A few years back we visited a chef friend in Colorado. Tom makes his own pasta, bread, and grows a garden of herbs and greens. What really impressed us, though, was the organization of his kitchen. He schooled us on the finer points of “Proximity in the Kitchen.”  It goes like this:

Optimize efficiency in the kitchen:

1. Sit in your kitchen for a few minutes making a list of the things you often prepare. (Mine is something like this: Coffee and toast in the a.m.; packing sandwiches for lunch; overall chop/prep for dinner; weekend baking.)
2. Organize your kitchen into zones: The Breakfast Zone, the Baking Zone, The Prep Zone, etc.
3. Pull everything out of the cabinets and place on the kitchen table (or floor) into groupings according to the Zones you have determined. Toaster and coffee machine; measuring cups, bowls, flower and sugars; knives and cutting boards, etc.
4. Put everything back into the Zones. (Do not~yet~reshelve anything you haven’t used in a year or more. When you are done replacing all the things you use often, tuck the things you use less often in the harder-to-reach cabinets or give that stuff away!)

The Coffee Station

Group the grinder, coffee maker, cups, spoons, sugar bowl and creamer pitcher, coffee, tea, honey and anything else you use to make a delectable drink on a large tray and stash on a shelf or put on the counter for display. TIP: The tray makes clean up easy…just move the tray and wipe up a mess! (Mine coffee station is on a tray in a big cubby hole in a piece of furniture in the kitchen. It’s easy to access and looks good.)

The Baking Zone

Put all flour, sugars, baking soda/powders, chocolates, measuring cups, bowls and baking dishes into one cabinet above/below the largest work space. Since baking routinely takes the most space put everything you need within arm’s reach. (One friend of mine who is especially fond of baking converted an alcove near the kitchen into a baking station~go here to read her blog about it.)

“Sharps” Drawer, or “Sharps” Magnet

Tom has a wide selection of knives and has them off the counter and safely put away in a drawer near his chopping block. Now, I am short on counter space so I opted for a magnetic knife holder. (Those knife blocks are inefficient; they take up way too much room and don’t assist in the choosing of the proper knife.) A Sharps Drawer/Bar displays the blades for the perfect choice the first time.

Spice Drawer

Another must-have-for-efficiency is a spice drawer. Those carousels are messy and spices are hard to find. The top drawer directly adjacent the range is the place for spices. Line the drawer with non-skid mat to keep the little jars from scooting around. (Here’s one at Target.)

Handy Cooking Tray

On the counter next to the range-top put a pretty tray or plate with all the essentials: olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, garlic press, and taster spoons. The tray or plate makes it easy to move and wipe up after making dinner.

Less steps = less time = greater efficiency = more fun in the kitchen!

Until Tomorrow~Sarah

My husband plays guitar, and I love it. What I am not fond of is the messy-mess his this-and-thats make of the living room. Since I would never discourage his hobby by moving him into a back room (where~by the way~I couldn’t enjoy his renditions of AC/DC’s “Rock n Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”), I would rather contain his papers and small equipment in a neat package.

I literally measured the pile and went shopping. I found a box at a cute resale/antique shop in my neighborhood called Everything Goes. The box is so unassuming it sits right where the mess was before and looks great!

I hope you are having a wonderful Summer so far!

Until Tomorrow~Sarah

Organize and Hide a Mess in your Home:

1. Limit to one subject per container. That way, picking up and keeping organized is quick and easy.
2. Measure clutter to determine what size box. A flexible tape measure works best, but anything will do (even a piece of string!) And, be sure to tuck the measurements in your purse so you can refer to it at a moment’s notice while out and about.
3. Find a box with handles. This helps when it’s time to move for dusting or to just get out of the way.
4. Clutter contained. Ahhhh!