Get Control of Your Kitchen Space
Sometimes they cite the fact that they must share kitchen space with others, especially messy children. Or they cite that this all-important room is organized by someone else, like a spouse or even the previous owner so it does not fit the way they want it to be.
Frequently, however, it happens because we simply don’t have the time to make the space better for ourselves to work in. Certainly, finding the time just to prepare a proper meal can be pretty difficult without also taking on the job of total reorganization as well.
Obviously, if you have the money and time, then you may want to invest it in a professional-style kitchen remodeling. There, you get more than just organization. If you own your home, then you can increase the value of the property significantly – sometimes by as much as $6,000 to $20,000 – just based on the existence of an updated, great looking kitchen. But today, not everyone has the resources, financial or otherwise, to commit to a major makeover project.
For many of us, the answer may lie in spending 10-15 minutes each time we’re in the kitchen to improve its usefulness for us. Once you begin to analyze the space, you can make decisions about what you need to do beyond simply moving junk from one counter into a cabinet to hide it since there may be a better way.
Your first task is to take a long, hard look at the space you have. As you perform your survey, look first for wasted space that can be converted back into something far more useful. Are you short on cabinet space which makes you pile everything from appliances to canned and packaged foods on countertops? If so, perhaps you need to add cabinets.
One affordable solution for this is to buy an unfinished wood or laminate multiple shelf pantry which can be as low as $149-$249. But if even that is out of your price range, consider where you might be able to add some shelves to give you some room to store items you need to keep in the kitchen. You can also look to rooms adjacent to the kitchen; perhaps you have some space there where you can move lesser used items from the kitchen so your primary work area is not so cluttered.
Next, take a very good look at what appliances sit there unused. We as Americans are gadget conscious and sometimes, this is no more obvious than in a kitchen. Before I reorganized, my limited counter space was taken up by goodies like a sandwich maker, a crock pot, and an extra coffee pot that were used less than once a week. In fact, this makes a good rule: any appliance that is not in almost daily use does not require space on your counters. The only exception to this would be a particularly heavy appliance but those tend to be few and far between.
Once you complete your survey, you can start to determine how best you can reorganize the space you have. Sometimes, as noted, this may mean creating extra space for yourself. But if you have sufficient room already, your job becomes maximizing your assets. For example, why have a roll of paper towel sitting on a busy counter when you can hang one or more paper towel holders in high-use areas? If you have under-counter cabinets that are long and deep but not divided, consider the purchase of organizer units from companies like Rubbermaid and others to convert the room into one that can hold more and with less complication.
