I Tried the Most Popular Storage Solution for My “Nightmare” Spice Rack Clutter and Instantly Regretted It

There’s been one annoying task sitting unchecked on my to-do list since my boyfriend and I moved into a new apartment a year or so ago: a spice rack storage solution that fits my style and works exactly how (and where) I need it to. When we moved, I  looked at the available kitchen space we had rather than thinking creatively (or even strategically) about where I wanted things to go. When I saw an empty drawer, I just tossed the spices inside in a frenzy to just put things away. 

A year later, the spices are still there. Sure, it works, but I really hate that it looks so clumsily placed. 

Every time I open the drawer, I cringe at the nightmare eyesore waiting for me. The spices move and slide around, and they’re not all neatly organized by size, necessity, and label. But even though I hate it, I’ve been really reluctant to try anything new. I love looking at popular spice rack organizers and always feel a burst of creativity when I see others come up with creative DIY-friendly spice rack storage solutions, but they never feel like they’ll fit my space, or that they’ll work for me.

That’s when I knew it was time for help. A few months ago I reached out to Jean Prominski, certified professional organizer and owner of Sparkle Home Organizing, to help me declutter my nightmare kitchen drawer and because her fix for my space was so good, I hoped she’d help me make sense of my spices.

Here’s what we talked about.

When Prominski and I first emailed, I was pretty hell-bent on wanting to try a tension rod as a spice rack in the corner of my kitchen near the stove. I thought it would get the spices out of the drawer and into the open, and make vertical use of extra space. She didn’t hate that idea, but Prominski asked for more pictures of my kitchen to get a full idea. And then she asked me a few important questions: Why put the spices there, against the wall, out of reach and eyesight?  

I liked the tension rod idea because it felt like a simple fix. It could stand on its own and because we live in a rental and finding studs in the wall has been more trouble than I’d like to admit, it felt like one less headache to have to deal with. 

But Prominski made me realize that putting the jars out on display like that would only draw more attention to them, plus it’d mean buying more aesthetically pleasing storage jars to make them look good. I only wanted to buy more stuff as a last resort.

Then she asked me the question I probably should have started with: If I didn’t have the spices in the drawer, what would I want to put in this drawer instead? 

That was easy. I have so many extra linens (cloth napkins, reusable paper towels, and extra hand towels) scattered in different spots all over, but I really wanted to store the linens all together in one place. If the spices weren’t in the drawer, they could go there instead.

So back to square one we went.

I wasn’t going to give up on the tension rod completely, but Prominski had tons of other ideas for me to try, too. 

She suggested a slim shelf to hang on the wall behind the stove, and I could cut out the stress of putting more holes in the wall by using Command Strips to hold them in place since spices aren’t heavy. If I was worried about the wall getting dirty while cooking, I could even add a lightweight and easy-to-clean renter-friendly backsplash to the area to add visual interest to the space.

If a slim shelf didn’t work, a slim rolling cart would maybe fit between the stove and the wall (where I’d envisioned the tension rod going) or even between the fridge and the table. I liked this, but then she suggested cute magnetic jars to decant spices with, and that got me thinking about another idea.

People love magnetic shelving, and I do too. Right now, I keep my oils and oven mitts hanging on the side of my fridge with magnetic shelves and hooks, within easy reach for when I need and use them (which is constantly). I thought that since this worked well, maybe I’d love keeping all my spices here too, so I ordered more. 

Once I put the spices inside each magnetic shelf and stacked them, I absolutely hated how the solution looked. To be 100% clear, there’s nothing wrong with the shelves — they look great (exactly as promised), and they work (exactly as promised). The problem is that they just didn’t work for me.

With such little room on the stove above the burners where the magnetic shelves sit, I worried about the plastic melting over time. I also just felt like the space was way too crowded. I had to move where I kept my oven mitts and my oils — and what if I had a big stock pot on the burner below the shelves? Suddenly, my already tiny galley kitchen felt even tinier, and the things I use on a daily basis weren’t where I needed them to be. And I felt pretty miserable about trying something that just failed.

I sent Prominski pictures, and she agreed with my concerns about the burners. She also told me that as a professional organizer, she’s tried things she hasn’t liked too, even after doing tons of research to find the perfect fix. Surprise, surprise: That doesn’t exist.

The main thing she stressed was that there’s “so much learning” that comes with trying something and failing.

The popular spice rack solution that more than 5,000 love didn’t work for me. Prominski says that sometimes she’ll see clients follow through with their ideas completely and the project still doesn’t work out as planned. Other times, she says she’s worked with people who have the opposite problem, trying to figure out the perfect solution and never quite finding it or being ready to fully execute on their vision.

I felt so much better that I’d at least tried a solution for my spice rack mayhem — and also that I’m not alone. Even still, Prominski is filled with endless other ideas for how we can make the space work and find a solution I’m happy with, and I’m actually really excited to keep trying. 

So back to square one we go.

What’s your favorite way to store spices? Let me know!