Whether you spent last weekend stocking up on spiral tablets and pencils or picking up vegetables at the farmer’s market, have you noticed that the number of items being imported into the house has increased substantially? From the paper whirlwind a child brings home from school to the 30 pounds of apples picked from the orchard, for many, autumn sparks the inclination to get organized.

It’s a familiar question that boggles almost everyone - What am I going to do with all of this stuff?

Remembering the old saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place” is the answer. Here are just a few space-saving and organizing ideas for your kitchen:

Roll-out trays inside a cabinet provide easy access to the entire cabinet by creating a sliding shelf. Rather searching blindly in the back of the cabinet, the shelf slides out and a selection is easily made. Many roll-out trays have high backs, eliminating items from falling. There are even options, such as mixer shelf, that allows the user to click a button and have the shelf move (with the mixer) into a usable position.

A dish tray installed on a roll-out tray may resemble a letter organizer, but in place of envelopes, pots, pans and lids are lined up ready to use. Drawer dividers can be used to organize a drawer that has no roll-out tray.

Sliding cutlery dividers allow for a second tier of organization within kitchen drawers. A utensil divider has specific utensils outlined, reserving the exact space, while the tool is being used.

Much like a tri-fold brochure extends onto three reading panels, multi-storage pantries and cabinets offer multiple areas to store dry goods and kitchen equipment. Whether the storage is placed on the cabinet door itself, expanding upon opening, or the pantry pulls-out out from the wall in one long shelf, multi-storage pantries and cabinets are a smart way to use precious space.

Add a storage unit to the inside of a cabinet door. This is a perfect solution for storing everyday cleaning supplies, moving them underneath the sink, to the inside of the cabinet door.

Pull-out wastebaskets can ease recycling and trash headaches by neatly hiding inside a cabinet, with receptacles being divided into several sections for each specific recyclable. Junk mail piles can also be eliminated by making one section a catch for paper to be shredded.

Want more countertop space? Try installing a paper towel holder underneath a cabinet, an integrated breadbox lid inside a deep drawer or tiered shelving for organizing spices and oils, or move small appliances like the microwave behind a large cabinet door.

The sound of stemware clanging together in a cabinet is alarming. A better way, more accessible and space observant, is to have stemware hang from a railing inside a specifically designed cabinet. By organizing stemware in this fashion, there is also extra room to keep wine nearby.

It’s not rocket science. It’s old school common sense - with clutter out of sight and items put away in specific places, your kitchen and home will instantly feel cleaner and more inviting. Plus, it’s always nice to be able to find something when you need it!

Michael Bannon is the owner and principal designer of Signature Kitchens of Saratoga, whose design work was recently featured in the July/August 2007 issue of Kitchen and Bath Ideas by Better Homes and Gardens. For more information logon to www.signaturekitchens.com or visit the design studio is located at 4285 Route 50, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Please call for your initial studio appointment: 580-4546.