Spring Spruce Up in the Kitchen: Decluttering

Having a simple, non-cluttered kitchen is inviting and makes you feel good to be in there. It also makes it easier to find things, use things, and prepare meals!

When we first moved into this house and found out that it had no food pantry and only 10 cabinets in which to store everything, including food, we bought this black wire shelving unit to keep things on. Its what I saw in neighbors' homes who have similar kitchen predicaments.

At first I was so happy to have a place to store things that I thought it was great. But after the months started going by, I felt more and more cluttered with being able to see all of that "stuff". I was determined to make it all go away somehow.

First, I took an honest look at how often I use things that I keep in easy reach. For example, I have a big bulky bread maker that I used to keep out because I "really should make bread more often". But I never did! So I stored that sucker high in the top of one of my larger cabinets. So I did an inventory and stored what I could out of the way and behind cabinet doors.

Second, I rearranged the way that I store food so that I didn't need the shelving unit for food storage.

Third, I truly did need some type of extra storage, so I gave up the armoire that I used for a television in my bedroom (which I don't really need), to use in the kitchen. Its the perfect microwave stand and I use the upper shelf for my cookbooks. In the bottom cabinets, I have some appliances that had no where else to go, as well as a bucket filled with handy items such as: aluminum foil, ziplock bags, and packs of light bulbs.

The armoire is in the same corner where the shelving unit was - what a difference!

Armoires, china cabinets, and hutches are great for extra storage in the kitchen. I used to think that these pieces of furniture were just too bulky for a kitchen, especially a small one. But giving up a little space to a beautiful piece of furniture rather than having clutter everywhere is a great trade-off! (And yes, that shelving unit took up a huge amount of space anyway!)



Be sure to check out yesterday's Spring Spruce Up in the Kitchen if you missed it, and come back tomorrow for another one! Then on Thursday, we'll have a link-up where you can put your own Spring Spruce Up tips, ideas, or experiences.

This post is part of the Spring Spruce Up series. Check out other rooms of the home at participating blogs!: 

Sprucing Up the Laundry Room | Mama’s Laundry Talk
Sprucing Up the School Room | Homegrown Mom
Sprucing Up the Craft Room | Many Little Blessings
Sprucing Up the Bathroom | Feels Like Home
Sprucing Up the Playroom | …Life’s About a Dream
Sprucing Up the Garage/Storage Space | A Slob Comes Clean
Sprucing Up the Master Bedroom | Raising Arrows
Sprucing Up Your Homeschool | Jimmie’s Collage
Sprucing Up the Kitchen | So Happy Together
Sprucing Up the Garden | An Oregon Cottage
Sprucing Up the Backyard | Successful Homeschooling