My military dad raised me with this simple European approach to organizing – it instantly made cooking in my tiny kitchen easier

A living room with floor-to-ceiling white bookshelves behind two rattan wicker arm chairs with green cushions. .

In my small rental home, when the organization goes sideways in my small kitchen, functionality is quickly lost. Recently in need of a better system, I recalled the German concept of Ordnung Muss Sein, which I learned about as a child through my military dad.

This famous phrase, translating to ‘there must be order’ though now somewhat of a cultural cliche, speaks to the strict adherence to rules that many Germans live by, including my parents when they lived in Berlin.