Moving into a New Home? How to Set Up Your Kitchen

Are you moving into a new home and wondering how to set up your kitchen? As a part of a military family with more than 20 moves, I’m often asked “How should I organize my kitchen after moving?” Every house is different and the way each family uses their kitchen is different, but there are some tips I’ve gained from 20+ moves myself and my experience as a professional organizer that will help you set up your kitchen so that it works well for your family.

At a glance: A three-phase plan for setting up a kitchen after a move, from a professional organizer who has moved into 20+ homes. Phase one places glasses, dishes, and silverware so your family can eat breakfast at home the next morning, and phases two and three fill in cooking tools, pantry items, and zones around them. A free Setting Up Your Kitchen Checklist is sent to your inbox when you sign up for the newsletter. It works for a brand-new home or for rethinking the kitchen you already have.

When I move into a new house, I always unpack the kitchen first. My goal is to be able to have breakfast in my home the next morning. I want to be able to use real dishes, silverware and glasses by the second day in my home. I may not do much cooking for a few days, but we can eat cereal and sandwiches and start feeling “settled” right away.

Having set up 16 kitchens myself and helped many clients and friends rearrange their kitchens, I’ve got the kitchen set up strategy down. When clients ask me, “What’s the best way to organize your kitchen,” I answer that it’s much easier if I can see the space and the “stuff” you have, but there are general principles that apply to every kitchen set up. 

Use the Setting Up Your New Kitchen Checklist to help you plan your kitchen layout.

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As a special opportunity, if you want printable and organizing resources, you definitely want to check out this limited time low price offer on the Organizied 31 Printables Vault filled with organizing resources, planners, games, gifting resources and so much more, including ones only available in the Vault and new ones added frequently.

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How to Set Up Your Kitchen in a New Home, in Three Phases

I’m always asked how to best set up a kitchen in a new home or to better set up an existing kitchen layout.

I tackle the kitchen set up in three phases.

• Phase one, so you can eat: Place glasses near the fridge, plates and bowls between the dishwasher and the table, and silverware in the drawer closest to the table or dishwasher.
• Phase two, so you can cook: Put away hot pads, pots and pans, baking sheets, and spices near the stove, and dish towels by the sink.
• Phase three, everything else: Finish with pantry food, light and seasonal items up high, heavy items down low, and zones like baking or lunch boxes.

First Phase:

step 1: Glasses and mugs near the fridge

I start by placing glasses in the cabinet nearest the refrigerator. Since you will most often take a glass from the cabinet and the drink from the fridge, it makes sense to have the glasses located near the fridge. If you have young children, consider putting their cups in a lower cabinet near the fridge so they can get their own cups. The same strategy works for where to place coffee cups: place them near where you will locate your coffee maker, as well as the coffee, filters, creamer and sugar.

Make more of a small cabinet with these versatile organizing products:

• Expandable Cabinet Shelf
• Over-the-Shelf Cup Organizer

step 2: Plates and bowls between the dishwasher and the table

Ideally, I locate my plates and bowls in a cabinet between the dishwasher/sink and the kitchen table. If that’s not possible, decide which cabinet better fits your dishes, one near the dishwasher or one near the table. Again, use the same strategy of using a lower cabinet for young children’s plates and bowls.

step 3: Silverware in the drawer closest to the table

The next item to be placed is the silverware. There is usually one drawer large enough to hold the silverware tray. If you’re fortunate enough to have more than one large silverware-type drawer, pick the one nearest your dining table or your dishwasher/sink. Again, I personally try to pick one nearest the table to minimize how much the kids are in my way as I prepare dinner and they set the table.

These products are one’s I’d recommend to my organizing clients and use myself:

• Expandable Bamboo Silverware Tray
• Expandable Plastic Silverware Tray
• Customizeable Drawer Organizer
• Utensil Drawer Organizer

Those first 3 are the first tier “biggies”. By locating the cups, dishes and silverware first, I’m set up for my family to be able to eat in our new home. If that’s all I get done on the first move-in day, that’s okay because we’re functional for meals. Getting these first 3 categories located in the kitchen helps me determine where the second tier of items will be located.

Second Phase:

step 4: Hot pads and trivets in a drawer by the stove

I locate pot holders, hot pads and trivets in a drawer near the stove. The time I will need a hot pad is when I have a hot pot and that will be at the stove. In my current house, we have a cook top and a separate wall oven. They’re located 8 feet apart. I’ve chosen to put hot pads in 2 different drawers; one near the cook top and one near the oven.

step 5: Pots, pans, and lids near the stove

I put pots and pans in a cabinet near the stove. There are usually 1 or 2 cabinets large enough to hold pots and pans near the stove. Place the lids in the cabinet with the pots and pans.

• Adjustable Pot Lid Organizer
• Pot Lid and Cutting Board Storage

step 6: Baking sheets and cutting boards stored upright

There’s usually one tall, thin cabinet near the stove where you can place cookie sheets, cooling racks and cutting boards. If there isn’t a cabinet designed for that purpose, you can often move the shelf up in a regular cabinet to accommodate the cookie sheets. If possible, store the cookie sheets, cutting boards, etc. vertically because they take up less space and are easier to access by sliding out the one you need.

• Cookie Sheet Organizer
• Cutting Board Organizer
• Pan Organizer
• Cabinet Door Lid Organizer

step 7: Spices near your prep space, not right next to the stove

I prefer to store my spices on a 2-level lazy Susan in a cabinet near where I’ll prepare meals. This cabinet has been a corner cabinet on the wall with the stove in my past 3 houses. The spices are conveniently located for food prep but are not too close to the stove (having the spices too close to the stove can affect the shelf life of the spice).

I have more tips on specifically organizing spices:

• Spice Storage Ideas & Organization
• 4 Tips to Organize Spices
• Tip to Prevent Expired Spices

You’d like these items located between shoulder and knee level to make it easier to access. I keep cookies and potato chips on the highest shelf (a deterrent that makes it harder to grab them unthinkingly). For more pantry ideas, see my tips for an organized pantry and food cabinet.

Some of my favorite pantry organizing tools are:

• Easy-to-clean baskets in coordinating colors
• Easy-to-clean Lazy Susan
• 2-Tier Lazy Susan
• 3-Tier Can Organizer
• Expandable Can Riser
• Stackable Air-Tight Containers
• Wire Locker Baskets
• Bin with Handle for Hard to Reach Shelves
• Clear Easy-to-Clean Large Organizing Bin
• Waterproof Reusable Chalkboard Labels
• Printable labels I created for my organizing clients (click images below to see each set)

step 10: Lightweight and seasonal items up high

Put lighter weight items and seasonal items on the very top shelves and in that impossible cabinet over the refrigerator. I put seasonal serving bowls and dishes over the refrigerator because once a year I can handle the hassle of accessing that silly cabinet.

I also put lightweight plastic storage containers, plastic serving bowls and my plastic colander on a higher shelf. If those fall down as I reach for them, they won’t hurt me and they won’t break.

• Clear Bin with Handle
• Mesh Organizer Bin with Handle

step 11: Heavy items down low

I put heavy items on the very lowest shelves. If these items fall, I want them closer to the ground to minimize damage. I also place seldom used items on awkward bottom shelves.

step 12: Group items into zones

Ideally, you’d like to locate items into usable zones, e.g. the baking zone will contain bowls, mixer, flour, sugar, cookie cutter, and so on. This has been possible for me in about 50% of my kitchens. But it’s still a goal when possible.

In my current kitchen I have a pull-out designated as the lunch box zone. With 3 children and a hubby taking lunch each day, we have a whole lotta lunch box stuff. With everything located in one spot, packing 20 lunch boxes a week is a little bit easier for everyone.

• Pull-out Cabinet Drawer you can easily install in your cabinet
• Expandable Pull-out Drawer that will maximize your storage space
• Clear Large Organizing Bins

Step 13: A spot for kids’ crafts

When my children were younger, it was important to have a craft area in the kitchen. They could color or glue while I was working in the kitchen. I wanted them doing these messy activities at the kitchen table.

When I didn’t have the luxury of a dedicated cabinet for crafts, I tucked a rolling drawer unit in a corner. Once, in a teeny tiny kitchen, a plastic dish tub with coloring books and crayons was all I could fit.

• 3-tier Rolling Cart
• Stackable Clear Bins with Lids
• Open Organizing Bins with Handles

Setting up your new kitchen feels much more manageable when you take it one phase at a time. If you can do a puzzle (and I really don’t like puzzles much), you can unpack and set up your kitchen, a few pieces at a time.

Tips for Setting Up a Kitchen

Plan the Layout

• Every kitchen and every family’s needs are unique, so the first step in setting up a kitchen is to plan the layout.
• Consider the size of the kitchen, the traffic flow, and the placement of appliances and cabinets.
• It’s equally important to consider the needs of the people who will be using the kitchen. For example:
  • If there are young children you may want to install cabinets with safety features.
  • You’ll want to place commonly used items on the right side of a cabinet if you’re right-handed and on the left side if you’re left-handed.
  • Shorter people will place items on lower shelves than taller people.
• Take advantage of vertical storage for organizing, especially in a small kitchen.

Create Zones

• Once the layout is planned, it is time to create zones.
• Three common zones in a kitchen are:
  • The food preparation zone where you do most of your food prep work.
  • The cooking zone where you cook your food.
  • The cleanup zone where you wash your dishes and clean up after food preparation and cooking.

• You may also add additional zones based on your personal needs:
  • Baking with all your ingredients, mixing, preparation and baking tools.
  • Lunchbox zone with all containers, lunchboxes and individually packaged foods.
  • Kids’ zone with all children sized or plastic dishes and cups.
  • Kids’ activities zone with all arts and craft supplies.

Consider the Work Triangle

The triangle is a design concept that organizes your kitchen so that the three main zones are within easy reach of each other.

• The 3 points of the work triangle are:
  • The stove
  • The refrigerator
  • The sink
• This layout will help you be more efficient in the kitchen and reduce the amount of time you spend walking back and forth.

Install Useful Storage

• Kitchens need plenty of storage space for food, appliances, and utensils.
• There are many different types of storage solutions available, so choose ones that fit the style and needs of your kitchen. Prioritize flexible storage options that can be adapted as your needs change.
• Choose cabinets, drawers, shelves, and baskets to maximize your storage space.

Setting Up a New Kitchen: Common Questions