Knowing how to organize kitchen cabinets begins with understanding how you use your kitchen. A well-organized kitchen keeps everyday essentials within reach, makes thoughtful use of available storage, and gives everything a designated place.
These steps are guided by Maison Ma’s bespoke approach to home organization. You’ll be able to create a functional and considered kitchen that flows with your everyday life.
1. Begin with a clear view of your kitchen cabinets
The first step in organizing your kitchen cabinets is to fully understand what is inside them. You want a clear view of what you own, how much storage space you have, and which items belong together.
If you have enough room, empty your cabinets and lay everything out on a clean countertop or table. If you need to, a clean rug or blanket laid on the floor can work as well. Then, group similar items together: plates with plates, pots with pans, and baking supplies with baking supplies.
If space is limited, work through one category at a time instead. For example, gather all your food storage containers from wherever they’re currently kept, organize that category, then move on to cookware, dishes, or pantry goods.
The goal at this stage is to see what you have before deciding what to keep and where to store it.
2. Decide what to keep, donate, or discard
With everything grouped into categories, it’s time to assess what you have and what you use.
Start by checking for expired pantry items, damaged cookware, and anything that’s no longer suitable to keep. Then, consider duplicates and belongings you rarely use.
| Category | What to consider |
| Dishes and glassware | Check for chips, cracks, and incomplete sets. Consider how many place settings you regularly need, including when entertaining. |
| Pots and pans | Assess their condition, how frequently you use them, and whether you have several pieces that serve the same purpose. |
| Cooking utensils | Look for duplicates, damaged tools, and utensils you rarely reach for. |
| Food storage containers | Match containers with their lids. Set aside damaged pieces and consider whether you need every size and shape. |
| Appliances | Consider how often you use each appliance and whether it serves a purpose that another appliance already fulfils. |
| Pantry items | Check expiry dates, identify duplicate ingredients, and set aside anything that’s no longer safe to consume. Consider whether you will use each item in the near future. |
Items in good condition can be donated. Anything else can be recycles or disposed of.
Remember to account for items you use less frequently but still need, such as holiday serving dishes or specialty cookware. These can be stored separately from your everyday essentials when you begin arranging your cabinets.
3. Clean your kitchen cabinets
With your cabinets empty, take the opportunity to give them a thorough cleaning before putting anything back.
Wipe down the shelves, interior walls, and doors with a cleaning solution suitable for your cabinet materials. Pay particular attention to corners, shelf edges, and areas where crumbs, dust, or grease may have accumulated.
For removable shelves or drawer inserts, take them out if possible to clean the surfaces underneath.
As you clean, take note of any awkward or underused spaces. Deep cabinets, high shelves, and difficult-to-reach corners are worth keeping in mind as you plan where your belongings will go.
4. How to organize kitchen cabinets around your daily routine
Consider how you move through your kitchen. Grouping items around activities will help your home flow with how you live. Where you prepare meals, cook, or make your morning coffee should dictate where the related items are stored.
| Area of the kitchen | What to store nearby |
| Near the stove | Pots, pans, cooking utensils, oils, frequently used seasonings. |
| Near the main countertop or prep area | Cutting boards, mixing bowls, measuring cups, food storage containers. |
| Near the dishwasher or sink | Everyday plates, bowls, glasses, cutlery. |
| Under the sink | Dish soap, sponges, dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies. |
| Near the coffee maker or kettle | Mugs, coffee, tea, filters, other beverage essentials. |
| Pantry or food storage cabinets | Dry goods, canned foods, snacks, baking ingredients. |
Also consider how frequently you use each item and which cabinets are easiest to access.
Upper cabinets are generally well suited to lighter items such as glasses, mugs, dishes, and pantry goods. Keep everyday essentials on shelves within comfortable reach, reserving higher shelves for lighter items you use less frequently.
Lower cabinets are often better suited to heavier cookware, mixing bowls, and small appliances. Place frequently used items toward the front, where they’re easier to retrieve.
If you have items you use only occasionally but need to keep, like holiday dishes or entertaining supplies, store them elsewhere in your home. If you have suitable storage space in a dining room, sideboard, or another cupboard, moving these items out of the kitchen can free up cabinet space for everyday essentials.
5. Arrange items within each cabinet
With a place assigned to each category, consider how to arrange items so they’re easy to see, reach, and put away.
Leave some breathing room between your belongings. At Maison Ma, our philosophy is inspired by the Japanese concept of ma, the intentional space between things. In your kitchen cabinets, this means allowing enough room to comfortably remove and return items. The result is storage that feels considered.
| Kitchen items | How to organize them |
| Plates and bowls | Stack by size and type, keeping everyday dishes within easy reach. Avoid stacking too high, particularly with heavier ceramics. Shelf risers can help separate different types of dishes. |
| Pots and pans | Nest cookware where possible, placing protective liners between pieces to prevent scratching. A cookware rack can keep individual pans accessible. |
| Lids and cutting boards | Store vertically using dividers or a rack so individual pieces can be removed without disturbing the others. |
| Food storage containers | Nest containers of similar shapes and sizes, keeping matching lids together in a separate bin or divider. |
| Pantry goods | Arrange taller jars and containers toward the back and shorter items toward the front so labels remain visible. Group similar ingredients together and keep everyday staples within easy reach. |
| Spices and seasonings | Group frequently used spices near your cooking area, away from direct heat and moisture. A tiered shelf insert or turntable can make smaller jars easier to see. |
Storage organizers can help make better use of your cabinet space. Consider purchasing shelf risers, dividers, pull-out shelves, or other products where they’ll improve accessibility and keep items neatly arranged. At Maison Ma, every home organization service includes complimentary organizational products where needed.
You can adapt your cabinet organization to any kitchen size
The same principles of kitchen cabinet organization apply to kitchens of every size. What changes is how you make use of the storage available.
In a compact kitchen, vertical space can be maximized with shelf risers, stackable containers, and dividers. Prioritize everyday essentials in the most accessible cabinets, and consider storing less frequently used items elsewhere in your home.
In a larger kitchen, additional cabinet space allows you to create more dedicated areas for cooking, food preparation, and storage. Keep related items close to where they’re used, rather than spreading them across the kitchen simply because space is available.
For kitchens with deep or awkward cabinets, pull-out shelves, turntables, and storage bins can help make items easier to see and retrieve.
Whatever the size or layout of your kitchen, the approach remains the same: arrange belongings around your daily routines, make thoughtful use of the space available, and leave enough room for everything to be easily accessed and returned.
For a more considered approach to kitchen organization, Maison Ma offers professional home organization services throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Our team can organize your kitchen cabinets, pantry, or entire home, creating thoughtful systems that suit your space and the way you live.
We also offer regular home management visits for ongoing care. Our team returns to clean your space, put belongings back in their designated places, and maintain your organizational systems. Contact us to learn more.