get you in the mood. Neatly fold and store a set of your newest and freshest towels, and relegate the old and tatty ones to the scrapheap.
By that I mean turn them into scraps that can be used as floor cloths or rags for heavy-duty cleaning to give them a second life. A small box of these ‘rags’ in the garage or shed is usually very useful.
6. Multiple sets of cutlery
Perhaps you merged households and each brought a set of cutlery to the table, or maybe you have an ‘everyday’ set and a ‘best’ set that are both crammed into a now-overflowing cutlery drawer. If so, be inspired by this dreamy drawer in a Finch London kitchen project.
There are only so many knives and forks one family needs, even when you take into account extra guests, so if your cutlery drawer is fit to burst, do an audit, keep one full set, and donate the rest.
Perhaps you merged households and each brought a set of cutlery to the table, or maybe you have an ‘everyday’ set and a ‘best’ set that are both crammed into a now-overflowing cutlery drawer. If so, be inspired by this dreamy drawer in a Finch London kitchen project.
There are only so many knives and forks one family needs, even when you take into account extra guests, so if your cutlery drawer is fit to burst, do an audit, keep one full set, and donate the rest.
7. Out-of-date tinned food
Storing out-of-date food in the back of a cupboard is clearly a total waste of space, so have a good clear-out every few months and set aside any tins that are past their prime.
Empty out the contents, resolve not to do it again, then, if they’re nice tins like these, give them a second life as herb containers or succulent pots.
Any tins or jars of herbs or marinades that are still in date but you’ve never used can be cleared out, too. Gift them to a friend who might be able to do something with them, rather than hanging onto them yourself ‘just in case’.
More: How to Declutter Your Home and Keep it Tidy
Storing out-of-date food in the back of a cupboard is clearly a total waste of space, so have a good clear-out every few months and set aside any tins that are past their prime.
Empty out the contents, resolve not to do it again, then, if they’re nice tins like these, give them a second life as herb containers or succulent pots.
Any tins or jars of herbs or marinades that are still in date but you’ve never used can be cleared out, too. Gift them to a friend who might be able to do something with them, rather than hanging onto them yourself ‘just in case’.
More: How to Declutter Your Home and Keep it Tidy
8. Dozens of utensils
How many wooden spoons, ladles and drainers does one kitchen need? Probably one, maybe two of each item at most. What you don’t need is a drawer of shame bulging with a jumble of utensils that will probably spend 99% of their life dusty and unused.
Clear out your extras and just keep a small, edited collection and I bet you’ll claw back a lot of valuable drawer space.
Tell us…
How have you made extra cupboard space in your kitchen? Share your tips in the Comments.
How many wooden spoons, ladles and drainers does one kitchen need? Probably one, maybe two of each item at most. What you don’t need is a drawer of shame bulging with a jumble of utensils that will probably spend 99% of their life dusty and unused.
Clear out your extras and just keep a small, edited collection and I bet you’ll claw back a lot of valuable drawer space.
Tell us…
How have you made extra cupboard space in your kitchen? Share your tips in the Comments.
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How many times have you actually used that large, cupboard-hogging bread-maker?
If you use it every day and it’s changed your life, perhaps like the owners of this picture-perfect pantry created by Extreme Design, you get a gold star. If it’s languishing at the back of your cupboard like a quiet reproach, because you find it easier to pick up a loaf of sourdough at your local food shop – and life’s too short to buy your own yeast – then it needs to go.
Used electrical items can be hard to donate to charity, as a lot of places won’t accept them (though some do, so it’s worth checking), so rather than risk it ending up in landfill, gift it to a friend who you know will use it instead.
They can make you the occasional loaf of homemade bread as a thank you, and you can revel in the expanse of shiny, uncluttered worktop you now have.