How can I organize this area?

JuGi
by JuGi
  12 answers
  • Janice Janice on Oct 19, 2019

    Hi Lugi, try removing everything, sort and place like things with like things. Items that will fit into the baskets you already have can be organized like to like. Place all appliances together on shelves in one area. As you sort, there's likely many items that could go elsewhere in your home where like things are stored. Sometimes the biggest hurdle is to just start. Turn on some music you love and just sort!

  • Deanna Nassar Deanna Nassar on Oct 19, 2019

    First is there anything there you don't use? Toss it. Same with anything that has gone over it's use by date. Is this all stuff that belongs to that room? Relocate anything you can. The baskets are a good idea for small stuff. Maybe some of the smallest cabinet can be relocated to baskets. Seldom used can go in totes and labeled so you can locate easily.(list each item in tote) Maybe even replace small cabinets with a larger storage unit. With doors if possible.

    I moved to a new apartment and they plan renovations next year. Most of my stuff is still in boxes, bins, totes. Luckily I have a large store room to hold most of it. Going through all that when it's finished will be like Christmas(seeing things I forgot about.

  • Rymea Rymea on Oct 19, 2019

    I think the most irritating thing is the wall plug so I would move the bakers rack to the left side, to camouflage the plug somewhat. Then place the small light colored unit in the middle and the other brown shelf to the right. Janice has some good organizing suggestions.

  • Heather Durand Heather Durand on Oct 19, 2019

    Maybe put the light coloured cabinet on top of the dark shelves to balance with the bakers rack

  • Robyn Garner Robyn Garner on Oct 19, 2019

    Besides the organizing hints here, painting everything the same color will go a long way to making things look cohesive. Don't crowd all the items together, rather lay them out just like you would furniture. You can hang framed art over the electric box so it's camouflaged but there is access. Replace the shelves with things that have doors as you find them.

  • Mindshift Mindshift on Oct 19, 2019

    I would replace all of these cabinets with one tall open kitchen storage rack. Something like this: https://secure.img1-ag.wfcdn.com/im/00507248/resize-h500-w500%5Ecompr-r85/5360/53605705/72%2522+H+x+42%2522+W+Shelving+Unit.jpg These are often available in stainless, white or black finishes to match your major appliances.

    Your current collection of cabinets is already full and will never look coherent. Even if you stain the lightest cabinet to match the darker ones, none of the cabinets match in depth or style. Move the baker's rack somewhere it can show off, and retire the other pieces.

  • Leslie Hultman Hollowed Leslie Hultman Hollowed on Oct 19, 2019

    Clear everything off the shelves. Get rid of anything you don’t need or want. Move the baker’s rack to the left side, where you have the most wall space and it will hide the plugs. Get a power strip (in black, if you can), plug that in, and let the strip sit along the back of the main wood shelf of the baker’s rack.. Get black paint (spray paint might be easiest), and paint the other two shelving units black, to create a visual unity between the three pieces. That will help reduce the sense of clutter. Put the small piece to the right of the baker’s rack, and then the wider two-shelf unit to the right of that. Hang the artwork in the open wall space to the right of the rack, with the vase pix on the left of the grouping, the flower to the right of that but even with the top of the vase pix, and add another small photo or item below the flower. A cute round piece, like a trivet or mirror, especially that would pick up the color blue from the vases in the other pix, would be great. See if you can get a small inexpensive lamp, again in the blue or in yellow, that fits on the top shelf of the baker’s rack and plug in on the power strip. Finally, get baskets all in the same color, that properly fit the shelves, again in the blue, or black, to help organize the small stuff. If you are going to shop for new baskets or containers, MEASURE the shelving units—length, depth, and height, BEFORE you shop, and know how many you need. If you want to keep the green baskets you have, then buy the new art piece for the wall, or the little lamp, in that green, instead of the blue, to tie the colors together. Now, use the baker’s rack to hold all the plug-in appliances, any larger storage pieces or things like bowls, etc. Use the other two units for the baskets and storage of smaller things. Put like things in each basket, so it makes it easy to find things—one basket for condiments, one for soups, one for spices, etc. Use the top of the two units for things you need to access more often, or that are too tall to fit on the lower shelves. Place the little step trash can tucked to the left of the baker’s rack. If you want to at some point, look for a larger art piece, one of the frameless canvas ones, that can hang over the top of the electrical box door and hide it. You can attach it with the Command Velcro strips, so it is easy to remove to access the box. Good luck, and have fun! Wish I could be there to do it with you!

  • Barb Barb on Oct 19, 2019

    You can get rid of the light brown one with good organization. It looks like the light brown piece has can goods in it. First pick up a piece of wood from lumber store to make support brackets. Measure the depth of dark brown shelf it might be 10 inches and get a 1x10 cut it the height of the shelves (Home Depot will cut the wood the size for you) and spray paint black or brown. Clear off dark brown shelf and put in the support brackets in the center of shelves. Without those supports the shelves will sag with any weight on them. I would put can goods on middle shelf. I have seen can goods stored sideways in a metal magazine rack which was cool they roll out of the magazine rack at a time. But you can stack can goods on top of each other and get a lot in one area.

    It looks like the counter like shelf on bakers rack has spices on it. You can put them at the very top shelf. That rack appears to have a basket like shelf at the top. You can get a 1x6 and paint it black and drill 2 holes on each side of the metal shelf and screw it in and have a bigger shelf. Put all your spices up there. You can move the bakers rack to under the outlet area a put your coffee pot on the rack along with the other appliance or put appliance on bottom of brown shelf. Animal food container can be on the top or side of brown shelf. Basket bottom shelf or middle of top. Pictures take and cover electric box arrange and add a few. Green baskets really stand out if you do add the shelf supports or shelf atop bakers rack you can use the black paint and paint the baskets if you are still going to you them. Sry so detailed.

  • 516maria 516maria on Oct 20, 2019

    Hi... definitely more bins. All the same size if at all possible. The shoe size clear ones are great plus they stack on top of each other. They are inexpensive. Not sure what room this is in but when I want to hide open shelves I get a small expansion rod and a solid color curtain and put it up. By the top of the shelf . This also is inexpensive and not permanent. If you have doubles of things you don’t use, get rid of them. I just purged a bunch of duplicate items after a move and I definitely feel better. Good luck!

  • Barb Barb on Oct 21, 2019

    I would love to see what you decided to do!

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Aug 22, 2021

    Hi there, If you don't want any expense, just change the cabinets about. Swop the dark wood shelves to the end nearest the dark wood door and the pine unit under the wine jug picture. You will need to re-locate the sunflower picture either under the wine jugs or at the other end. Move the central unit up nearer the pictures.

  • Chas' Crazy Creations Chas' Crazy Creations on Oct 01, 2022

    I have several organizing posts that might help you https://chascrazycreations.com/diys/how-tos/organizing/