The third week of the Kitchen Cure is focused on restocking. You've pulled everything out, cleaned it, and pitched the dead weight. Now you're putting it all back together, and who better to inspire us in the area of reorganization, but Martha Stewart? Here's a trip through the drawer organization in one of Martha's own kitchens.
These photos and these drawers are fascinating on a couple different levels.
One the one hand, they're insanely overstocked. Who needs a whole drawer of bamboo picks? Napkin rings? Sooooo many knives? Not us, that's for sure. Martha's kitchens function as catering kitchens, of course; they serve huge quantities of guests, and they're set up accordingly.
But while our kitchens really don't need to be this overstocked or insanely organized, we can pull a little inspiration from these drawers. We really like how each drawer is neat and organized, and efficiently stocked — but it's not bulgingly-full. There is enough empty space to easily reach in and find something. Each drawer also has a really clear layout and organization; we love the use of those trays to organized everything so nicely.
Do any of your drawers look like Martha's? Do you have one particular drawer you'd like to pull apart and put back together in a fresher, better way this week?
• See more from Martha' kitchens: Martha's 50 Top Kitchen Tips - Ample Kitchen Drawers at Martha Stewart
Related: High/Low: Kitchen Drawer Organization
(Images: Martha Stewart)
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oh gees martha, who needs that many citrus reamers!
not to mention wooden fish presses and oversized cups to store a tablet of asprin!
haha! i was looking at the pictures before i scrolled down to the rest of the article and i was thinking the same thing. love martha stewart, though. i secretly wish she was my mom (no offense, mom!).
OMG who needs 5 rolling pins. Come on!
An who neatly rolls each little dishrag like that?
I'd be much more interested in seeing Rachel Ray's drawers... she seems like the kind of person for whom everything is in its perfect spot for a reason... not just to look pretty in a picture in a magazine.
I take homekeeping photos like these as a suggestion and idea source-- they're obviously styled to death, but it's something to which we can all aspire. I, personally, LOOOVE seeing things artistically and creatively organized--it's very cool and "zen" to me.
*The last picture bothers me, though (the right hand side)-- are those loose pills I see filling that jadeite cup? Yeah-- that's a bad suggestion, Team Martha. :-/
Oh, Martha!
Uh, I kinda roll my dishrags and tea towels like that so that I have more room (I say this sheepishly) :-?. Happy to have donated our mismatched utensils and pitched icky and broken things. We re-fitted our drawers with inexpensive little bamboo boxes to hold what's left plus a second hand score--a flatware service for eight that cleaned up really nicely.
Heyyyy, lay off...I also roll my kitchen towels like that. Totally saves room and makes them easy to grab.
I always wanted to look in Martha's drawers!
Feeling less sheepish. Thanks.
One thing she has That I don't, the number of drawers in my kitchen. Oh well, That's Martha for you!
Jesus lady, do you really need 5 identical rolling pins, 5 sets of stainless steel measuring cups, and 5 same-sized cake spatulas??
Having said that though, I am rather fond of that tea-making drawer.
I think it is funny Martha stores her Tylenol in least safe and functional way possible.
When I have as big a staff as Martha, my drawers will look like that too.
Multiple sets of measurings cups are very useful!
Leaving the overstock issue aside, these are organized, for sure. I'd have similar drawers if I were her, I think...
Except for the napkins drawer. How does she find anything ? I'm a collector of old napkins and tablecloth, and I don't think I'll ever store them in that fashion, one style on top of another. That's a great way to use only the ones on top.
Don't you imagine if she is baking cookies for a photo shoot or something - that it's more likely there are 5 or 6 aides working fast and furiously with those rolling pins than Martha standing by her lonesome with one sad little rolling pin while the others languish in a drawer? Her lifestyle is not our lifestyle.
It makes me happy to see such neat drawers - staged or not.
I have to say that we have 5 citrus reamers :/
But I have an explanation for that..when we have friends over we get them around the island to make their own caipirinha (I'm Brazilian, living in Canada) and they love it. It all started with teaching ONE friend and then now it became almost a contest. Other than that, I'm pretty normal.
I totally have my towels and cloths all organized (almost exactly!) like that. They're probably the one thing in my kitchen (oddly enough, other than my 'ol food storage containers!) that are perfectly organized. There's something to be said for having a convenient and easily-accessible towels for the kitchen.
I'm definitely going to go on the hunt for wranglers-of-utensils like she has - my utensil drawers are shamefully disastrous. :)
That's all well and good for someone who apparently has a million drawers... what of the rest of us who only has one? and I mean one drawer! My cutlery sits on the counter because there are no drawers!
Jealous.
and by the way.... in the last photo where did she store the REST of the q-tips? unless she only buys the smallest box available... I live in the real world and buy a box of q-tips so I don't run out every week. But I will say the drawers look really pretty.
I confess to having about 8 chopping boards. My kitchen is hopelessly disorganised, though
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