How to reorganize a kitchen, Part 1

Because we recently moved to a house with less kitchen storage space, I had the perfect opportunity to re-think and reorganize how and where I store things in my kitchen. Whether you're downsizing, moving toward a more minimalist lifestyle, or just want a more efficient use of your small kitchen (or large one), you might want to try this approach. If you're doing this without a move forcing you to pack anyway, you might need to set aside an entire day or two -- depending on your stuff and your cabinets -- to disassemble things and put them back in a new, improved storage scheme.

Here's the first step -- and it's pretty easy:

Think and write. Think through what you have and how often you use it. First, off the top of my head and then, walking through my kitchen looking in cabinets, drawers, counter and pantry space (and hall closet, since some of my kitchen storage overflowed there over time), I broke my kitchen tools and equipment down into three four zones:
     Zone 1: Things I use every day or every week. For me, this was things like frying and sauce pans, sheet pans, measuring cups and spoons, knives and cutting boards, some of my spatulas, one set of mixing bowls, the hubby's coffee stuff, spices, and so forth. Also included in this is just enough everyday dishes to work for the two of us between dishwasher runs.
    Zone 2: These are things I pull out a few to several times a year: when we have more than a couple people over for dinner (extra/nicer plates, cloth napkins, bread baskets), or when I'm making something I don't make often (muffin tin, pizza pans, bread machine, etc.)
   Zone 3: These are the things I only pull out for large gatherings: All of the extra plates and silverware, large serving platters, crock pots, extra coffee cups and glasses. Also in this group is the stuff that's special and seasonal: waffle iron, dehydrator, extra-large soup pots.
   Zone 4 - Purge: Every kitchen could benefit from the occasional purge. Whether it's equipment for a hobby you no longer practice, or a gadget you thought you HAD to have that hasn't seen the light of day in years, everyone has some kitchen stuff they could jettison. For me, this included some cake decorating stuff, half a dozen small tart pans, stoneware cookie molds, and a plastic lettuce knife. (Really?!)

In Part 2, I'll explain how to start breaking down your kitchen contents into these zones, along with some packing and re-thinking tips.