Make The Most of Your Small Kitchen
What does this post have to do with writing?
Nothing, if you’ve transcended the need for sustenance. But if you’re like me, and woefully still chained to this mortal plane with all its grievances, at some point you’re probably going to have to cook. And you can save a lot of money–not to mention time, which could be spent on your writing–if your cooking space is organized.
Not to mention, many of us artistic types tend to live in small spaces. Which makes the need for organization all that much more acute. Our family’s house is about 2,000 square feet, with an unfinished basement. We have one outbuilding, which is a shed for gardening tools. Other than that, we’ve got to make it fit–and I cook. A lot.
First, figure out what you need and what you don’t. Get rid of what you don’t: throw it out, resell it, or give it away. Clutter is the enemy of organization, and the more stuff you hang onto that you never use, or might someday use, or feel too guilty to get rid of, the harder of a time you’re going to have putting your hands on the things you actually do need. The goal of any organizational scheme should be to make things easy: easy to find, easy to access, easy to replace to its proper spot.
Which is why, for me, a big part of organization–in the kitchen, at least–is getting everything out in the open and clearly visible. I hate rooting around in drawers. And being able to just grab something off the wall saves time. I know, at a glance, what’s where, what’s clean (or still in the dishwasher), etc. Also, too, once you pass a certain point as far as kitchen implements go it’s easy to lose track of what you have. High visibility means a much lower chance of forgetting–and of ending up with (accidental) multiples. Yes, you need a set of biscuit cutters (if you’re me), but how many different sets do you need?
If possible, invest in some secondary storage. Both our hutch and our kitchen island (part of the FLYTTA series, from IKEA) help to make up for the lack of cabinet space. I find this island particularly useful, because everything inside is (again) clearly visible. It’s also large enough to add meaningful work space. Which, unfortunately, many kitchen islands sized for smaller spaces aren’t.
A number of different companies (this one came from Walter Drake) make these clever narrow “use every square inch”-type pieces. Keeping food neat and in place on this one are a selection of replacement fridge/freezer bins purchased online. No more sliding around, or falling off shelves! The baskets were also purchased online and, like the utensils on the kitchen cart, were hung with hooks from IKEA’s BYGEL series.
Note: I keep only those ingredients I plan on using within the next week or so on hand in the kitchen. We have over a year’s worth of food storage in our basement. Which I do rotate.
Get it off the counter and onto the wall! Vertical spaces are usually underutilized for storage. But since nothing in our kitchen “lives” on a prep surface, there’s never any need to move things out of the way to create extra space. An added bonus, as far as our “fruit bowl,” is that the baskets help to circulate air, keeping produce fresher, longer.
Yes, our cats eat on the hutch. Otherwise they get no peace from the dog. Who, incidentally, seems to think he’s also a cat.
For those of you who do have cats, possibly the best cat-related investment I’ve ever made (apart from my actual cats) is the Cat Genie. The cats love it, we love it, and the basement is so much more pleasant to be in now that there’s never any smell of cat urine. Or cat-related anything. Because, let’s face it, no matter how clean you keep the litter box it’s never really all that fresh-smelling. Which, again, can serve to draw attention to the fact that you’re living in a small house. Which…really shouldn’t feel like a punishment.
And trust me: the neater and more organized your living space is, the easier it is to be creative.
Questions, comments, concerns?
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