The kitchen is the heart of the home. It isn’t just where we cook, but also where we gather, where plans are made and days reviewed. They’re a family landing space, and as a high-traffic room, they easily get overwhelmed with clutter. Here are seven easy tips from Alair Homes Saskatoon to help bring order to the chaos.

Remove what doesn’t belong

The kitchen can collect numerous objects that don’t belong there. Laundry baskets, sports equipment, and all sorts of other things have a habit of landing in the kitchen. Create a new rule in your family that things that don’t belong in the kitchen stay out.

Create a household command center

Now that all the non-essentials have been placed elsewhere, it’s time to consider the small handful of things that do make sense there. The family calendar, mail, bills to be paid, chargers for phones and other small items can make everyone’s lives easier if they know right where to find them. Set up a small desk area with smart organizational tools to help keep these necessary evils in check. This is a great way to add a little interior design that is also functional.

Evaluate your tools

Do you really need more than three whisks? How about that electrical chopping contraption that you’ve used only twice since you bought it years ago? Gadgets seem to multiply out of control. Go through your drawers and evaluate each tool. If you haven’t used it in a year or more, there’s probably a thrift store patron looking for your barely used strawberry huller.

Maximize your storage

Now that you’ve gotten rid of everything you don’t need, take a look at the under-used spaces. Is there a specialized storage system that might make that odd corner more usable? Can you hide a narrow cabinet or drawer in that awkward space between the cabinet and the oven? Every kitchen has underutilized spaces in it that can be converted to storage space with a little imagination and some good interior design. This is where custom cabinetry really pays off. Spending a little extra money on purpose built cabinets can add tons of usefulness to your space.

Put it away

One of the biggest causes of clutter is stuff that doesn’t have a home to begin with. Designate spaces for your tools. If you know the tool you’re using has a place to go back to, you’ll be more likely to put it there. Drawer dividers with compartments for each tool can be a lifesaver. To keep your counters clear, dedicate some of your closed storage to some of your small appliances.

Help your cabinets fulfill their potential

Drawers, a lazy Susan, racks, and hooks can give a lot of usefulness to cabinets, particularly ones that are awkward and maybe too deep to be really useful. Consider carefully what you plan to store in each space and keep an eye out for storage solutions to maximize that space.

Work with the space you have

We’d all love to have spacious counters and bottomless drawers. Sadly, many kitchens fall short of the TV make-over show perfection we like to dream about. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use some of their tricks. If you lack drawer space, use your tools, pots, and dishware as your decorations. Smart shelves and hooks mounted to the wall can display your daily necessities, and buying tools and dishes with the intent of having them go together visually can create very modern, chic decor that’s also extremely useful. Keep everything else neutral and you’ll be able to use your tools and dishes as pops of color that you can change whenever you like.