Finding time for real home cooking can be a challenge at the end of busy working days, or during hectic family weekends. Everyone loves a good home cooked meal though, so creating kitchen space that invites culinary creativity is a great venture.
Clear Work Surfaces
Banish all gadgets and utensils from worktop or counter storage. The only things that should live there permanently are those you use every day — ideally several times a day. Items like your coffee machine, your kettle or the toaster can stay out on display. Everything else, from mug racks to condiment jars, should be put elsewhere.
A rolling island will fit in most kitchen spaces since most are quite small. With the added advantage that it doesn’t need to be in the middle of the kitchen when you don’t need it, it provides additional work and storage space. If you love baking, dedicate it to cake tins and cake decorating kit. Rolling islands are versatile enough to solve many storage and space problems.
When you can get straight on with cooking without having to first clear a space, you can rustle up tempting morsels whenever the impulse strikes. And it makes routine cooking quicker and easier too.
Maximise Vertical Space
Vertical space is anything that runs from top to bottom, so it could be an entire wall, the space above wall units, narrow gaps between the fridge and the wall, or even the ends of a run of floor cabinets. These areas are nearly always ignored, yet provide acres of additional storage.
- On the ends of cabinets, create plate racks by fitting a narrow shelf with a narrow rail in front of it. On the shelf, you could stand up platters or cutting boards, cookbooks or spice jars, with everything held in place by the rail.
- Between appliances (or cabinets) and the wall, fit pull out storage racks or trays. Tall and narrow, they make good storage areas for tinned goods, bottles and jars. Some you can buy readymade, while others may take a few DIY skills.
- The tops of wall units (if your cupboards don’t reach the ceiling) are good display areas. Since most are out of easy reach, reserve these spots for decorative items. It may not create convenient storage in itself, but offers a place where you can display items normally kept in cupboards, so freeing up the cupboard space for items you use frequently.
Divide and Conquer
No matter how much cupboard space or counter area we have, there’s always a need for more. Cooking tends to go in cycles, with interests ebbing and flowing over time. As cooking equipment is expensive, and can also be bulky, keeping it all at home takes up space many of us don’t have.
If you find your cupboards are full of gadgets and machinery you don’t use (but know you’ll want them again at some time), why not rent storage space and clear them temporarily out of your kitchen? Self storage units are usually handily located, so retrieving items takes little time, and the rooms come in all sizes (even large lockers). Bread makers, dry fryers, espresso machines or food processors are some examples of gadgets that go through phases of use, and which are difficult to store at home.
The kitchen is said to be the heart of the home, and organised storage helps to make it a welcoming space that family and friends will love.