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      in Organization

      How I Set Up a Spice Drawer So It Stays Organized

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      If you have enough drawers in your kitchen, using one to store spices can be a good idea. Using a spice drawer clears space in your cabinets and keeps your countertops clutter-free.
      Also, storing spices in a drawer and away from heat and light can prolong their freshness and protect flavor.

      As someone who has started to cook more and experiments with new ways to season plant-based foods, I have acquired lots of spices that have been becoming a disorganized mess over time.
      It was time to improve the organization of my spice storage drawer in my small kitchen in a way that I could keep the drawer and spice jars organized for good.
      Table of Contents

      Spice Drawer Before Getting Reorganized

      Does this look familiar? When my spice drawer was disorganized like this – I couldn’t easily find the spices I needed quickly, even though I set the drawer up for easy access.
      There are two problems with this set up. The first was that the spice jars are not all uniform in size and didn’t fit together. This allowed them to roll around and get disheveled.
      The second problem was that at a glance, if I didn’t see the spice I needed, I would think I needed to buy more, only to find once I bought the new jar home – I realized I had it and wound up with duplicates.
      Hopefully my new and improved kitchen drawer spice organization will stop these scenarios from happening ever again.

      How I Organized My Spice Drawer

      I bought a set of 36 new square glass spice jars that came with labels for the sides and top.

      I like the clear labels as they don’t block the contents as paper labels do.

      It seems most spice jars sold online come with labels. I liked the labels that came with the set of spice jars I bought, but ended up buying a separate set of labels sold without jars that I liked better.

      I bought them for a style reason – I just liked the font better – I know silly, but I liked these better as the font is larger and easier to read.

      I also like these bottles since the lids give you the option to pour or shake.

      How to Decide What Kind of Spice Drawer Organizer You Need
      I was going to make a DIY spice drawer organizer, but after doing research on spice drawer organizers, I figured the best type of in drawer spice rack set would be a spice organizer drawer liner.
      This type would work since the size drawer I have is not high enough to fit an expandable tiered rack where the spice jars are angled to easily see and grab.

      I painted the inside of the drawer white to make it look nicer.

      Measure Your Drawer
      How deep should spice drawers be? First measure your drawer to determine the depth to see what type of spice organizer will fit. I wanted to use an angled expandable rack, but my drawer was not deep enough to use this type. So measuring your drawer height is important.
      Measure the width, depth and height of your drawer. This will help you determine whether to use a liner, expandable, or vertically arranged organizers. 
      I figured the liner would work best for my drawer and bought one.

      But, as I was putting the jars in the drawer to see how many of the new jars would fit, it just so happened that my exact drawer dimensions fit eight 4-ounce glass spice jars across perfectly – with little movement so they would stay in place.
      For the length – four jars fill the length of the drawer with about an inch left over that allows to easily move the bottles in a line to remove one. So I didn’t even use the liner I bought and returned it.
      No more jars rolling around and getting out of place.

      How to Organize a Spice Drawer So It Will Stay Organized

      1. Use Square Glass Spice Bottles
      When deciding what type of glass spice jars with labels to buy to organize the spice drawer in your kitchen, go for the square bottles over round ones.
      The reason for this is that when round bottles are in a spice storage drawer, they tend to roll, even when on a drawer liner or spice drawer rack.
      When this happens you can’t see the front label of the bottle, hence at a glance when cooking you can’t see what the bottle that rolled contains. When you use square bottles this doesn’t happen. The labels will always stay face up.
      When you have matching spice jars – you can save money by buying bulk spices in just the amount you need. Many whole food grocery stores sell spices this way where you can measure out just what you need.

      2. Use a Drawer Insert or Tiered Racks
      There are a few different types of spice drawer racks or inserts that include three-tier or more rack options. These expand to fit the width of a drawer.

      3. Alphabetize the Spice Jars
      The best spice drawers are organized in a way that makes sense to you. This could be alphabetically or by your frequently used favorite spices.
      Should Spices Be Stored in Plastic or Glass Jars?
      Spices don’t last forever, but if properly stored and sealed, glass will extend the shelf life significantly. Plastic jars can be porous where small amounts of air can get into them and degrade the spices.
      Using clear jars also allows you to easily see when you are getting low on a herb, seasoning or spice.

      What is Better to Use – A Drawer, Wall or Countertop Spice Rack Organizer?
      Having organized spices in a drawer not only frees up valuable cabinet or pantry space but also makes them super easy to access. My drawer is next to my stove and food prep kitchen island.
      Using a cabinet or drawer to store your spices will keep them in the dark which is a good thing as it will keep your spices dry and away from stovetop heat. When spices are stored on a wall or on a counter they may get too much light and degrade faster.

      The Best Spice Drawer Organizers and Inserts To Buy
      If you are thinking about reorganizing your spice drawer or rack, below are a few popular options to consider to organize them in the drawer space available in your kitchen.

      Expand-to-Fit Organizers
      Expand-to-fit tiered organizers are a simple solution. They simply expand to fit your drawer and usually feature different compartments and tiers to keep bottles separate and visible.
      They come in wood, metal as well as clear and black plastic.

      Trim-To-Fit Drawer Liners
      It’s easy to create a custom solution with this type of spice drawer organizer to fit drawers. Simply trim with a pair of scissors to fit your drawer size. The ridges keep spice bottles in place.
      This type of soft cushy liner comes in grey or off-white.
      This is the type I thought I was going to use, but didn’t since my bottles fit nicely in my drawer without it.

      For Deep Drawers
      Choose your organizers based on the depth of your drawer. In-drawer organizers that hold the jars vertically work well in deep drawers.  

      More Helpful Spice Drawer Organizer Tips
      Most of the spice jar/label sets sold online come with a collapsible funnel so that when you bring a new jar of herbs or spices home you can easily fill the square glass bottles.
      If you have extra spice in one jar after filling a new one, I keep a shoebox in an upper kitchen cabinet where I store these jars. When one of my spices gets empty, before I put it on my shopping list to buy more, I look in the shoebox to see if I have any in there first.
      How do you arrange your spice collection? Do you have any tips to add that help you keep your spices organized?

      Spice Drawer Jars, Labels & Organizers

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      in Organization

      How to Organize Freezer Drawers DIY

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      How to organize freezer drawers for a few dollars.
      If you have a refrigerator that has a pull-out bottom drawer freezer and have not been able to fit ready-made freezer bins or freezer organizing baskets into it that will help to keep the contents organized, you may like this freezer organizing hack I came up with.
      It is easy to do using dividers I made from sheets of craft store corrugated plastic.
      These dividers are not just for freezers. They can be also made to use on any white plastic coated wire closet organizer shelf or basket in your clothes closet, laundry or pantry.
      Table of Contents
      Freezer Drawers: Before Organizing
      Here is how the two drawers in my kitchen’s freezer looked before I made new freezer dividers for them.
      Before: Shallow Top Basket in Drawer
      BEFORE: Deeper Bottom Basket in Drawer
      Each drawer only had one divider. No matter how much I tried to keep “like” items in rows, they always moved when the drawer was opened and closed making a big pile of frozen food on each side of the dividers.
      Why I Needed to Come Up With My Own Freezer Drawer Organizing Idea
      While searching for freezer organizing ideas online, I did find a few ideas that I thought would work.
      These ranged from using different sizes of freezer bins, file folder holders and even freezer organizing baskets, but none of them fit.
      Freezer Drawer Inspiration
      On the blog, Simply Organized I like what she did to organize the bottom of her freezer drawer.

      She removed the deeper bottom wire basket completely in the drawer and replaced it with a row of plastic multi-use organizers. I bought these, but had to return them as they didn’t fit in my freezer the way hers did. They were too tall for mine.
      Since that idea didn’t work, I had to come up with a plan to organize my freezer on my own. I didn’t want to use cardboard magazine folders or dividers as after a while they would get soggy with moisture.
      I kept searching for an idea and finally found white plastic corrugated cardboard sheets at Michaels craft store. They were perfect – not expensive and easy to cut and would not get soggy.
      I also liked the white color, as it would make my organizing efforts look like they came with the freezer.
      How to Make Plastic Dividers for Freezer Drawers
      These freezer drawer dividers are very simple to make, the part that I found the hardest to get the project done, was having to empty my freezer.
      I brought a large cooler into the house to keep the food cold while I was working on the drawer dividers.
      To make the addition of the dividers doable and keep the food cold, I removed the top drawer first.
      Then I added the dividers, placed the basket and food back in to the freezer and then proceeded to repeat the process for the deeper bottom basket in the freezer drawer.

      supplies needed:

      Tools:
      craft knifescissorsyard stick or t-squarehole punchpencil
      Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes. How to Organize Freezer Drawers DIY Remove the Contents of the Drawer Measure your freezer, the entire space and height to make sure that what ever you add does not interfere with the opening and closing of the freezer drawer.Mark the front of the baskets with tape before removing them so you don’t forget how to place the baskets back into the drawer. If you mix this up, the drawer may not close. Remove Existing Divider The divider that came with the top freezer drawer basket was removable. Use the divider as a template to cut new dividers from a sheet of corrugated plastic. Figure Out Divider Placement Use the actual contents of your freezer to help you determine how to space the dividers in the basket. Punch Holes in Dividers Mark dividers with a pencil along each edge. Using a paper hole punch or an awl make a small hole and thread a zip tie through each hole. Attach Dividers With Zip Ties Line a divider up with a horizontal wire on the basket. Then use the zip tie to secure it to the frame of the basket.Make sure the zip tie is snug. Then cut off the excess with a pair of scissors. Repeat on both top and bottom of the divider. Repeat Steps for Bottom Freezer Basket The bottom freezer basket is much deeper and has a lining tray at the bottom. The one divider that came with it is not removable.To make the dividers an exact fit, I laid the basket on its side so I could trace the shape onto a plastic corrugated sheet. Repeat Cut the divider(s) out and follow the same steps used for the upper basket to attach the dividers. Place Basket Back Into Freezer
      Freezer Drawers – AFTER Adding Dividers

      So much better! Now the contents will stay in rows which will help me keep the contents organized so everything is easy to find at a glance.
      Freezer Storage Idea: Labeling the Contents
      You can make your own printable freezer labels or use sheets or rolls of ready made labels.

      Having a roll or sheet of labels on hand is another way to make sure that the contents in your freezer are organized and stay that way.
      More DIY Ideas on How to Organize Bottom Freezer Drawers
      When trying to decide what you can use to organize the bottom drawer of a freezer, here are a few more easy to do budget-friendly ideas.
      Buy more containers or baskets than you think need so that you can figure out what sizes will work. You can return the containers that didn’t work.
      Once you have the containers play around with arranging them in the drawer. You want them to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle so you don’t waste any space.
      Use ready-made plastic multi-use bins.Cut corrugated boxes down to sizes needed. Plastic dollar store baskets in various sizes. These can also be stacked to create layers of organization in the depth of the drawer.

      For the ultimate in refrigerator and freezer organizing, check out this soon to be published book on the topic. It will surely inspire you once and for all to get your fridge and freezer organized.
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      in Rooms

      Ten L-shaped kitchens with plenty of countertop space

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      The latest lookbook in our series exploring kitchen layouts highlights L-shaped kitchens with two work surfaces that meet at 90 degrees.

      L-shaped kitchens are organised in the shape of the letter L, often fitting into a corner but sometimes with one of the surfaces projecting as a peninsula.
      In larger spaces, islands can be incorporated into the design between the L-shaped counters to provide additional space.
      The L-shape is of the most common kitchen layouts along with U-shaped kitchens, one-wall kitchens, island kitchens, galley kitchens and peninsula kitchens.
      This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous kitchen-related posts feature breakfast bars, compact kitchens and kitchens with skylights.

      Farmhouse, Switzerland by Baumhauer
      Fitted in a vaulted space within a traditional farmhouse, this L-shaped kitchen uses clean lines to contrast with the historic nature of the building.
      The kitchen consists of two stainless steel counters with stainless cabinetry with drawers, cupboards and appliances fitted below.
      One arm of the L contains a cooker positioned directly in front of a framed window to give the residents views across a Swiss valley while they are cooking. The other counter has a sink embedded opposite a serving hatch that punctures the thick stone wall between the dining and kitchen space.
      Find out more about Farmhouse ›

      Cabin at Rones, Norway by Sanden+Hodnekvam Arkitekter
      Fitted against a wrap-around corner window, this birch plywood kitchen designed by Sanden+Hodnekvam Arkitekter includes an L-shaped row of base cabinetry.
      A steel sink that incorporates a large drainer was placed at the centre of the row of units, while an electric cooker was placed on the other.
      The cabinetry and drawers below have a minimalist look with units aligned flush with the kitchen’s wooden countertops and featuring cut out handles.
      Find out more about Cabin at Rones ›

      London flat, UK by Hayhurst and Co
      This kitchen at the rear of a London flat was built beneath a part-sloping wood-lined ceiling that follows the topography of the garden.
      A row of white floor units topped with a marble countertop with an embedded sink was placed below a large full-width window that looks out to the sloping garden. The counter extends along the kitchen’s wall to form an L that contains an electric hob.
      Find out more about London flat ›

      Oneroa House, New Zealand by Vaughn McQuarrie
      This timber New Zealand home overlooking the Hauraki Gulf uses materials chosen for their texture and robustness.
      The open-plan kitchen-diner sits beneath a mono-pitched roof with north-facing clerestory windows.
      Plywood kitchen units line two of the walls with the sink positioned next to a large window with views across a bay.
      Find out more about Oneroa House ›

      Stine Goya headquarters, Copenhagen by Reform
      This communal kitchen at fashion brand Stine Goya’s headquarters runs along two walls of a room that has butter-yellow walls and light timber floors.
      Danish brand Reform updated IKEA cabinets with brass doors and handles to create a metallic look. The counters are topped with a contrasting black laminate countertop that matches the black appliances.
      Find out more about Stine Goya headquarters ›

      Belgian apartment, Belgium by Carmine Van Der Linden and Thomas Geldof
      Carmine Van Der Linden and Thomas Geldof stained the birch cabinetry in this L-shaped kitchen a seaweed green to connect the space with its coastal surroundings.
      Alga Marina marble was used for the kitchens countertops to add a neutral contrast to the deep green.
      Find out more about Belgian apartment ›

      Föhr apartment, Germany by Francesco Di Gregorio and Karin Matz
      Francesco Di Gregorio and Karin Matzhay converted the hayloft of a thatched roof farmhouse on the island of Föhr in Germany into this apartment.
      Its L-shaped kitchen is tucked away against the sloping roof, between a bathroom and bedroom. The architect duo lined the walls with thousands of ceramic tiles, each drilled with a singular hole to reveal a blue dot to form a sea of polka dots.
      Wooden base cabinetry blends with the apartments wood flooring and houses the kitchen’s appliances and storage. Because of its small footprint, a circular sink, electric stove and oven were organised beside each other within the longer countertop against the tiled wall.
      Find out more about Föhr apartment ›

      Workhome-Playhome, The Netherlands by Lagado Architects
      Ashwood cabinetry, burnt-orange niches, blue terrazzo floors and teal hued cupboards fill this L-shaped kitchen in Rotterdam.
      A wall of squared white tiles frames teal coloured overhead cabinetry that is suspended over a sink, stovetop and granite worktops.
      Teal cabinetry complements the kitchen’s blue terrazzo floors, which marks the area from the light wood floors in the living space. A breakfast bar in front of a window becomes an extension of the work area and can be used as additional prep space.
      Find out more about Workhome-Playhome ›

      Corsega Apartment, Spain by RAS Arquitectura
      This simple kitchen combines bright white cabinetry, steel appliances, grey-veined marble and exposed pipework.
      Overhead cabinetry surrounds a veined marble splashback and extends across the countertop, which extends into the room and doubles as a breakfast bar.
      A steel oven and microwave were fitted within the cabinetry at the end of the kitchen, tying together with the metallic handle and exposed extractor fan piping.
      Find out more about Corsega Apartment ›

      Extension One, UK by Denizen Works
      An oak countertop wraps around white cabinetry in this residential extension by Denizen Works. A white-tiled splashback wraps around the L-shaped countertops below a chunky oak shelf and rectangular window that overlooks the garden.
      The studio added a large L-shaped skylight supported by large oak beams above the counter containing the sink.
      Find out more about Extension One ›
      This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing colourful interiors, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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