An organised kitchen is a more efficient and more pleasant place to spend time in. Although it’s the obvious solution to never being able to find the right cooking spoon or dealing with a build-up of old post on the counter, organising your kitchen is not always easy when you need to use it several times a day. However, a few smart tips and a bit of rearranging may be all you need to start running your kitchen like a well-oiled machine.

 Logical layouts

Again, it’s self-explanatory, but a lot of kitchens suffer from poor layouts and illogical placement of tools and equipment. For the best use of your space, think about your normal kitchen habits. Cooking utensils should be within reach of the oven and chopping boards and knives next to the counter where you prepare your meals, whilst mugs and hot drink supplies should be located somewhere near the kettle.

 Smart storage

Continue along similar lines when it comes to your cupboards. Store everyday plates and bowls in an accessible place and put anything that only comes out on special occasions high up or to the back. With perishable items like spices, make sure they’re stored somewhere they won’t be affected by heat or moisture. If you find your cupboards are over-run with messy, split packets, invest in a few uniformly sized containers.

 Get rid of anything you don’t use

Make time for a rigorous de-clutter in the kitchen. Review all your kitchen gadgets; do you really need a rice cooker in the pantry? Do you use your cookie cutters often enough to justify them clogging up the drawer? Anything you use infrequently could be boxed up in other rooms or even given away, if not necessary.

 Create smart systems

With everything that’s left behind after your clear out, create a new system that will ensure things stay tidy. This is particularly effective where paperwork is concerned. Letters and other post often collect in the kitchen, so a good approach is to either designate another area like a telephone table in the hall, or put a letter organiser in place so that the kitchen doesn’t get overtaken by paper.

 Wall space

One of the best ways to squeeze more storage out of a small kitchen is to take advantage of the walls and hang equipment up. Save your drawers for something else and put up hooks for your oven gloves, tea towels and cloths. Alternatively, clear out that awkward pan cupboard and hang them in a neat row near the stove.

The good news is that once you’ve properly tackled the organisation of your kitchen, maintaining it will get easier every time. It does sometimes take time to figure out the most efficient system, so even if you have to try out a few different methods, think of it as a work in progress and you won’t feel overwhelmed.

Saffron Kilby writes for a number of home improvement blogs and uses sites like addis.co.uk to review the best storage solutions and food containers available online.