Want to get organized with a kitchen command center? I’m sharing how I created a hidden kitchen command center in one of our island drawers!
The older I get, the more I’m drawn toward decorating and organizing solutions that reduce visual clutter. So when we renovated our kitchen last year (see the “before” and “after” of our kitchen remodel if you missed it), instead of rehanging the large bulletin board we once used for our family command center, I created a hidden command center in one of our kitchen island drawers. While it might look like our kitchen island simply has five large drawers,
the two top drawers actually have shallow rolling secondary drawers hidden inside:
These were a last minute addition to our kitchen cabinetry plans and I’m so glad we added them because they’re two of the most-used drawers in our kitchen. The shallow drawer in the middle of our island holds all of our plastic wrap, aluminum foil, baggies, parchment paper, etc. The one on the right that’s closest in this pic has become my hidden kitchen command center that’s organized to fit everything I use to have on my bulletin board and more. It’s a lifesaver! (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})
In case, you’re wanting measurements to see how it compares to the size of drawers in your own home, the interior dimensions are 24.5″ wide x 19 ¾″ deep:
Drawer Source Links: 12″ Golden champagne drawer pulls | Large accessory tray | Divided organizer tray | Medium accessory trays | Business card holders | Acrylic post-it holder | Stapler & tape dispenser | Gold scissors (similar)
Starting on the left side of the drawer, the main organizers are two of these large accessory trays in dark gray (found {here}) that measure 13-¾″ x 9-⅞″:
One of the trays holds five decorative file folders labeled with “To Do”, “Waiting” (things that I’m waiting for a response on like insurance claims), “Poss Returns” (receipts for things I’m not 100% sure I’m keeping), “Girls” (mostly things related to my daughters’ school like info on upcoming field trips, class schedules, etc.), and “Coupons”:
The other large tray below has one of {these divided organizer trays} nestled inside of it. In the gap between the outer large tray and the inner divided tray, I keep our portable chargers and phone cords. The divided tray holds clips, car keys, scissors, and stamps:
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We also keep a bunch of hair bands on a 2″ binder ring like {this} so they’re organized and easy for the girls to grab on their way out the door to school or sports:
The middle of the drawer holds two medium accessory trays (available {here}) including one that holds a mini notebook for meal planning (getting better about meal planning is one of my goals this year but to be honest, I’m not doing so hot so far :), rubber bands, and chalk pens:
The medium tray below it holds pens, pencils and a calculator. One thing I did just a week ago is get rid of all of my zillion freebie pens (half of which didn’t work very well) that were overflowing my drawer. Why didn’t I do this simple thing years ago? Now I just have a pack of my favorite pens which is more than enough. I use {these pens} in either fine or medium point which my dad got me addicted to – if you’re on the hunt for a great pen, trust me that this is it!
On the right side of the drawer I have extra rolls of tape, post-it notes in a holder, {this stapler and tape dispenser} (I love this particular tape dispenser because it’s weighted so stays in place), and three of {these gray business card holders} (one with gift cards, one with local business cards, and a third with all other business cards). There is also normally a tape measure between the stapler/tape dispenser and the business card holders – I didn’t realize that someone had absconded with it and not put it back when I took my pics!
Since it’s hard to see in the drawer, I took the acrylic post-it note holder out to show you – who knew a post-it holder could be so pretty? It’s {this holder} filled with {these white post-it notes}:
That’s it for my hidden kitchen command center! Super simple but it’s a favorite of my home organization ideas because it keeps everything we need at hand without the clutter!
And in case you want more details about the flowers, planter, and vase on our kitchen island in these pics, these are new additions that I just bought. The flowers include one of {these peony bundles} in raspberry and one of {these hydrangea stems} (I think I might add a second to make it more full). They’re just a little more than a nice bouquet of real flowers but will last for years!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
