31 Most Iconic Scandinavian Kitchen Organization Tips To Try

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Imagine Finally:

  • Counters stay mostly clear so daily cooking feels lighter and more predictable
  • Pantry staples stay visible in matching jars, which reduces forgotten food and cuts waste
  • Each shelf has breathing room, giving better control over what actually belongs

Here’s how you pull it off…

1. Keep Counters Mostly Clear With Only One Or Two Daily Items Out

Too many small appliances on the counter make even a clean kitchen look busy.

Start Small With This: Remove everything from one counter and put back only the coffee maker and one fruit bowl.

It will feel so simple if you try decorative serving trays to group those few items neatly together.

2. Store Everyday Dishes On One Open Shelf In A Single Stack

Open shelves work best when only daily plates are visible and extras are hidden.

Here’s A Quick Way: Choose one shelf for white plates and bowls and keep them stacked in one clean column.

3. Use Matching Clear Jars For Flour, Rice, And Pasta

Bright packaging creates visual clutter and hides how much is left.

Begin With This: Pour pantry staples into matching clear jars and line them up by size.

You can make this easier if you use clear glass storage jars with lids to see levels at a glance.

4. Line Up Pantry Items By Height From Tallest To Shortest

Uneven rows make shelves feel chaotic even when organized.

The Easy First Step Is: Arrange jars and boxes from tallest in the back to shortest in the front.

5. Keep Wooden Cutting Boards Leaning Against The Backsplash

Cutting boards tucked in cabinets slow down prep and add extra steps.

Give This A Try: Lean 2 or 3 wooden boards against the backsplash where they double as decor.

This gets easier if you use wooden cutting boards that look good left out.

6. Store Fresh Fruit In One Wide Neutral Bowl

Fruit hidden in the fridge often goes soft before being eaten.

Instead, Try This: Place apples or lemons in one wide bowl on the counter so they stay visible.

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It will be so convenient if you use large ceramic fruit bowls to keep produce contained.

7. Place Olive Oil And Salt On A Small Tray By The Stove

Oil bottles left loose leave rings and sticky spots behind.

One Thing That Helps Is: Set oil and salt on one small tray near the stove for easy reach.

You could keep it simple if you use small kitchen trays to catch drips in one place.

8. Keep Only White Or Neutral Plates In Plain View

Mixed colors make open shelving look crowded fast.

To Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed: Store colorful plates inside cabinets and leave neutral ones out.

9. Use A Simple Rail To Hang Three Or Four Daily Utensils

Drawers full of tools slow down cooking when searching for one spoon.

Here’s What To Do: Install a slim rail and hang only the 4 tools used most often.

This feels easier if you use kitchen utensil hanging rails to keep tools within reach.

10. Store Kitchen Towels In One Woven Basket

Towels draped everywhere create visual noise.

The Less Stressful Way Is: Fold 5 everyday towels and store them in one basket near the sink.

11. Keep A Ceramic Crock For Wooden Spoons Near The Stove

Spoons buried in drawers add extra motion during cooking.

Here’s A Small Step That Helps: Place a simple ceramic crock by the stove for wooden utensils only.

It will take less time if you use ceramic utensil holders to keep spoons upright and easy to grab.

12. Leave Space Between Items On Open Shelves

Crowded shelves lose the calm Scandinavian feel quickly.

Start This Way Instead: Remove 2 items from each open shelf to create visible space.

13. Store Coffee Mugs Grouped Together On One Shelf

Scattered mugs in different cabinets make mornings feel rushed.

Consider This: Gather favorite mugs onto one single shelf close to the coffee area.

14. Use A Low Wooden Crate For Potatoes And Onions

Loose produce rolling around cabinets wastes space.

Here’s The Shortcut Version: Place potatoes and onions in a low wooden crate under the counter.

This gets easier if you use wooden storage crates to keep produce together.

15. Keep A Small Stool Tucked Under The Island

Reaching high cabinets slows down simple tasks.

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The Easier Approach Is: Tuck a slim stool under the island so it stays hidden but ready.

You could get it done faster if you try wooden step stools that slide neatly under counters.

16. Store Baking Sheets Vertically Instead Of Stacked Flat

Flat stacks scratch and require lifting multiple pans to grab one.

If You’re Not Sure Where To Start: Stand baking sheets upright in a narrow cabinet slot.

It will feel less stressful if you try cabinet organizer dividers to separate each sheet.

17. Use Light Colored Bins Inside Cabinets

Dark bins hide items and make cabinets feel heavy.

Do It Like This: Switch to light or clear bins so contents are easy to see.

This is less annoying when you use clear plastic storage bins to spot items quickly.

18. Keep A Single Neutral Runner On The Floor By The Sink

Busy patterns on the floor compete with clean lines above.

To Make This Feel Less Heavy: Choose one simple neutral runner and keep the rest of the floor clear.

You can make this easier to finish if you use washable kitchen runners for quick cleaning.

19. Store Glassware Close To The Sink For Easy Unloading

Glasses stored far away add extra steps after washing.

One Easy Reset Is: Move everyday glasses to the cabinet nearest the sink.

20. Keep Only Two Or Three Cookbooks On Display

Too many books on the counter crowd the space.

Here’s A Gentle Way To Start: Select 3 favorite cookbooks and store the rest inside cabinets.

21. Use Clear Containers For Snacks Instead Of Bright Packaging

Colorful snack boxes disrupt a calm shelf look.

Start By Doing This Instead: Transfer snacks into clear containers and line them up evenly.

This gets faster if you use airtight pantry storage containers to keep everything uniform.

22. Keep Drawer Dividers For Utensils In Clean Straight Lines

Utensils mixed together make drawers look messy.

To Make This Feel More Doable: Add dividers and keep forks, knives, and spoons in separate rows.

It will be way faster if you use adjustable drawer dividers to create straight sections.

23. Store Dish Soap And Sponge On A Small Tray

Soap bottles sitting alone leave water rings on the counter.

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Use This Simple Trick: Place soap and sponge on one small tray near the sink.

This takes less time if you use sink caddy trays to contain drips.

24. Leave One Shelf Partly Empty For A Lighter Look

Every shelf packed full makes the kitchen feel crowded.

The Most Doable Way Is: Remove a few decorative items and keep one shelf with open space.

25. Keep Pantry Labels Simple And In One Font Style

Busy labels break the clean Scandinavian look.

The Easy Starting Point Is: Choose one simple label style and update all jars to match.

It will feel so simple if you try chalkboard label stickers for a clean consistent look.

26. Use A Covered Basket For Loose Cables Or Small Items

Random small items left out create visual clutter.

To Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed: Place small loose items inside one covered basket in a cabinet.

27. Store Everyday Pots By Size From Small To Large

Mixed pot sizes shoved together make cabinets look messy.

Try This Way: Line up pots from smallest to largest in one neat stack.

This feels easier if you use pot lid organizers to keep lids matched and upright.

28. Keep A Simple Wall Clock In Neutral Color

Busy decor on the walls adds noise to the space.

Here’s What To Do: Hang one simple neutral clock and remove extra wall decor nearby.

29. Use Glass Canisters For Coffee And Tea

Coffee bags and tea boxes crowd cabinets fast.

Begin With This: Pour coffee beans and tea into matching glass canisters on one shelf.

You could make it quicker if you try glass canisters with airtight lids to keep everything fresh and uniform.

30. Store Reusable Bags Folded In One Basket

Reusable bags scattered around create hidden clutter.

The Less Stressful Way Is: Fold bags neatly and store them in one basket inside a lower cabinet.

31. Keep Cleaning Supplies Hidden Inside One Cabinet Only

Cleaning bottles left out break the calm visual flow.

Start This Way: Gather all cleaning supplies into one cabinet and remove extras from counters.

It will be so much easier if you use under sink storage organizers to keep everything contained neatly.


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Lily Thompson

Hey, I'm Lily! I'm a mom who's really good at two things: making life easier and sharing what works. I created ''Like Mom Said'' after one too many moments of realizing: "My mom was right about this." Turns out, a lot of that old-school wisdom still holds up... it just needs a modern spin. Think of me as your friend who's always got a tip (and coffee in hand.)