I'm so thrilled to be revisiting the organizing project we did for Michelle Money, my favorite Bachelor contestant, in March. She was so fun to work with and it was such a great project. We did her entire pantry and kitchen in one day with a huge team and I love how it turned out! Let's start with my favorite part of any kitchen... the SPICE DRAWER.
Spice Drawer Organization
I was so impressed with the attempts Michelle had made around her kitchen at organization. She had some great products, she just needed more consistency in her containers and more of a system. Spice drawers are so fun to transform because the result is so dramatic!
We used my favorite set of spice jars, decanted all the spices, and used the labels that come with the set. For the few spices she had that we didn't have labels for, we used my favorite cube labeler and made some to match. And don't forget that these measuring spoons fit perfectly into these jars if your current ones are too big.
Using this acrylic spice shelf and alphabetizing the spices will make this system easy to maintain and really gives this whole drawer and seamless look.
Tea Drawer Organization
It is so common for a tea drawer to look like this. The different size boxes for different brands can be hard to keep orderly. And then it can be hard to locate that tea you're craving at any given moment, and no one wants that!
I love this tea organizer by mDesign. By getting rid of the boxes and putting the individual bags in this separated container, we saved so much space. Now the tea drinkers in this family will be able to find exactly the tea they're wanting.
Protein Powder and Supplement Organization
Protein powders and supplements were found in a few different locations in the kitchen, like this drawer. This is one reason why we pull EVERYTHING out and group like things together before putting anything back in space.
Michelle was so great to go through every item and get rid of anything that was expired or wasn't being used. We used bamboo drawer dividers and acrylic bins to keep this drawer orderly and it's so much better!
Food Wrapping Organization
Every kitchen needs a drawer for plastic bags, wraps, and foil. With the right containers and placement, we were able to consolidate everything into one functional drawer. I love decanting plastic bags into these containers so they're easy to grab and you're not messing with packaging. Plus, it looks great, too.
Silverware Drawer Organization
When all of Michelle's serving utensils had been gathered, we knew they needed a drawer of their own. That freed up some room for us to use this expandable bamboo silverware tray so that her silverware could fit more comfortably. Do you store your silverware on its side like this? It saves room and looks so nice.
And these acrylic drawer organizers from the Container Store were perfect for her serving utensils:
Small Appliance Organization
Michelle had a lot of storage up high in her kitchen, high enough that no one could reach it without a step stool. We had Michelle show us some things that she knew she wanted to keep but didn't get to often, and we stuck them in these hard-to-reach places.
One of my favorite things to do when storing small appliances, like this juicer, is to keep the parts that go with the appliance right next to it in an acrylic bin. Then everything is contained and you can just pull the whole bin down to your counter and have everything you need when you're using that appliance.
Water Bottle Organization
Water bottles can be a frustrating thing to know how to store. Clients often put them in a drawer standing up, with lids attached, with the intention of keeping it tidy. But the bottles will inevitably tip over, and before you know it, you're digging through a mess to find what you want.
Moving Michelle's water bottles from a drawer to a cupboard and containing them with this water bottle organizer plus these deep 16-inch acrylic bins was the answer to all her water bottle frustrations. The family can now see what they have and will be able to easily locate what they want.
Baking Supply Organization
We love to corral baking supplies together, and these next two drawers gave us the opportunity to do just that.
Drawer dividers help things stay where you want them and small things like measuring spoons always do better when contained in my favorite acrylic drawer organizer trays. Don't forget to put some museum gel on the bottom so they don't slide around when you open and close the drawer.
Containing the hand mixer, sifter, cookie dough scoop, and aprons in these 10-inch acrylics left just the right amount of space for the rolling pins.
Cooking Utensil Organization
A simple swap from these drawer organizers that didn't maximize the space to these expandable drawer dividers really helped us transform this drawer of large cooking utensils.
This in-drawer bamboo knife block is a much safer way to store your knives and also helps to keep them sharp.
Storing like items together, like spatulas and tongs, help you find exactly what you're looking for while you're cooking.
Pot and Pan Organization
The key to organizing pot and pans is figuring out what to do with the lids. In this case, we relocated them to their own drawer and used these lid organizers to keep them upright and orderly.
Bowl Organization
Bowls were found in a few spots in the kitchen. Once we had them all together we could assess what we had and decide on the best spot for them.
Once they were nesting inside each other they fit perfectly in this large drawer. Now whenever this family needs a bowl, they'll only have to go to one spot to find what they're looking for.
Dish Cloth Organization
Look at what a simple expandable drawer divider did for the dishcloths and drying mats. This drawer will stay much tidier this way, and by file folding the dishcloths, Michelle can see exactly what she has.
Oven mitts and trivets were stored next to the stove, with the meat thermometer contained in this bamboo drawer organizer.
The cupboard closest to the back patio was mostly storing placemats. We moved those closer to the table and designated this cupboard for grilling items.
We love using deep acrylic bins so that nothing will get lost in the back. And Michelle came up with the idea for these white on black labels.
Utility Drawer Organization
Almost every family needs a utility drawer (I refuse to call them junk drawers!), but keeping them organized can be a problem...until you use the right product.
These acrylic drawer inserts come in many sizes so you can really customize your space. When everything has an assigned spot, systems are easy to maintain.
Coffee Organization
Because of its proximity to the coffee maker, we knew we wanted this cupboard to hold all the mugs and coffee products. Once again, Michelle was so great to get rid of everything that wasn't being used. We filled these deep 16-inch acrylic bins with mugs and then placed the family's favorite and most used mugs right in front. Everything else they need went on the shelf above.
Under Sink Organization
Under sinks has become one of my favorite spots to organize. Because it holds so many functional items that get used on a daily basis, it really can change your life when it's organized well! We always start by finding containers that work well around the piping and disposal, and it's usually multi-purpose bins from The Container Store.
Craft and Game Organization
Lastly, we organized what we ended up calling "The Aunt Cupboard" and it was so much fun. Michelle is such an amazing Aunt. She has her nieces and nephews over regularly to play games and do crafts, and she wanted a designated spot to keep those things, as well as gifts and wrapping supplies. We didn't get any before pictures of this space, but we loved it so much we still wanted to share the afters! Multi-purpose bins for the win again!
And that's it! It was a big project and we love so much how it turned out. I really can't say enough nice things about Michelle Money. She was so welcoming and kind and fun, and transforming these spaces for her was an absolute delight. Did any of these pictures make you want to tackle a cupboard in your kitchen or your kitchen as a whole? You can do it! Or we can help! Click here to book your free consultation now!
Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.
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