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I’ll be the first to admit, that as much as I spend time in my kitchen, I wish I had more space. Our home is an open concept with the kitchen, living, and dining in the main room. It’s adorable and cozy, but having a little more counter, drawer, cabinet, and pantry space wouldn’t be so bad. But, our reality is making this home the best it can be until we decide it’s time to move.
So, I’ve taken some time to organize and reorganize my kitchen to make the most of its space. However, like anything in a home, it requires daily, weekly, and monthly upkeep to make sure it stays clutter-free and functional for my husband and I. Today, I am sharing my top five tips for keeping my tiny kitchen organized.
Declutter Day
At least every three months, I have a “declutter day” where I go through the pantry, fridge, and cabinets to check dates and other items that may not belong in the kitchen. It’s tempting with so many cute items at Target or Walmart to buy new things throughout the year, but it’s not worth the space or the budget. If I do purchase for the kitchen, I buy it with intention and purpose because I know eventually I’m going to declutter. I also limit unnecessary dishes, cups, and so on. We keep only the number of to-go coffee cups and bottles, and only what we need to keep our kitchen functional. My best suggestion to start decluttering your kitchen, is to sort through utensils, cookware, and gadgets, keeping only what is essential and donating or discarding the rest. This creates a clean slate for the organization process and ensures that each item has a purpose.
A Place for Everything
We maximize space in the kitchen with strategic organization items. For example, we keep a basket in our small pantry closet for potatoes and onions, and there is only one shelf in our cabinet dedicated to canned foods. I also have a rotating cabinet just for dry pantry goods with clear containers and labels to boot. Lastly, our drawers are pretty strategic since we only have four large ones. Those are organized with bamboo organizers for utensils, gadgets, Ziploc bags, and more.
Daily Maintenance
I plan our meals based on a monthly schedule, so I know that I can do grocery shopping every week or two. Planning our meals monthly helps the budget, but it also means I am cooking frequently and/or using the kitchen daily. Do I mind it? No! But with it comes daily maintenance like wiping down the counters, stove, and dishes, and keeping the used ingredients off the counter. It’s easy doing this process because everything has a place. While cooking and prepping dinner, I keep the dishes cleaned and in the dishwasher along with my counters wiped clean as I go. Mostly because I can’t stand a cluttered kitchen or dirty dishes, everything stays well-maintained throughout the cooking and prep process. What helps my husband and I keep our kitchen maintained, is we make sure things are cleaned and we keep our regular cleaning schedule every week with nightly wipe downs and dishes done. We both keep habits that help with our daily maintenance so our mornings don’t feel rushed, cluttered, and weighted down with last night’s clean-up.
Functional and Aesthetic Design
One of my pet peeves is mismatched items in my kitchen. I like my plates, glasses, and other items to have a seamless aesthetic for functionality but also because I want to enjoy what we use in the kitchen. Have you ever bought something and I didn’t fit in and then you grow tired of it? I’ve been there too many times and finally settled on a style and theme that I thoroughly enjoy. Because of that, I make better purchases should I choose to replace something or add something. My husband bought me a quality cookware set that adds elegance and helps in the long run without replacing pots and pans randomly. We also have a theme with organization items like bamboo, wood, and black wire throughout our space to match our stainless steel appliances and tools.
Get Creative
I felt overwhelmed when I first moved into my home and realized just how small my kitchen was. I was used to a large kitchen with lots of space, but over the years I have grown to love my space in this season. I get creative with what we buy, how we store, and what we use. Plus, I have learned that contentment is the most of any home. No matter how big or small your space is, learn to be content with where you are and what you have.
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