6 Tips to

ORGANIZE YOUR HISTORIC KITCHEN

1. Hang anything you can.Consider using the walls to hold items you use a lot, like wine glasses or coffee mugs. Install a pot rack to keep often-used pots and pans within easy reach, but off of the counter.

2. Organize without hammering or drilling.Drawer dividers are excellent space savers. You can install a tiered shelf for kitchen cleaning supplies. Ones with slide-out drawers are great for organizing pots and pans. If you have a pantry, use over-the-door shoe storage units—they double very well for holding snack boxes and other small items.

3. Use space wisely.You don’t need to hide everything from sight—that just isn’t practical. Think about the items you use the most, and either keep them on the counter or in a designated drawer.

4. Don’t be afraid to display.Use decorative bowls or baskets to keep items together. Use an inverted rack to hang glass stemware and keep items off the counter.

5. Use furniture for storage.Baker’s racks are perfect because, spatially, they have minimal impact, but they provide a lot of storage. You can store nearly anything small to mid-size in them, such as your toaster oven, a Lazy-Susan to consolidate your spice collection, or a coffee mug tree.

6. Use other spaces.Lastly, if you find you’ve done all you can without fully renovating your kitchen and still need additional space, consider storing items in an adjacent room.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America’s historic places. Preservation Tips & Tools helps others do the same in their own communities.

For more information, visit SavingPlaces.org.

Ethan/Flickr/CC BY-2.0; Gina Jones/Flickr/CC BY-ND-2.0; Dan Malec/Flickr/CC BY-2.0; Melissa Doroquez/Flickr/CC BY-SA-2.0; H is for Home/Flickr/CC BY-NC-2.0; Sarah Sphar/Flickr/CC BY-ND-2.0; Deb Nystrom/Flickr/CC BY-2.0.