November Monthly Room Challenge - Kitchen - Page 2

[bignerpie]

I am so glad to see this thread. I did a whole house declutter earlier this year before my daughter was born, but I conveniently skipped over the kitchen.  That is my weak spot. I need some serious help! I have collected so much kitchen stuff, and I'm not crazy about the way I have it organized. And since my daughter was born, cleaning the kitchen means doing dishes and wiping down the countertops.... I feel gross walking on the floor in bare feet! Yuck.

I need to

• run the self-cleaner on the oven
• mop the floor
• clean out/organize my cleaning supply closet. I had it looking great, but my husband keeps buying commercial cleaners and cluttering it up.
• wash curtain and clean window
• wash rugs
• re-organize cabinets
• clean out pantry
• wipe down cabinet doors

Here's some pictures. This is exactly what my kitchen looks like at this exact minute. I didn't touch it before taking pics. This is more cluttered than normal because I made applesauce and apple butter last night, along with freezing about 4 dozen green peppers. So, my kitchen is trashed.

What I really need help with is organizing the cabinets. I tried to make "stations" like having my baking stuff near the oven and my pans and canning stuff near the cooktop, but now everything is just shoved everywhere. What I really need to do is go through the cabinets and get rid of stuff I don't use. I never use my bread machine, but I have a sentimental attachment to it. This is going to  be hard. 

[sk8boarder15]

Originally Posted by bignerpie 

Here's some pictures. This is exactly what my kitchen looks like at this exact minute. I didn't touch it before taking pics. This is more cluttered than normal because I made applesauce and apple butter last night, along with freezing about 4 dozen green peppers. So, my kitchen is trashed.

If yours is trashed, what is mine!? 0.0  Mine is currently WORSE than in the pictures. 

As for a plan... I don't have one. I need one... but life with a toddler is so unpredicatble. One day he will happily go off and play by himslef, the next he needs me all day! 

[bignerpie]

Sorry , I get it from my grandma. She cannot leave one dirty dish in the sink. But you have not seen the rest of my house! The kitchen is the one place I keep relatively clean. The rest of the house? Not so much. My living room floor looks like a Jackson Pollock painting from all the stains. 

We actually remodeled the kitchen 4 years ago. This is what it used to look like.

That's the refrigerator on the right, which is technically in the dining room. We knocked the wall down that the cabinets are on and opened it up. It took an entire year. My husband hooked our stove up in the basement, and I washed dishes in the laundry tub! It was so worth it, though. We did everything ourselves, except installing the granite countertops. I designed the layout, and my goal was to have space for everything so nothing would have to sit on the counters. I hate looking at clutter. So that stuff that's sitting out in the first pictures of my kitchen really drive me crazy!!

[rubidoux]

Originally Posted by Olma 

I love the look of the cabinets in your kitchen!! It's a bit hard to make out the layout of your kitchen and to estimate measurement but I have a couple suggestions if you don't mind -- I have a renovation itch in me and I love projects like these. Is your Dh handy? Is there any way for you to switch places for the fridge with the cabinets with the cereal on the counter? That would make better use of that space, you could have the counter space to use next to the stove, the stove and the fridge won't clash that much. Besides, the fridge next to the oven is not good for the fridge, it takes more energy to operate the fridge near a heat source.

Depending on $$$ and again, how handy your hubby is, you could replace the sink -- they are really not that expensive and maybe the coutertop? When we redid our kitchen a while ago, we got some cheap butcher block cut to fit the sink and then varnished it with boat varnish to make it water proof. Came way off cheaper than any other counter top.  Dh installed it with no problems.

Have fun!

Thank you!  I have to be reminded that they are really great cabinets.  I forget that when I'm feeling frustrated by the other issues in there.

I don't think there's any way to move those cabinets, or if there is we're not *that* handy.  lol  I love the sound of your countertop!  Natural wood sounds so nice.  So, you were able to have the sink cut out for you, so you didn't have to do any cutting yourself?  We actually have the right tools to do it, but I feel like that would be the hard part.  And what kind of a store did you go to for the butcher block?  

Originally Posted by diana_of_the_dunes 

I'm having serious lust over your kitchen.  I vintage kitchens, and yours is so cute!  It looks like you have the original countertops and faucet...  And is that a cutting board?  *swoon*

I know what you mean about having the stove and fridge just plopped in the middle of the room.  My apartment was built in 1902 and had the same problem.  I wouldn't wall over the ironing board cabinet.  I think it would look less random if there was something on the wall next to it ot the right.  Maybe install some shallow open shelving or maybe a "message center" with a pinboard?  But if the space were less empty visually, it would look fine. 

Here's a link to someone who turned their ironing board cabinet into a spice cabinet: http://veganknitting.typepad.com/vegan_knittingand_then_so/2009/08/inspiring-summer-around-the-house.html

The same goes for your stove; it needs to look more built-in.  What if you moved the stand that holds the toaster oven to between the stove and fridge?  You'd have to find a new home for the toaster oven, but it would give you a little landing zone next to the stove.

I'm just totally thinking out loud here...  Feel free to ignore me! 

Thank you!  That cutting board was 10 bucks at IKEA!  I love that spice cabinet.  

I'm gonna measure that micro cart that the toaster oven is on when I get up.  I'm worried it'll be set back too far, though, like it's not as deep as the stove or fridge, kwim?  If it were exactly half as deep, though, I could see picking up another one of those carts.  I just saw them at IKEA a couple of months ago (we've had ours since 1999!).  We paid 35 for the floor model and I thought I was getting an awesome deal!  Little did I know I'd be dragging in through four states and using it for 12 plus years.  :)  Gosh, or maybe I'd need two more, lol, one for the toaster oven, too.  Hmmm...  Or maybe I could just put the toaster oven there between the stove and fridge.  
 

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 

Jayne - what did you find to clean the mold under the caulk line?  I have a bit of mold in our master shower and have tried TTO, Simple Green, baking soda, straight vinegar, GSE, but NOTHING is working.  I was thinking of just making a Borax paste and seeing if that worked.  I'd love to hear what you're going to do and find out if it works!  Our shower mold isn't that noticeable since we have dark granite in the space, but *I* see it every shower and it annoys the crap out of me.

I was just going to use the directions here (middle of page for mildew directions), but I don't know if it works.  I need to pick up some powdered laundry detergent before I can try it.  If I do, I'll lyk.

[clutterwarrior]

OK I'm in!   The kitchen is pretty embarrassing but I will see if I can get the courage to post before pics.

[clutterwarrior]

OK Bignerpie just read your post....you think your kitchen is 'trashed'?  If mine looked like that I would be inviting House and Garden photographers round.  Maybe I won't put up pics after all.....hehe...

[AfricanQueen99]

Alright, here's my "before"...

Walking in through the laundry room from the garage:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0001-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0002.jpg

The stuff drying on the side of the sink drives my husband *insane*, but I can't figure out a better system:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0003-1.jpg

I want this area (above the cabinet) to be my "planning station" so I'm looking for ideas to cover the glass and hide junk in there:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0004.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0010-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0008.jpg

The pantry needs to be cleaned out and extras taken to the basement:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0009.jpg

And this is the china cabinet that I bought for the dining room to take out the dishes/whatnot from the planning station:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0005.jpg

Finally, what drives me insane...that I can see the top of the cabinets when I walk up/down the stairs.  Ideas?

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c81/africanqueen99/DSC_0007-1.jpg

Edited by AfricanQueen99 - 11/4/11 at 5:38am

[clutterwarrior]

 African Queen your pics are not working. 

Try using the Direct Link instead of the Image code.

Click the symbol above with the house pic that says 'Insert Image' then Click on Image URL then put the direct link code in. It will start with http.

[rubidoux]

Originally Posted by bignerpie 

That's the refrigerator on the right, which is technically in the dining room. We knocked the wall down that the cabinets are on and opened it up. It took an entire year. My husband hooked our stove up in the basement, and I washed dishes in the laundry tub! It was so worth it, though. We did everything ourselves, except installing the granite countertops. I designed the layout, and my goal was to have space for everything so nothing would have to sit on the counters. I hate looking at clutter. So that stuff that's sitting out in the first pictures of my kitchen really drive me crazy!!

Wow!  You guys did a great job!  I love how big and open it looks.  And I'm so jealous of your appliances!  

[Olma]

Originally Posted by rubidoux 

Thank you!  I have to be reminded that they are really great cabinets.  I forget that when I'm feeling frustrated by the other issues in there.

I don't think there's any way to move those cabinets, or if there is we're not *that* handy.  lol  I love the sound of your countertop!  Natural wood sounds so nice.  So, you were able to have the sink cut out for you, so you didn't have to do any cutting yourself?  We actually have the right tools to do it, but I feel like that would be the hard part.  And what kind of a store did you go to for the butcher block?  

We got the butcher block from ikea, but you can try home depot or lowe's, they might have it too. Home depot might even do the cut for you. For our kitchen, Dh cut the whole for the sink, a bit smaller than the sink so the edge of the sink would rest on some wood. Then he placed some silicone around the sink edge to seal/glue the sink to the countertop. Not sure the skills required to do this, my Dh is pretty handy around the house but not overly so.

[AfricanQueen99]

Clutter Warrior - thanks for letting me know.  I fixed the links (I think).  For some reason this is the only board that I visit that doesn't take the IMG code...and I always forget that!

Hope it works and you can see my 80's kitchen...

[sunnysandiegan]

AQ - Your kitchen is beautiful! It would drive me crazy to see the top of the cabinets when I walked up and down the stairs, too. I dislike clutter, so I would get some sort of cheap, thin wood-type product and paint it white like the cabinets and place it on top of the cabinets. Plywood could work, but it is heavy and not that smooth for painting. We have some hardboard (backerboard, maybe?) that would be lighter-weight and very smooth for painting. You could also paint whatever you use the same color as your walls for even more "disappearing". Once you have a smooth surface up there, it'd be easier to keep clean, too. A dry mop would work from standing in the kitchen, depending on the angles, or a feather duster (long handle) while standing on a step stool. If you wanted to get fancier, you could build a facade at an angle to keep dust from even settling in the first place.

[AfricanQueen99]

Thanks for the ideas to cover the top of the cabinets!

Originally Posted by sunnysandiegan 

Once you have a smooth surface up there, it'd be easier to keep clean, too.

We bought this house in 8/2007 and I have cleaned that area exactly ZERO times.  Thinking about that now just grosses me out!  Darn...now I have to get up there and do it.
 

[sk8boarder15]

Hows everyone doing? I know I'm not doing so great. All I've done is taken a box of tupperwear and pots and pans we wern't using to goodwill... :/ I guess its something!!! Hopefully monday I can get SOMETHING done! 

[Drummer's Wife]

Subbing. I'll be back. I have a ton of stuff in cabinets and drawers that need to be gone. Also, one counter in my kitchen is a catch all and has all sorts of random stuff on it.

(I never finished october's challenge - my entry way closet looks worse.)

[AfricanQueen99]

I'm doing really well!  I knocked out the little things (moving the art stand, cleaning the rug, scrubbing the windows, ordering the stovetop knob, etc).  Tomorrow my husband is supposed to screw together the china cabinet so I can determine if I want it in the corner or the middle of the wall.  Then I get to start moving the stuff out of the cabinets and make my planning station.  No person should ever be so excited about a planning station (!!), but I am!

This is my first challenge and I'm so thankful that I just decided to jump in.  I'm queen of the procrastination so some accountability was what I needed.

[sunnysandiegan]

Great job AQ!

I'm surprised to see we're already an entire week into November!!!!

Our hot spots are cleaned off now through diligent 5-10 minute cleaning sprees. Then, yesterday DH was cooking / preparing dinner (mid-day -- crockpot) and he did a nice job surface cleaning the kitchen!!! He also did a little bit of pantry and fridge/freezer organizing. I washed up some little random stuff last night and worked on a few little things this morning.

Now, I am having my BFF and her kids over in a little bit to eat lunch before they head to the airport. Short, but fun visit!!!

[sk8boarder15]

I got the fireplace done!! I'm so happy!!! 

OK now I can't figure out how to rotate the picture! Help! 

- Paint the walls 

- Clean everything, go though every cabinet and re-organize and get rid of non-essentials

- Clean inside of fridge and freezer 

- Give my Tae Kwon Do trophies to my school 

- Make the fireplace look AWESOME (Eg.. no more dog bowls!) 

- Get rid of the crap on top of the dog crates!

- Get the laundry under control

- get the missing drawers fixed... They are in the garage. 

- fix or replace the old light fixtures,

- get a small dining table in the kitchen by the window (not a folding table and dog food...) 

- Stage the kitchen 

Edited by sk8boarder15 - 11/7/11 at 2:49pm

[bignerpie]

Originally Posted by clutterwarrior 

OK Bignerpie just read your post....you think your kitchen is 'trashed'?  If mine looked like that I would be inviting House and Garden photographers round.  Maybe I won't put up pics after all.....hehe...

In my defense, you can't see the dirt in the pictures... the cooktop is caked with burnt, greasy crap and the countertops are a sticky mess. And one of the cabinets doors has a beautiful crayon drawing courtesy of my son. 

I am not doing very well on my challenge, either. If I don't get anything else done, I really want to find a system for recycling. It ends up taking over a whole section of countertop and it drives me crazy! We don't get trash/recycling pick up at my house, so we have to take it to the landfill. I need some kind of system to keep it off my countertops. I've been looking at something like this- http://www.amazon.com/Organize-All-Stainless-Steel-12-Gallon-Recycle/dp/B0014RG5NY but I just can't justify that amount of money. Any ideas?

[clutterwarrior]

Originally Posted by bignerpie 

In my defense, you can't see the dirt in the pictures... the cooktop is caked with burnt, greasy crap and the countertops are a sticky mess. And one of the cabinets doors has a beautiful crayon drawing courtesy of my son. 

Oh gosh don't worry!  Everyone has a different level of tolerance for what they can live with I guess too...so maybe only the teeniest mess makes you feel that it is trashed. Well the good thing is that if it is dirty, it sure doesn't show! Good to have those dark wood tones that don't show up dirt.