Kitchen Organization Planning

The real title of this post should be:

"The True Neuroticism of Jen"

However, I didn't want to scare you away from the offset so there you have it.  We're creeping up on our close date for our new build house but we're kind of in a lull as far as things to do.  All of our items have been packed and in storage for months, so we can't keep busy by filling boxes.  So instead I've delved into the deep, dark world of my organizing neuroticism to find entertainment.

The great thing about this method of planning out your kitchen organization is it can be done even if you aren't moving.  If you would like to overhaul your kitchen, it's always best to plan - so this will work for you too.

Materials
Composition Notebook {or loose leaf paper... whatever}
Pen
Post-It/Sticky Notes
Scissors
Ruler {Optional.  I didn't use one but some people might}

The last time we visited the house we opened up all the doors of the cabinets to get a good idea of the layout.  Obviously, if you're overhauling your current kitchen, you'll have it right in front of you to plan.

I started by sketching out the entire kitchen.  Thank goodness I watched a ton of Blues Clues, otherwise I wouldn't know how to sketch out the basic shapes of items around the kitchen.  This is also an open-faced depiction of the cabinets, meaning if the doors and drawer fronts were pulled off - what would the cabinets look like.  Additionally, I denoted drawers by putting the dark triangle in the corner.

Next, I took some small Post-Its and cut them to size (keeping the sticky edge).  I listed out all the items I can recall being in my kitchen.  I know this will certainly grow and change along the way, so I made extras and kept them in my notebook for those future edits.  

Finally, I placed them.  I moved them around in the process and I'm sure I will continue to move them, but this has really helped me get my head around what I want my kitchen to look like.  Even better, it has truly opened my eyes to how much more storage we will have compared to the old house.

 An alternative to this if you are overhauling a kitchen in your house is to simply write your items on big Post-It notes and stick them on the doors and drawers.  Much easier than drawing a picture - but I'm biased towards practicing your Pictionary skills.

Happy Organizing!