Few areas create greater stress at home more than a messy, disorganized kitchen. How many times have you seen that spectacle play out when you’re dining at someone else’s house, where everyone’s running around like headless chickens? The good news is, you don’t fall down the same rabbit hole — whether you hire a contractor like Alair Homes Georgian Bay to help, or opt for the DIY approach. Here a few common sense steps to keep in mind.

Clear The Clutter

Creating an organized system starts with a simple idea: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Focus interior design efforts around three basic work areas for cooking, food preparation, and washing. First, get everything out of your cabinets. Ask if you’ve used that particular item lately. Be brutally honest. If your answer is no, store that under-appreciated item in a less-used area, give it away, or toss it out. Place items you keep in one of your newly designated storage areas. Buy specialty items like wire baskets, if necessary, to create extra space and depth for canned goods, differently-sized dishes or accessories.

Dedicate A Workspace

Once you’ve figured out where everything will go, consider setting aside space for an office area. Don’t feel you need to get too fancy. For most households, sticking a chair near a flat surface with lots of storage space, like a counter top, will be enough to convey that the message that is your work space for day-to-day tasks like paying bills, or writing notes.

Designate Specific Areas

For maximum efficiency, Lowes.com recommends following the “kitchen work triangle” to connect your three designated work areas. The distance between those areas should be no less than 4 feet, and no larger than 9 feet. Keep a maximum of 26 feet for all the sides of your triangle. However, you can make an exception if you expect two people to work in the kitchen. In that case, allow more than 4 feet between your new work spaces.

To further maximize convenience and efficiency, place basic ingredients, plus bowls, measuring cups and mixing equipment within easy reach. Follow the same approach for pots and pans, so you aren’t constantly reaching for them during the cooking process. This kind of functional interior design approach, in turn, will minimize similar waste and inefficiency when it’s time to cook. The less running around you do, the better off you’ll feel.

Keep Spaces Well-Lit

Don’t overlook the importance of good lighting in your organizational makeover. Although it’s all well and good to focus on natural lighting, consider installing some under-cabinet lights, or LED light strips inside cabinets and drawers, so you can find what you need quickly, without having to rummage around for it. You’ll appreciate the foresight of taking such a step, especially if you decide to cook at night.

Think Outside The Cabinet

Always keep creative approaches in mind, especially when storing trickier items, like small appliances, for example. In other words, don’t just expect to throw everything into cabinets or drawers, and call it a day, like everyone else does. For example, set aside a wall area to hang utensils from hooks, to free up more work space.

Floating shelves and baskets work equally well, too, but don’t stop there. Consider investing in an appliance garage, or a storage cabinet with roll-up fronts, to keep bulkier appliances or utensils off your counter tops. While you’re at it, think about a central pullout drawer for compost, garbage and recycling, to further streamline your cooking efforts.