I don't have enough kitchen space for all of my cooking utensils. Any ideas for better organization?

Question

For 3 years I've been trying to figure out a good way to organize my pots and pans. I have given them away, thrown them out, hidden them in other rooms, and in the end, just left them sitting on the counter. My walls are completely full of pictures my father says I can't take down because they are family history (he passed his old house on to me before he went to his retirement home). This causes a major problem for me. 10 pts to the person with the best answer!!

Answer 1

If you have floor space in your kitchen a deep chest is a great storage solution. Another way is to hang everything from a ceiling hung Victorian clother airer using butcher stye S hooks to attach your utensils. Have a really good think about what you really use and give the rest to a good cause. Creates space for you and helps recycle perfectly good utensils.

Answer 2

Take down a few of the pictures and bring them to your father to put on the walls in his new home. Gives you more room and he would probably like the memories.

Answer 3

If your father no longer visits the house, take them down but don't tell him. Men have no idea about house cleaning/decorating/arranging etc. Then hang your pots & pans on wall hooks. We have two very deep drawers built under the counter in which our pots & pans are stored.Beats sorting out stuff at the back of your cupboard!

Answer 4

A pot rack is a huge help when your kitchen space is tight!  Even though I have a large kitchen, my mother has most of the cupboards filled with assorted glassware because it's pretty.  She's 85 and not about to change her ways.....  

So I make do with what I have been able to clear out.  I did bring a "hoozier" cabinet in and turned that into an island.  My stock pots, steamers and large stainless steel bowls are in the bottom and I use the top for the coffee makers.  My pot rack hangs right above that and it has a light in it so it's very handy!  

I took the doors off the cupboards above the stove hood and installed stainless vertical racks in there.  All my cookie sheets, cooling racks, broiler pans, pizza pans, cutting boards and my most used platters are up there.  I love it because there is no rooting for anything!  I can see right where it is and grab it!

I have a cabinet on our enclosed back porch that I store most of our canned goods in.  I have a small closet out there also and that's where I put extra boxes of cereal, pasta and so forth.   Then I had my husband put up shelves in our inside cellar way.  Even though the shelves are only 6" and 8" wide, you can get quite a bit on them!

I keep my turners, spoons, spatuals, pastry brushes, whisks and all that type of stuff in crocks on my counters.  I divided them up and store them where they get used the most.  

As far as Dad and his pictures, put them somewhere else in the house.  Perhaps even a place that visitors will see them more.  Then if he asks, tell him you thought they should be in a more public area so they get seen!

Answer 5

Is there any ceiling space at all on which you can hang a pot rack?  Or, can you move the family pictures to another room, and hang the pots on the wall?

PS:  If he gave the house to you, then it's a gift, and it's yours to do what you like with.  Otherwise, he's only lending it to you.