If your kitchen is anything like mine then it’s probably one of the hardest working rooms in the house. All of us, including the dog, are in and out of there all day long. Making meals for now or later, eating, cleaning, working, entertaining, … It seems like most of family life happens in the kitchen. And of course the party always ends up in the kitchen too. So the trick is to keep it tidy and put away, but also to have the stuff you use be easily accessible.
coffee station with repurposed storage containers
Enter Hometalk, where you can find tons of ideas to solve your home and garden frustrations. I’ve posted two articles there about repurposing household items to help keep the kitchen organized. This one about corralling everything you need for your morning coffee in a deep sea grass basket beside your coffeemaker. And this one about organizing all your toast-making supplies onto a pretty vintage tray right near your breadbasket. (See them at the top all decked out for Christmas.)
toaster station on a vintage tray with a mason jar
So Hometalk asked if I would round up a collection of more ideas for other repurposed and upcycled ways to help organize your hardworking kitchen. (I also did a roundup last year for Handmade Gifts.) Here’s a sample of all the clever and good-looking solutions I found, and you can see more on the board I created over at Hometalk too.
* pin me *
Generally I found people’s solutions fell into four different categories, and maybe you’ll relate to one or all of them. Either because you’re looking for solutions too, or because it’s something you’ve already tackled successfully. Let me know in the comments…I’d love to hear!
Islands:
In most kitchens having one more surface space with storage underneath (besides your main counter) makes all the difference. That extra bit of seating and/or functionality is worth the floor space it takes up, right? Apparently you can make an island out of lots of furniture that didn’t start out as an island. I found a desk, a sofa table, a bathroom vanity, a coffee table and a washstand… each reinvented as a kitchen island. So clever! I love this upcycled IKEA kitchen cart from Oliver & Rust, something right up my alley!
Ikea upcycle
Spices:
And then, spices. I think this is a common one to struggle with. You need to buy them in multiple types of packaging, some you use a lot of, some only rarely, some only keep for a short time. Personally my spices are all in one drawer (well except the salt and pepper which sit out on the counter…eek) but that drawer is one hot mess, I won’t deny it. I loved what El’s Journey built with clear jars and a bath accessories stand.
pretty and organized spices
Beverage Stations:
Next up I found people with creative ways to organize their coffee (like I did above), tea and hot chocolate. Hmmm, I guess we take our hot drinks seriously in blogland. How fun is this complete hot drinks station from Funky Junk Interiors, built from vintage and repurposed materials?
repurposed & upcycled hot drinks station
Vintage Storage:
And finally I found all kinds of vintage items being repurposed as kitchen storage: crates, doors, shutters, and ladders…just to name a few. This rustic utensil caddy from Yesterday on Tuesday looks so charming, and would be great for carrying cutlery out to the back deck in summer!
with mason jars * yay!
So if you’re struggling to get access to your morning coffee, or a small island would ease your kitchen space, or your spices are a hot mess like mine…head on over to Hometalk to see what else I rounded up for kitchen organizing solutions. You might be surprised at what you can repurpose, even from your own home. Or maybe something just needs a lick of paint or new hardware to make it charming and useful. Be inspired!
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