How to Organize Corner Cabinets

Note from Davonne: I have received an unbelievable amount of messy photos and questions for the Get-Organized challenge. I just want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everybody who has jumped on board with participating! In order to answer the responses in a timely manner without nearly killing myself, I’ve decided to bring in a few experts to help me out. Today’s messy situation is being handled by Heather at The Homemaker’s Journal, and her blog is all about celebrating the life of a homemaker!

The problem: Corner Kitchen Cabinets

From Keeli :

“I need your HELP! I have these horrible corner cabinets that I cannot figure out what to do with! I have lived in my house for 3 years, & have probably rearranged my cabinets at least 10 times. What makes it even worse is that I don’t have much storage space in our small kitchen, so I really NEED to be able to use these! They are so deep & high and things just get lost in them! What can I do with these? As you can see, one of them is where we put our cups, & the other is really just a junk cabinet.” – Keeli

Heather’s Advice

Well, Keeli – I feel your pain! I too have had to master the art of small space living! First, let me say that your cupboards don’t look very bad at all and you are off to a good start.

Solution 1:

Create a coffee and/or tea station. Use cute little baskets for your coffee filters or K-cups, tea bags, creamer, sugar, and coffee cups. Include a Lazy Susan for easy reach of items like this image:

Solution 2:

Will your plates and bowls fit on the bottom two shelves? Like in the image below:

Try putting the items you use the most on the bottom and larger bowls or items not used as much on the top. I used the deep tops of my corner cabinets to store items like rolls of paper towels, paper plates and extra or bulk items.

Solution 3:

If you have a handy person around, have them measure the inside of the cabinet for extra storage for your canned goods. As in this example:

In my own experience I ended up keeping only the number of dishes I needed within reach. In my case it was 6 of each. The extra items I stacked in the crevasses until we had company over. When you have small spaces the key is to use the space efficiently. Who cares if it doesn’t follow your friends layout?! Do what you need to do to feel comfortable. In my home I just put things where it made sense to me. I had cereal bowls in drawers and cereal above the microwave.

I hope this has helped you, Keeli, and I look forward to seeing your “After” pictures!

{Note from Davonne: You can also see how I organized my spice shelf and baking supplies – the little cookie tin idea may be perfect for storing your own items in an odd-shaped cabinet!}

About today’s organizational expert:

Homeschooling mom of 4, wife to 1, and a lover of God and Coffee! When not spending time with friends and family, or renovating the 162 year old family homestead, Heather writes for The Homemakers Journal.com and is the author of Natural Cleaners and Home Economics for Homeschoolers among others. You can read more of Heather’s kitchen organizational tips here.