One of the busiest places in any house is the kitchen, and it makes sense. Comforting aromas, delicious food, stories told around trays of snacks and drinks, memories made while baking cookies--it all makes for a great place to hang out together with the people you like the most.

Unfortunately, it also means there are constantly a lot of just things around, and even the most useful, purposeful things take up space. How can you reclaim some of that space and make it work for you? These tips will put you on the right track.

Tip #1: Create Zones

There are so many things you do in your kitchen that the chaos can create itself in the process of your normal activities. One way to prevent this and reduce clutter is to create zones for all of the things you do.

Set aside an area for each thing. For instance:

• Prep -- Cutting board, bowls, spices, utensils.
• Cooking -- Stove/Oven, pots, pans, utensils.
• Cleaning -- Sink, towels, rags, sponges, dish soap.
• Eating -- Table/Bar, chairs, plates, cups, napkins.

Making designated spaces like this creates not only a more orderly space, it also conveys visual order, something that can trick your mind into feeling like the area is bigger than it is. It'll also keep your kitchen neat and orderly.

Well, mostly. 

Tip #2: Go Vertical

One of the quickest ways to make more space, particularly in a kitchen, is to stack, going up to open more counter top or cabinet space. There are two exceptional ways to do this and both are very easy to do.

First, use tiered baskets and organizers. If you just stack things one on top of the other, you'll find that getting into them isn't convenient at all, forcing you to constantly move things out of the way. With tiered baskets and organizers, though; you can get a lot of counter space while keeping everything easily within reach.

Risers give the exact same effect and work especially well in cabinets. By sliding risers into your cabinets and using the different levels to store things in a more organized way, you can make your cabinets more functional, less chaotic, and ultimately fit a lot more into them.

Bonus, you'll actually be able to see everything in your cabinets AND reach all of it. When it's after dinner and the last thing you want to do is spend 20 minutes looking for that container lid, you'll be extra glad you took the time to set it up!

Tip #3: Use the Walls

When you're crunched for space, using the walls is a brilliant way to get some of it back, and it's super easy. Wall hanging organizers can be a big help, especially when they come with multiple pockets for sorting things like serving spoons and other utensils or spices or snack foods.

They don't have to be unattractive, either--there are a lot of wall-hanging organizers now that are made from metal or woven baskets that look as chic as they are functional.

In addition to wall hanging organizers, hooks can turn blank walls into the perfect place to hang pots and pans or lids for containers. You can even use a corkboard with hooks or thumbtacks to hang things like potholders, towels, rags, or notes, pictures, and recipes.

Using these same techniques on the insides of cabinet doors can increase the space and the neatness even more while keeping all the extra clutter out of sight. 

Your kitchen should be a place of fond memories and good times and food that makes you hungry just thinking about it; you definitely deserve a space without clutter and that feels welcoming. Hopefully these tips will get you on the way to a kitchen that feels a little bit bigger (and maybe even a little more fun in the long run!).