Research shows that the kitchen is the most used room in your house. The kitchen is the core and heart of your home. That is one of the main reasons why creating a minimal kitchen is essential to living a minimal and simplified life.
Think of how it makes you feel, to walk into your kitchen when it’s a mess. Dishes piled up in the sink. Counter’s covered with clutter, etc. Now think of how you would feel if you walked into your kitchen with the sink completely empty and clean, the counter cleared off with as much space open as there can be, and every dish is put away. You feel peaceful. Yes, the living room might have some toys on the ground, and laundry needs to be done. But the feeling of a minimal and simple kitchen is vital to creating a minimal lifestyle.
No matter how big or small your kitchen is. You can create a minimal and functional kitchen that works for you. Let’s learn 12-step simple steps to creating and maintaining a minimal kitchen.
1.) RID OF CLUTTER
Take a look at your kitchen. Start with the counters. Go through and get rid of the clutter. These are considered to be small appliances that aren’t often used, decorative pitchers or plates, small plants, vases, etc. If it’s something you use but does not necessarily have to be stored on the counter, place it away out of site. Eliminating visual clutter in your kitchen is one of the MOST important steps in curating a minimal kitchen.
2.) THE RIGHT SPOT
Take a once over at your kitchen and notice where you have items located. Try and think “is this space making it easier or harder for me?”. For example, are the utensils far away from the stove, or are spices located in an area that’s inconvenient to grab when you’re cooking? This might take some rearranging, but make your space work FOR you and not against you.
3.) Hiding Away Daily Appliances
Oftentimes, we leave out daily appliances that are utilized once a day at most. Coffee maker, toaster, spice rack, etc. For 1% of your day, these pieces are getting utilized, and 99% of the day they are taking up precious space on your counter and causing clutter.
Now, I don’t go crazy. I use our coffee machine at least 2x per day. So, hiding that away would be unnecessary for me. But the blender or toaster that I use once a day can be placed away and pulled out only when I need it. This is why I say make your space work for you.
4.) Say No To Extra
When the kitchen is the main focal point of your home. It’s easy to become a “catch-all” space. It’s important to say no to extra. This included schoolwork, extra papers, and toys. Whatever it may be, you know what I’m talking about. The items that make their way into the kitchen that does not belong.
5.) How Many Dishes?
I use the rule of thumb to have one plate per individual that lives there and 2-4 extra for guests. If you feel like this method is extreme. I encourage you to place away the extra plates you think you “need” after 6 months to a year. See if you needed them. Most likely you won’t. Use this rule of thumb for bowls, etc.
6.) Cups, Mugs, & Water Bottles
You need one per person. That’s it. One mug, one water bottle, and one cup per person.
7.) Pots & Pans
You only need one of each. when assessing your kitchen you might realize you have 4 pie dishes. Unless you’re a baker, there’s no reason for 4 pie dishes. Take inventory of what you have and get rid of what you do not utilize.
You could also have two or more of the same type of item that isn’t the same but similar. Like a kitchen aide mixer. This was an item I HAD to have on my wedding registry. Do I ever use it? Maybe once a year or less. I would grab my hand mixer if I need to mix something. This is a good example of items that you can get rid of that are similar but not exactly the same.
8.) Utensils & Silverware
Go through your utensil & silverware drawer and keep only what you need. Especially in regard to utensils. Keep one of each. Duplicate items take up space and prevent you from obtaining a minimal kitchen.
9.) Do Not Overstock On Groceries
When shopping, try to only shop for what you need. It’s easy for us to buy in bulk. Listen, I love a good deal just as much as you do. When we buy in bulk, we also have to store that in our homes. Even though we most likely will use it. That does not stop it from creating temporary clutter in our home and taking up extra space.
Have a designated shopping day. We get all our groceries for the week on Sunday. Try to find a system you can stick to that works for you.
Another tip: Having a designated container or jar for your groceries will help you from overspending on groceries. I know it’s very trendy and can get pricey to buy clear bins or glass jars for your food. With the popularity of organizing nowadays. There are a lot of cheap options you can find. Even the dollar store has some quality items I found to help store our food.
10.) What To Purge?
Go through your kitchen when you’re starting to simplify and see what haven’t you used in the past 6 months-1 year. You’ll be surprised! Chances are, you most likely will not use these items in the future 6-12 months. So get rid of them. As mentioned before. Get rid of all duplicate items in your kitchen.
11.) Color Scheme
We are visual creatures. Creating a simplified kitchen might also mean changing the colors. If you gave too many different colors going on in your kitchen. That’s overstimulating to the eye. Try using a color that is soothing and minimal. The color most often used is white. But you’re safe if you stick to neutral colors.
12.) Go To Bed With A Clean Kitchen
This is ESSENTIAL to how you feel first thing in the morning. Cleaning up your kitchen the night before is crucial to how you set up your day. When you create a minimal kitchen, the clean-up the night before takes a few minutes. Set your day up for success the night before.
I hope this was helpful. Implementing these steps will help you create the minimal and simple kitchen you desire. Comment below if you have any questions. I would love to help!