I have always wanted a refrigerator that looks like it stepped off the pages of Pinterest or Home Edit (If you’re not familiar with Home Edit… I’ll share a couple of their organization photos below.. they are AMAZING!!). Organization has never been my strong suit but it’s something that I’m trying to work on this year. I organized some of my small spaces a couple weeks ago – click here to see some of the easy hacks & tips I have for those. If you are interested in doing some spring cleaning, you might be interested in a rubbish removal service, if you aren’t too sure about which one is the best for you, you can do some research online as some places allow you to view bins online.
Yesterday, Emma looked into the fridge for something and said that I needed help in the organizing department. I totally agreed with her because this is a new style of refrigerator for me and I have been avoiding trying to organize it properly. I moved into this home a year ago and I used to have a side by side door fridge and the spaces were so much smaller. (two doors that open – with the refrigerator section on the right & a freezer on the left). My new fridge is a commercial Thermador similar to an industrial process chiller although thankfully not as big!
Having said that it’s so much wider & as a result, it’s harder to separate things.
I’m working with The Container Store on a different project in the kitchen as well this month, organizing my drawers and pantry. When Margit (my Container Store organizing guru) came out to measure everything & look around, it really inspired me to take a look at ways to refresh my fridge. This job was ALL Emma and I, and I’m definitely thankful to have her on board to help me out.
Completely inspired by our DIY project we put together 10 tips to help you organize your fridge just like we did.. and our process literally took us just 2-4 hours. We left the house at 12pm and finished by 4:30. (Keep in mind that we hit 2 clothing boutiques and Nothing Bundt Cakes… as well as the Container Store.. so we made great time ;)
Tip One: Look up inspiration pictures of different organized fridges that you love on Pinterest.
The ultimate inspiration for me hands down is Yolanda Hadid’s fridge, back when she was a Foster on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I remember watching the episode where it showed her refrigerator and I think I almost died. It was beautiful and so unconventional in every way – a completely see through/clear glass refrigerator. It captured the nation. It even has it’s own twitter account, yes a fridge has a twitter account.
It’s crazy, you can see photos online of people standing in it and it looks like it’s 14 ft high..
images via @YolandasFridge
These are some of the pictures that we took into consideration before we started and wow.. These are amazing.
via The Home Edit
This picture is what ultimately inspired us because it’s so real. Clearly kids live in this house, there are Lunchables and Capri Suns in bins (I’m pretty sure Emma keeps those in her fridge though so… who knows ;) and these parents are still this organized. Amazing!
via The Home Edit
Via The Home Edit
Once you have some inspiration to help guide you through the process, make sure to take a screenshot of it with your phone. You’ll want to bring these with you to the store later!
Our “Before” Shots:
So many sauces & things without a purpose or home! I hated looking in here…
It looks so empty… I swear Jeff & I do eat! We just don’t have any littles running around the house anymore ;)
Tip 2: Take Pictures of Your “Before” Fridge.
Similar to the before & after weight loss shots, taking before & after shots of your fridge will help you in multiple ways.
- It’s always nice to compare the before to the after. Admire your hard work!
- Taking the before photo is helpful when choosing your organizing tools while you’re at the store. When we were selecting our bins, it really helped us to see the photo to understand the layout & metrics of the fridge.
Tip 3: Clean out your fridge.
Rid your fridge of old items you simply don’t use. Hand off some of these sauces to friends/family – we had so many half used sauces that were crowding the top of our fridge and it just looked so messy. Simplicity is key to organizing and looking clean.
- When you’re at the grocery store, try to buy smaller bottles. They don’t take as much space & it keeps things fresher. (If you’re a large family and utilize the Costco size route – this may not apply. I totally understand.. Jeff grew up in a family of 8!)
After you empty your fridge, you can decide if you want to take part in the second half of tip 3: actually cleaning your fridge. Since you’re already in the trenches and throwing away older food, you may want to start cleaning your fridge from top to bottom before buying your bins anyways. (Of course that means you have to pull things out twice, but it depends on how you can utilize your time.)
- Remove all of your food items and place them on your counter.
- I use warm soapy water to clean my fridge with a sponge, but you can also use vinegar and water to clean all the different drawers and shelves.
After you finish cleaning, put all of the food that you know you want to keep.. back in the fridge. Retake photos of the refrigerator now that it’s starting to look a bit better!
Tip 4: Take measurements of your fridge.
This tip seems obvious but I always need to remind myself to measure. There are so many shapes & sizes of bins at the store. It seems as if they have a bin for every awkward space. While you may think you know the size, believe me – you’ll regret it when you have to return everything because you were 1/2 of an inch off.
- Take measurements of every single thing that you can. Each different shelf may have a different depth or height! All 3 of my shelves had different heights and depths.. who would have thought that?!
- After you take your measurements, put them in your notes on your iphone or wrote them on a piece of paper (I definitely would lose that paper in my purse forever. I’m more of a Apple Notes kind of gal. :)
- Make sure to bring your measuring tape to the store to use there too.
Tip 5: Research and Head to The Store of Your Choice.
There are a million different places to get bins, so this part is really up to you. I’m lucky to have a Container Store near me so that’s where I go for everything.
- Of course places like Target, Walmart, and more have bins – but the nice part about going to a niche organization store is that they have wayyy more product selections (especially bins. They must house thousands of bins in one store!)
If you’re not near the store of your choice – Online shopping is literally a god-send and most places have free shipping after you spend a certain amount anyways. We are huge online shoppers…
Tip 6: Bin Selection
Like I said earlier, there may be millions of bins in the world to choose from at the store. Colorful, white, see through, patterned, cut outs, squares, rectangles… just to name a few of the options you may have to decide between.
We picked out the InterDesign Linus Large & Xtra Large Pantry Binz – based on our professional organizer’s advice. Once we got to the actual store and explained to one of the ladies what we were looking for, she lead us in the same direction and showed these “pantry bins” which she said work great in the fridge as well.
As we looked at a literal wall of these InterDesign bins, we looked at our measurements and looked at the photos of our fridge to make sure they would fit. It was very simple because we did our homework beforehand. We went with the Large & Xtra-Large sizes because they fit in our commercial refrigerator perfectly, but there are other sizes if you have a smaller space to work with.
I personally love the look of clear bins in the fridge because you can still see what’s inside without having to pull out every bin every time you’re looking for something. But what the bins do is help utilize the entire space between each shelf. We can stack a lot in each bin – also it’s really nice for the excess produce because those look messy when they are sitting on the shelf & don’t stack on top of one another alone.
Here are what the bins we bought look like outside of a refrigerator – aren’t they nice? Durable and not too thin.. that’s what I loved! Click here to shop them.
Our top shelf has an awkward depth because some of the fridge juts in a bit in the back, so we opted for a different size of bin. We also changed the style to a white with little cut out squares to hide Jeff’s cooking sauces (bbqs, salsa, hot sauce, etc). It’s called the Like-It Bricks 11″ Medium Tall White Bin.
Tip 7: Head to your local grocery store.
This is when the fun begins! Because you cleared out your fridge earlier, you are probably in need of some new items – this is when you begin color-coding & thinking about how you want your fridge to look but still make it functional for you and your family.
For my family – it’s just Jeff & I now and we are leaning towards eating as much fresh fruits and veggies as possible. I don’t need to house much in the refrigerator besides that, because we tend to go the grocery story a few times a week to get whatever protein we may need, fresh. (Fish or chicken usually).
Because this is day 1 and I wanted to really show you how beautiful the design of the organization can look, I bought the most colorful and delicious fruits and vegetables that I could find at whole foods. Do I need all of this? Definitely not! Lol – Emma will be taking home half of it.
For me personally, I am trying to ween off of diet sodas so I’m sticking to the La Croix’s – and they look so pretty all color coded in the refrigerator anyways! Win-win if you ask me, I bought a couple packs of them at the store. Click to shop the berry & lime flavors.
We bought all the fruits and veggies we could as well as juices (Emma loves the pressed juices from Whole Foods and I’m trying to get into them too!).
Tip 8: Organize By Bins & Shelves
By now you probably have a plan of where you will put each different type of item you purchased… but if you haven’t – it’s to have a cohesive look with the clear bins. We organized it with veggies in our pull out drawers, and all the fruits on another shelf separated in different bins. Our middle shelf has majority of the fruit in it again (we eat a lot of fruit around here), as well as our Chobani Yogurts.
We opted to put some juices in one of the shelves because we think it looks nice for the photo – of course that bin may change depending on what we are purchasing from the store that week – maybe leftovers wrapped up, dessert, whatever. It’s nice because the bins will separate everything and keep it looking great.
Clean all of the new bins out with warm water & soap, and then start organizing away! It shouldn’t take too long unless you have a huge fridge.. it took Emma and I maybe an hour at most?
Tip 9 – Labeling
We opted out of this step because everything is clear & I like leaving it a little more clean looking. I do find that labels work extremely well however if you use white or opaque bins that hide what’s inside.
As seen in above photos, The Home Edit loves to label bins and drawers with an erasable pen in a pretty script. If you have nice handwriting, I love this idea! Not only can you change what it says on a dime, but you don’t have to deal with sticky stickers or adhesive tape when you make changes.
Tip 10 – Pat yourself on the back. Enjoy your prize space before your family comes in and destroys all your hard work. ;)
I’m just kidding – real life is going to happen no matter what… That doesn’t mean that we can’t keep trying however!!
What do you think of my transformation? Have you ever tried to organize your fridge? Let me know your helpful tips & tricks! I would love to know in the comments below.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to pin this photo to save it for later:
If you enjoyed this post, make sure to check out my other recent “organizing” post all about some of my smaller spaces (my junk drawer, linen closet, and guest room closet). Click here to read it!
xo,
Kristy
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When you said you were doing this, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I am thoroughly impressed. I have to seriously undertake this project soon.
Thanks Kathy! I just kept looking at my inspo pics and that really helped guide me.. Hugs! xx
Thank you. This year I want to try (the verb here is try) lol to be more lots more organized and this, well you have inspired me. Thank you.
Thanks so much Theresa! You are so sweet :) Hugs!
Where would leftovers and pots or other large items fit
Hi Monisha, it’s always easy to take out a bin and put the leftovers in the open spot when you do! We do that for pizza all the time. You can also place leftovers in an empty bin.
Oh Kristy it looks fabulous and I’m absolutely going to do mine this week. So much food gets wasted because he stuff it In and can’t see it!!
We don’t have a container store but I’m going to tackle it! I loved the reminder about measure up first, there has been so many times I’ve just bought baskets and storage that don’t fit !!!
A beautiful job Kristy& Emma x
Thanks and I’m the same way Heidi! I now have an official measuring tape I leave in my purse next to my makeup bag. ;) Hugs and Happy Friday!
Ok I’m inspired! This will be one of my March projects! Love you guys!!
Thanks so great Suzanne… If we can do this anyone can! Happy Weekend xx
What a gorgeous refrigerator! I am thoroughly inspired! Thank you!
Thanks so much LuAnn! I love a beautiful refrigerator… Happy Friday! xx
Wow ! Very impressed girls ! Looks fabulous and you have inspired me to do my fridge and my pantry
Xxx
So great Dianne! You won’t regret it… This was such an easy transformation to make. Hugs! xx
Wow what a great make over! So many great tips and the inspirational photo definitely have given me the push to transform mine. I see this being added to my to do list for sure! I’m be by a The Container Store this weekend and will be going in and checking out there bins. Thank you so much Kristy!
And Emma too!
Yay Ginger! Be prepared to have a blast while doing it too… I’m not sure what it is but taking your fridge back is so liberating! ;) We had so much fun doing this. Hugs! xx
Looks great! One tip….you may want to
Look into, I’ve read many times not to put eggs in refrigerator door as it is. It ge right temperature for them to stay safe ???
Everything looks so pretty and well-organized which makes life in the kitchen easier.
Thanks for the tip Michele.. Jeff and I have tested that spot with a thermometer and the temps stay consistent in my fridge. But… we also don’t have a ton of kids opening the door. ;) Hugs!
This was such a helpful post. I really need to organize my refrigerator!
Thanks so much Judith! Do it.. I’m so happy we did. :) Hugs!
Love it! I have a shallow fridge too and never found bins short enough… I’ll be heading to the Container Store this afternoon!
I was thrilled to find the shallow bins too Brenna. There really is a bin for every size shelf. Who knew? Hugs! xx
Wow-what a transformation! If Yolanda Hadid’s fridge had a little sister-this would be it. Beautiful! So inspired now to reorganize my own fridge ?
Haha! Love that Denise… It was such an easy thing to do too! Happy Friday xx
Tell me your doing your pantry next. That or send Emma my way…I need help. Mine looks like a fraternity house took it over. Seriously. I live with my hubby and 18 year old son. ??
Hi Tracey,
You’re so sweet.. thank you for saying that! Yes I’m re-doing my pantry over the next couple of weeks with The Container Store sponsoring it (I’m so excited!!)
LOL! I’ll have Emma go right over to help out.. you need girl power to help you organize that for sure! xx
Well… I watched your Instagram video last night and today when I saw the ‘after’ I was inspired! Stopped on my way home and grabbed some InterDesign bins, popped into the grocery store, and cleaned out the fridge! I am always so much more inspired to cook and eat healthy when my fridge looks like it’s in a magazine – thanks for sharing :)
That’s awesome Kristin! Thank you for sharing that with us… how exciting! It’s so easy to completely change this space. Xx
I just want to come and move in with you guys!!!
Aww Sandra – lets house swap! ;) xx
I love this! You two did a wonderful job with this project. The major problem for me are the jars of condiments, jam,etc. I’m going to be working on my fridge next week! What day is good for you and Emma? Lol
Pat
Hi Pat,
Thank you so much! We are loving the way it turned out.. I totally agree with the condiments being the hardest part. LOL! Xx
Looks awesome …with all those apples in your fridge …Jeff should make an apple cobbler ….lol
Thank you Pati! Emma is actually coming over tomorrow to create some yummy things with all the extra produce we have :) xx
Your fridge looks amazing! You have inspired me to clean mine out again and purchase those clear bins!
Thanks Marci! You should… I waited sooo long to finally design the space to be properly useable. :) Hugs!! xx
I love it!! you live so beautifully Kristy, and you are so inspiring!!!
Aww thanks so much Noelle! You’re such a sweetheart. Hugs! xx
Hey Kristy! Loving this post and on the hunt for a new fridge – can you share the make/model of yours?
Even Home Goods carries containers similar to those used in the photos.
Absolutely beautiful! I guess my only question is, where do you store that leftover pizza box, or containers after a take-out meal? There doesn’t seem to be any “wiggle” room, if you will. ??♀️
Thanks for the inspo…off to measuring I go!
This post is awesome and super helpful! In addition to all the awesome things in this post would you mind sharing where your Thermador panels came from? We are in the market for one but we understand we have to get the panels from elsewhere. Thanks bunches!
Hi Patrice,
Thanks for your sweet words.. my fridge panels were custom built by our cabinet builder. :) Hugs!
I love that I see barrelhouse beer in your fridge!!!
Leave it to Jeff! ;) Cheers xx
Being from Paso Robles i noticed the beer right away lol
Wow. Speechless! Fridge goals right there ??. I’m off to source suitable containers for my American style fridge here in the UK. I’m always throwing out so much food where it gets ‘lost’ at the back. x
Thanks so much and good luck Natasha! :)
LOVE the detailed instructions on this…thank you! I’m curious though how do your veggies hold up without being in bags or covering of any type? I get the bulk of my veggies from farmer’s market and my CSA box once a week and it has to last me a whole week. I don’t want limp carrots/broccoli and lettuce :).
Also, where do your leftovers go?
Can’t wait to get into my fridge and get organizing!
Hi Lori, Thanks you so much! I hit the store every other day for fresh veggies so it really isn’t an issue with us keeping items in bins without bags. Oftentimes I leave items in the bags from the stores however. The fridge on this day was staged for the post although we do have it this way quite a bit. It depends on what we are cooking with and need. Sometimes bins are empty. We don’t need much since we buy fresh almost daily and it’s usually just the two of us at home now. The bins really do help keep things separated though.. We LOVE them! :)
Erm, why do you put things like apples in the fridge? Likewise peppers and clementines. Looks pretty but they’ll go off quicker from the moisture. They’re better in a bowl on the counter.
Hi Jo, I find when I keep these things in my fridge they last longer. :)
Thank you so much for all of these tips! My refrigerator looks a million times better now! Come check out some of my tips and hacks at gettingglamwithgruden.com! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Thanks Kristy!
Your photos are so lovely and the tips clear and easy to follow I have no excuse not to organize my refrigerator and hopefully keep it going to the cabinets and pantry. It is hard to find the time to focus on projects like these because life is so busy. But your beautiful photos have inspired me to get going and make a change for the better. The key for me will be the maintenance part. :-)
I get clear bins and clear soda racks at my local dollar general store. Frig looks great
Texas Nana, I did too and they were very reasonable, I also got a box of a few bins at Costco too they were 19.99 for I think four bins but they don’t have the same exact look but I was glad.
Kristy I love your refrigerator it is sooo roomy but as with you our kids are grown so I am ok with not having as much food as we did ;) Thanks for sharing it. By the way I love your flooring too (off subject) but what brand is it if I may ask.
Hi Cindy! The floors are Pravada Hardwood in Chateau Blanc, they are 7.5 inch white oak planks.
What did you do with the items like yogurt, Sour cream, cheeses, and meats.
Thanks,
Jo
Hi Jo, The dairy products are in one of the clear bins. You can see the yogurts in front. :) We don’t keep meats. Also, when we need extra room I simply remove a bin or transfer things. Happy Friday!
I didnt see any “leftovers” in any of these pics. I have lots if condiments and pickled things (pickles, olives, things fir cocktails) DIdnt see those items either??
Hi Debra, We use the top white bin for condiments. As to leftovers we pull out a bin if need be. We don’t always have this much fruit.. We did this for inspo and the post. ;)
I enjoyed reading your tips and looking at the pictures for inspiration.
Thanks Sheila! This was such a fun project to tackle. Hugs!
Thank you
A big believer in organising as I simply dont like packets -my kitchen is being revamped in my second home in a caravan
Already looked at slide out small shelves for in fridge – one for carousel in cupboards
But never thought to measure first
And laughing as Hubby is a surveyor
Welcomed post on tips -M 👌🏻
I did this (gradually) several years ago to both my (Miele) fridge and freezer. Since they are built in counter depth, the bins didn’t fit so that that handle notches were facing outward. I happen to discover that the ones that The Container Store has in the BATH section were shorter and fit perfectly.
I already had some in my pantry and my shelves are two depths in there, so I use both. I have three climate controlled drawers and I even found the size of containers that fit inside the drawers and that wrangled the chaos in those as well.
Great job… just put a lazy Susan in my refrigerator so I can find the jars, etc that get stuck in the back… also don’t have to remove the see-thru container, just spin.
Bonjour,
Merci de nous faire parvenir la liste de prix de vos Fridge surtout la Numero 10
Cordialement.
Justine Bordin
Where do you put leftovers from breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Hi Davina! I would suggest designating a bin for leftovers if you have them.
These are not only very efficient ways to arrange the contents of your fridge, but also so aesthetically pleasing.
I’m Vanessa from Spain and really u did inspired me! I love your organizating bins it looks full and esthetic. I will try to find thise shelves here maybe trought amazon i can find them and start being of 2022 with armony fridge as yours. ( sorry my eng. Is not good)
I would love to know where you got the lights over the island?