Downsize your kitchen
When you downsize your kitchen it isn’t so much about the number of things you own. It’s more about paring down to the essentials and finding happiness in owning less. Since downsizing a year ago, the room that has taught me this the most is the kitchen. My cabinets were cut by 75 percent and I was forced to get rid of a lot of things I thought I couldn’t live without. Guess what? I miss none of it and my kitchen runs much more efficiently than ever before. Here are the areas that can be easily streamlined.
Plates, bowls, and glasses
Believe it or not, you never really need more than EIGHT plates and EIGHT bowls. I love to host but honestly it’s not often I have more then eight guests, and if I do, there is always disposable plateware. Bowls are my favorite, so I allow myself 2 sizes, 4 bowls each. These dishes, along with a couple of stackable mixing bowls, take up one cabinet.
Coffee mugs
Coffee mugs are another weakness. I find myself buying mugs for different places we travel and I like really BIG mugs. They get to take up a full cabinet shelf which allows for about 12 total. If I’m honest the back row is hardly ever used. When a new one is purchased I have to decide which one gets replaced and donated. It goes without saying, if one gets chipped, I throw it out.
Pots and pans
When packing up my old house, I was shocked by how many pots and pans I didn’t even recognize. You will never use more than 3 pots and 3 pans no matter how big your meal is. Hopefully these pots and pans are nonstick and have lids. The rest can be donated. If you have a wok, you don’t need one. A large pan works just as well.
Baking dishes and cookie sheets
You need 3 cookie sheets and 3 different size casserole dishes. In addition to those, I own a muffin pan, a pie dish, and a loaf pan that I periodically use. I love the casserole dishes with lids. That way you can make things ahead or take them to a party.
Utensils and Knives
In my old house, I had an entire drawer full of knives, which I’m pretty sure I never used. Whether you are chopping vegetables, cutting bread, or carving meat, ONE good set of knives is all you need. Other eating utensils can also be paired down. Our plates and bowls are down to eight, so forks, knives, and spoons can really pair down to sets of twelve. Guess what else? You do NOT need a knife block. It just clutters up your counter.
Kitchen gadgets
This category creates the most space and helps declutter the counters almost immediately. Believe it or not, you do not need a popcorn machine, bread maker, kitchen aid mixer, juicer, espresso machine, grilled cheese maker, rice maker, or panini press. Those are all fun but can be done with items you already own. A toaster oven is another space robber. Instead keep a regular toaster tucked away in a lower cabinet. The one thing I did have trouble saying goodbye to was my crockpot so I chose to store it high up in my pantry just in case!
The junk Drawer
For years I have tried to eliminate this drawer, but have decided everyone needs ONE kitchen junk drawer. The key is to audit it often and be honest about what needs to go in the trash. Keys you’ve never seen, old menus you can pull up online, and dried up markers need to go. Get drawer organizers and keep categories together.
there is always overflow
What do I do with my Tupperware? How about those water bottles? What about serving platters for parties? Although I had no space for these things in my immediate kitchen cabinets, I found homes for them in my walk-in pantry. They can go up high as long as you know they are there and label them. My Tupperware which I use often has a home in three plastic bins organized by size and all with matching lids.
the open shelf addition
In the end, after letting go of lots of items, I did still have some bowls, vases, pitchers, and kitchen knick knacks that no longer had a home. The answer was to buy a cheap glass door cabinet at IKEA, place it across from the kitchen and treat it as my open shelves. In it I put flow over dishes (just in case I do have a dinner party for 12), and some of the things I could not bring myself to get rid of. The dishes are mixed with my favorite cookbooks along with some plants and special mementos I wanted to hold onto. You need to be the final person to decide what is important to you If they are things that you use often, hold onto them.