by The Organizer Lady dot com on November 5, 2009
The kitchen is often the center of a family home, with people gathering there to do many activities in addition to cooking and eating. The more organized your kitchen is, the more inviting it will be.
Take a quick inventory of your kitchen supplies. Are there items that you have unnecessary duplicates of that you don’t really need? If so, get rid of them. You can either save them for a garage sale, or give them away. Then sort your kitchen items by use and size.
There are a few simple changes that you can make to your kitchen to help with storage and organization. Many items don’t fit well in the cupboards. By hanging them from a frame with hooks, attached to the ceiling, it not only saves precious shelf space but also makes the pots and pans more accessible. There are many nice designs you can purchase that will fit with most any décor; many of them have a cast iron or stainless look. You can also make a simple one with a wood frame, dowel rods and hooks. They can be mounted above the stove or an island.
The way your kitchen is laid out will have an impact in how you organize your tools and cooking supplies. An island offers a wonderful workspace that also provides a good deal of storage. Sometimes you can find small islands on wheels that can be kept in a cupboard or pantry and only brought out when needed. These can be a great addition to a smaller kitchen.
Storing your bakewear near the oven is a logical thing to do. Sometimes the stove itself will have a storage drawer in the base where you can keep cookie sheets. Your other baking supplies like spatulas, wooden spoons, and sprinkles, can be stored in drawers near the oven, too.
It is also a good idea to store your dishes, glassware and silverware near the dishwasher or sink. This reduces the amount of time it takes to put things away after washing. There are many cupboard organizers that can help maximize your space for storing your dishes as well. There are mug trees and hooks that can help organize all the mugs and coffee cups.
There are many organization and storage units that can help increase your storage space. Even an extra set of shelves on top of the cabinet can increase your space. Canisters can help keep your baking supplies not only looking nice, but staying fresh longer. Open canisters also make a great place to store larger utensils that don’t always fit well in the drawers.
Every kitchen is laid out a bit differently, so it may take some experimenting to see what sort of system works best for you. But once you establish a system, you might be surprised at how much more organized your kitchen is and how much time you’ll save in preparing meals for your family.
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by The Organizer Lady dot com on October 23, 2009
by The Organizer Lady dot com on October 12, 2009
by The Organizer Lady dot com on December 5, 2008
By Amanda Bashore
One of the most common rooms in the home where space is often lacking is the kitchen. The kitchen serves as such a multi-functional room there never seems to be enough space for everything. This is why it’s a good idea to do a little organization and planning to turn your kitchen into a space that works for you.
Start by making your kitchen look and feel more pleasing by adding such things as oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware, and update the door knobs and locksets. Making your kitchen visually appealing is important because if you like the way your kitchen looks and makes you feel when you’re in it, you’ll enjoy the time you spend there. Include oil rubbed bronze cabinet pulls, and paint your kitchen in a light color to give it an open and bright feeling.
Creating a kitchen that works for you means choosing furnishings and household appliances that are tailored to suit your specific needs. In other words don’t buy a large dishwasher if you live alone or a small refrigerator if you have a big family. Study your needs before you update your kitchen and buy according to your needs and not necessarily the latest trends.
If your kitchen and dining area are two separate spaces, consider removing the dividing wall if possible. You’ll not only gain a small amount of added space and an open and attractive visual effect but you’ll make it a lot easier to navigate between the two spaces, setting the table and interacting with the rest of the family.
If you are part of a couple with no children or live alone, another good option might be to change the kitchen or dining room table for a breakfast bar, you can use the space for eating and simplify the job of cleaning, and the more intimate space can make for enjoyable meals, The added bonus is that you can also use the bar for extra counter space.
Planned Spaces Keep You Organized
It’s important to organize items in your kitchen according to how much you use them. Most kitchens have a lot of out of the way spaces either too high or low for easy access. These are excellent spaces for storing all your infrequently used things like holiday dishes and rarely used small appliances.
Add a freestanding pantry if you have the space. You can purchase these ready-made and match them to your kitchen by adding the same oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware and oil rubbed bronze cabinet pulls as you have on the rest of your cabinetry.
Before starting a remodeling project or even rearranging your kitchen, plan out your spaces. Decide what will go where for food storage, what areas will be used for food preparation and what spaces will be dedicated to storage for small appliances.
Maintaining this order and having a place for everything in your kitchen will not only make your work less tedious and more enjoyable but may also serve to help limit unnecessary purchases of “gadgets” because you’ll be better able to find and make use of the kitchen tools you already have.
It may be a bit difficult, especially if you enjoy cooking… or even eating, but when shopping get only what you need. This is especially useful if you have limited storage space because you won’t find yourself trying to jam all that extra food into every nook and cranny in the kitchen.
Avoid buying a small appliance simply because you like the looks of it. It will most likely end up being something that you don’t need or might use only a time or two only to relegate it to the back of a top shelf in the cabinet. Think first about your cooking and eating habits and what your needs really are.
By making just a few changes to your kitchen, not only functional but visual such as adding oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware, oil rubbed bronze cabinet pulls, door knobs and locksets along with doing some serious organizing, you can create a kitchen that works for you.
About the author:
Amanda works for Your Home Supply (YHS) the definitive website for home improvement tools, and gardening supplies. Your Home Supply offers a wide range of products to help customers with common household repairs, as well as decorative accessories for the home. Visit them now at http://www.YourHomeSupply.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Bashore
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by The Organizer Lady dot com on May 10, 2008
Our kitchens are often the busiest room in our homes. From cooking and entertaining to a place for your kids to do their homework, play board games or work on their arts and crafts projects, it can be easily overrun with art supplies, outdated spices and unused or damaged utensils. Having an organized kitchen can help simply your life when your kitchen is the used so often for so many things.
Go through your kitchen and discard anything you don’t use, along with any food, spices or medicines kept in the kitchen that are beyond their expiration dates. Then take everything out of your cupboards and drawers, and wash the insides with warm soapy water. Rinse, let dry and replace cupboard and drawer liners with fresh, new ones.
Store pots, pans and cooking utensils near the stove, nesting the pots and pans together to conserve space. Make sure each one you choose to keep has a matching lid. This is also a good time to make sure handles are securely fastened, so keep a screwdriver handy to tighten down skillet handles or pot lids if necessary.
Keep your dishes and silverware near your eating area or your dishwasher to shorten meal preparation and cleanup time. Plastic storage containers should be inventoried to ensure each has a matching lid and that they are free from cracks or other damage. Store them near your refrigerator to ease meal cleanup time.
Store food items and spices that you use on a daily in a place you can easily grab them when needed. Having a revolving spice rack for your most used spices saves time in searching for the ones you want and it organizes them neatly. Utilize airtight food storage containers to lengthen the shelf life of your foods.
Organize your pantry so that similar canned goods are in the same place and can be found easily and quickly when it’s time to cook meals. Make sure your children can easily reach items they use on a regular basis. Also make sure items such as knives, scissors, and household chemicals are out of reach of small children.
If you have small appliances on your kitchen counter top that you don’t use on a regular basis, remove them and store there in a nearby storage cupboard or pantry. Use the counter top for those appliances that are used on a regular basis and store the not as used items to help reduce the counter top clutter.
Organizing your kitchen gives it a neat and appearance, plus it reduces clutter and helps maintain an organized home, thus simplifying your life.
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