Get organized

Maybe you don’t need more kitchen cabinets. Maybe you just need easy ideas for adding storage and maximizing every inch of space you do have:

The counter counts: Utensil holders, canisters and mug racks keep the important things in order and close by while freeing up space in kitchen drawers. A cookbook holder will help clear your workspace. And a cute mixing bowl doesn’t have to take up room in a cabinet when it can be used for fruit and displays.

Over your head: You have to love pot racks. They create storage space out of thin air so your biggest, bulkiest pans don’t require an entire shelf. For huge platters and pitchers that get used once or twice a year, consider making them anchor pieces in an above-cabinet display.

And in this corner: Keep clutter off your counter and out of your cabinets with slim tiered baskets that can hold anything from lunch bags to kitchen towels. Or, if you have more room, a small display cabinet could give you the shelves to show off a collection.

Add color

Simple ways to freshen things up without reaching for the paintbrush:

Giddier gadgets: The things you need and use everyday can be fun, pretty and colorful. When practicality meets personality, you can display bottle openers, measuring cups, even peelers rather than hide them away in a drawer.

Art for art’s sake: Go with whimsical, fanciful looks that supply color or texture while keeping the mood light. Giant wall art or a large clock? Perfect. Smaller prints are easy to add under cabinets. A faux floral wreath or wall pocket filled with branches can add seasonal tone.

By the foot: While a soft floor makes for more comfortable kitchen work, a traditional rug is usually impractical. Solution: An indoor-outdoor rug with a cushier feel and a ton of color, all in one easy-to-clean design.

Have fun

Everyone knows baking and cooking are a creative process, even an expression of who you are. But cleaning? Yep. That too. Cooking, cleaning and kitchen work can be, in a way, fun and that’s not just crazy talk:

Frills and spills: Bright, happy aprons put the fun in functional. Pair them with coordinating mitts or pot holders and neatly, conveniently display on wall hooks.

Not messin’ around: You wouldn’t need a broom closet if you had a pretty broom. Colorful, patterned cleanup gear can be fun enough to leave out in the open, where you’re more likely to use it anyway.

The fun doesn’t have to stop there. Find new looks for kitchens and storage. Or if you’re ready to start on the dining room, well, right this way.