I had this idea come to me to write about kitchen organization, because I end up spending a fair amount of time in my kitchen. In fact, we ended up purchasing this house, because it had an amazing kitchen. Now, I am not an amazing cook, but just like any other wife and mother, you find yourself in the kitchen more than you ever anticipated. With that being said, I think it is important to think through how that space is organized and how to make that work for you.
Organizing the Space
If you have cabinets - how are they organized. Are things easy to reach? Do you have items in drawers or on shelves that you reach for frequently? Is it easy for you to end items put away?
Where is the space for drying dishes after they are washed? Is it out of the way or are you constantly moving around them?
Do you have a pantry? How is that space laid out?
Do you have a dishwasher or a garbage disposal? If that is a no, how big is your trashcan and is it close to where you need to access it?
I am sure that you have thought through some of these questions, but if you haven’t maybe you can think about the flow in your kitchen space. For example, our house in Noblesville, IN didn’t have a garbage disposal so I positioned the trash can right next to the sink so I could easily scrap dishes into the trash and then place them in the sink to wash. In our house in Broad Ripple, we didn’t have a walk in pantry so we used cabinets that were at the end of the kitchen space and put dishes closer to the dishwasher to help with ease of putting things away. You are going to feel more comfortable and enjoy being in your kitchen if things are laid out in a way that works for you and your lifestyle.
As you are thinking through where things go in the kitchen area, think about how you are storing your food items. This is important because sometimes it makes sense to take the time to cut up produce or open it and store it in different containers. Often this might take some time on the front end to open things up and then “repackage” them, but it might save time or be more helpful on the back end. For example, you might find that you like having your dry goods in airtight containers. That is helpful because it allows you to see what is the left, you can get rid of the plastic/cardboard packaging and you are able to use what you know you have available to you.
As we are all navigating this COVID-19 world and we find ourselves spending more time at home, I think it is important for our sanity and just overall well-being to enjoy the spaces we are living within. Hopefully you can find some ways to make your kitchen flow better for you and make you happy to spend time there.
