One Room Challenge - THE KITCHEN! - Come Join! - Page 10

[unlegal]

Originally Posted by BornInSeptember

unlegal-

I would buy a closet rod/spring loaded curtain rod and a straight hanging curtain or piece of fabric to cover the pantry. Straight hanging keeps extra fabric out of the way- no pleats or ruffles, and preferable tabs and buttons on the top, or wide metal grommets. Choose white or another bright color, since you say your kitchen is dark. Can you add lighting anywhere? Cleaning up the clutter will brighten the kitchen, because there will be more clear spaces to reflect light- especially getting the front of the fridge cleaned off.

That's a great idea ! I'm getting a sewing machine soon, so I can sew up a curtain for there.

I've always wanted a fridge covered in pictures and stuff, but it just makes everything feel so closed in. I think that will really help out to get everything off of there. (Maybe just a couple magnets? )

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by unlegal

That's a great idea ! I'm getting a sewing machine soon, so I can sew up a curtain for there.

I've always wanted a fridge covered in pictures and stuff, but it just makes everything feel so closed in. I think that will really help out to get everything off of there. (Maybe just a couple magnets? )

Yesterday I took all the pictures off my fridge, it just looked really cluttered. I am loving hte clean look, but the completely blank fridge also looked strange to me, so I am trying out the fridge as the location for the calendar (we had a custom calendar made with our kids pictures as a xmas gift for relatives and kept one ourselves). I like the clean look of one thing on the fridge rather than many. I got a french memo board I'm going to put the pictures on.

[Rikki Jean]

Originally Posted by BornInSeptember

For cutlery, I like having it in a drawer. I really like the simplicity of having things away and I love the uncluttered look. Ikea's idea is good for times when you are having buffet style meals or living in a dorm etc. For the home, I like things stored away out of sight.

Well, we're three people living in a one bedroom apt. with a lot of stuff and not a lot of space, so it almost is like dorm living!

[nurturedbirth]

Originally Posted by Rikki Jean

Okay, I have a few questions that I wanted to throw out there about kitchen storage, because I'm trying to decide on a few possible changes:

-In a few of your kitchens, I've seen the magnetic strips for knives. How do you like them? Do you feel like they're safe? Has it made a big difference in your kitchen, space wise? Is there a reason that a butcher block is better for knives, or is it just to keep them stored safely?

-Where do you store your cutlery? I look at Ikea catalogues for a lot of my organizational inspiration, and I see cutlery out of drawers a lot of the time, like in baskets or caddies hanging on a rack on the wall. I like this idea. What do you guys think?


I thought there was something else, but I can't remember right now.: I'll post when I do!

We have a magnetic knife strip and really like it. We only have 3 drawers (well technically we currently have none because they need to be rebuild) and I like to keep the counter pretty clear, so drawer storage and a block weren't the best options for us. We haven't had problems with safety or anything but we don't have kids. I think safety would depend on the age. Any child old enough to crawl up on stuff could potentially have a really bad accident, I think.

There's been some progress here, although most of it has been on account of DH. : Our magnetic spice board is up and the half door to the pantry has been built but needs paint, some of the baseboards are up. For my part I've scrubbed the glass globes on our pendant lights and am halfway through the pantry.

[lisalulu]

I sorted through my spices today. I threw out quite a few but they were ones I bought bulk and didn't right the name on the bag so who knows what they actually were! I still have more than I have room for on my racks so I am not sure what I am going to do about that.

[PeacefulSeams]

today, I actually mopped my floor! I don't think I have ever really mopped it. I just usually spray it and wipe it down with a cloth. I also went through my utensils again and got rid of more. I also got rid of my dish set. I kept the 3 dinner plates and 3 bowls. I decluttered my baking items. I am down to 1 set of measuring items. I went through my spices and tossed the expired ones.

I am having some strange organization vibes going on since I watched the Opera show last night. I managed to not only clean my kitchen and declutter a bunch of stuff, but I worked in the garage too. I sorted 5 boxes of stuff. Half went into the trash and the rest was either garage sale worthy or goes somewhere in the house.

[3_opihi]

We're done!! but my camera batteries died I better go get more before the kitchen descends into chaos again. I am so happy we did it all in week. I even did the attached laundry and bathroom.

We are definitely going to paint next week, as well as replace our kitchen screen door.

Since we've drastically cut down our dishes to the bare neccesity that we need -- we don't even NEED our dishwasher. Dishes get done immediatly and take about 5 minutes total!! I hate doing dishes with a passion, but this is so gratifying that I have been partaking. Dh is amazed. Also, kitchen cleanup is a snap and I've found that cooking and grocery shopping is so much less daunting because I have only what I need - I don't worry about stocking up or buying more than that. Keeps me in the present.

Thank you for this thread

[hellyaellen]

haven't been doing a whole lot due to : but i think i've decided to move the cat litter box to our master bathroom. we almost never use it and theres already a small trash can in there so cleaning it out would be really simple. it would cut down on the ammonia smell in the pantry. (the diaper pail lives in there too)

i think i'd like a tall lamp to put in the corner by the pantry.

earlier in the week i culled out some of the silverware that i hate. dh wouldn't let me throw it out but i did hide it in a cabinet. it in the space in between two doors so its not in the way but its out of sight.

tonight we replaced the bag for the aluminum box, cleared off the table, and dusted.

re:magnetic strip for knives. I use a butcher block. it would make me nervous to look at all those sharp edges also.

[annettemarie]

I finally stayed awake long enough to upload pictures!

They're only of a third of my kitchen, though.

The post where I answer the questions is here.

The "entrance" (one of them, anyway) to the kitchen. Each door holds a kids' artwork. The door with the smoke alarm above it goes to the kitchen. The one to the left is a closet we use as a pantry. The one to the right goes to the basement.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0581.jpg

Inside the "pantry". I'd love to get real shelving for this someday, but it works. It's actually fairly organized, at least for us. Each box has a different type of food.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0582.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0583.jpg

The front of the fridge, with the sad remains of organizational attempts of the past gone to rest:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0584.jpg

The top of the fridge, which could use some work:
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0584.jpg

Inside the fridge, which really needs work. It doesn't help that one of the bar thingers broke off the inside door, which puts us down a shelf.
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0586.jpg

The hutch, the door to the playroom (dining room) and Nicholas
http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0585.jpg

Same hutch, same kids, doors open
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...cture_0588.jpg

[BowenTherapist]

ok, finally i have a quick minute to join on board. i am really looking forward to this! and i have started a few things already.


MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
this will come when i have some free time to do it... i kinda need to crisis clean my living room for tomorrow (hmm, so what am i doing on the computer now... )
i did take pics of everything at the beginning of the month though
WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)
i like that it is a 50's style kitchen, i like the retro look, and i love my kitchen table. i found it, and 4 chairs, for $20 at a tag sale

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
absolutely no counter space and very little storage for dishes & glasses
not one drawer in the whole kitchen!!

MY PLAN OF ACTION
i painted the base cabinets, and i would like to paint the walls and ceiling.
install the new cabinet hardware
clean, organize, re shelf paper the food storage cabinets
devise some sort of drawer for storage/ better utilize the cabinet by the stove.
put an adjustable shelf in cabinet by the sink
install the counter top that is in my basement
wax floor
new curtains, i have some material i just need to try to make some. anyone have some good ideas on a retro style for curtains?
that's all i can think of for now

[BowenTherapist]

Originally Posted by Rikki Jean

-In a few of your kitchens, I've seen the magnetic strips for knives. How do you like them? Do you feel like they're safe? Has it made a big difference in your kitchen, space wise? Is there a reason that a butcher block is better for knives, or is it just to keep them stored safely?

-Where do you store your cutlery? I look at Ikea catalogues for a lot of my organizational inspiration, and I see cutlery out of drawers a lot of the time, like in baskets or caddies hanging on a rack on the wall. I like this idea. What do you guys think?

i just installed a mag strip for the knives.
we were using a block (which is better than a drawer because it keeps the edges sharp and keeps your hands safe when rummaging through drawers)
i switched because one day i came into the kitchen after leaving ds (at the time 14 mos) alone for maybe 2 min. well he had managed to push up a chair and take out all the knives and was waving around the sharpening steel!!!
after that i put the block vertical instead of the normal angle, so it was a little harder to get the knives out. i finally got the knife strip up and it seems to work fine

[greenmansions]

Originally Posted by BowenTherapist

i just installed a mag strip for the knives.
we were using a block (which is better than a drawer because it keeps the edges sharp and keeps your hands safe when rummaging through drawers)
i switched because one day i came into the kitchen after leaving ds (at the time 14 mos) alone for maybe 2 min. well he had managed to push up a chair and take out all the knives and was waving around the sharpening steel!!!
after that i put the block vertical instead of the normal angle, so it was a little harder to get the knives out. i finally got the knife strip up and it seems to work fine

I just know my DD is going to do this someday. I don't think my DS ever will. But DD is a different sort than he is.

We'll probably just stick the knife block up in a cabinet to ride out the period where stuff up high is interesting to her.

[greenmansions]

Just posted my "before" pics in my OP, #65... woo hoo. Can cross that task off my to-do list!

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by BowenTherapist

i just installed a mag strip for the knives.
we were using a block (which is better than a drawer because it keeps the edges sharp and keeps your hands safe when rummaging through drawers)
i switched because one day i came into the kitchen after leaving ds (at the time 14 mos) alone for maybe 2 min. well he had managed to push up a chair and take out all the knives and was waving around the sharpening steel!!!
after that i put the block vertical instead of the normal angle, so it was a little harder to get the knives out. i finally got the knife strip up and it seems to work fine

Originally Posted by greenmansions

We'll probably just stick the knife block up in a cabinet to ride out the period where stuff up high is interesting to her.

My knife block is in a cabinet with a child lock (we have the magnetic kind).

[mightymoo]

I want to put the knobs I bought on my cabinets. But I'm wondering where I should put them? Here are the cabinets. THey are just regular knobs, not handles. Should I put them in the corner or a few inches up? Anyone have cabinets with knobs want to share where on the cabinet the knob is?

ETA - nevermind, I searched for white laminate kithcne cabinets on google images and found this: www.bestbuycabinets.net/image/3199257.jpg I think I'll do it like that.

[TwinMom]

Here we are, the 9th already, and I haven't done one single thing with the kitchen. Today will change that! I am going to spend 15 minutes of every hour decluttering the kitchen. It doesn't sound like much, but I need to spend 15 minutes working on planning my homeschooling co-op class, 15 minutes playing with the littles, and even though that only adds up to 45 minutes, it'll take at least an hour, I know it.

Who's with me, doing just 15 minutes each hour? I am going to check back later and post my progress, that will keep me accountable.

Okay, go!

[anthasam]

Originally Posted by mightymoo

I want to put the knobs I bought on my cabinets. But I'm wondering where I should put them? Here are the cabinets. THey are just regular knobs, not handles. Should I put them in the corner or a few inches up? Anyone have cabinets with knobs want to share where on the cabinet the knob is?

ETA - nevermind, I searched for white laminate kithcne cabinets on google images and found this: www.bestbuycabinets.net/image/3199257.jpg I think I'll do it like that.

When we re-did the kitchen in our old house, we had white cabinets and brushed silver knobs in the same locations as the ones in your link. It worked very well for us.

[mightymoo]

I did all the cabinet doors and it looks great. I love how finished a knob can make cabinets look. I need to get longer screws for the drawers though, the fronts are double thick.

[Rikki Jean]

I can't say I'm not getting discouraged hearing about all the progress some of you are making! : But, I guess I have to remember that since I'm at work all day, I don't really have a choice...

Anyway, I haven't gotten much done since I did the plastics on Tuesday. That was still huge for me, but I haven't been able to move foward since then. I'm hoping to get some things done this weekend. I'm going to put DH to work on the kitchen cart Sunday, so hopefully that will get checked off my list. My sister is going to be over this afternoon/evening, so maybe she can help out with DS while I go through Miscellaneous Mountain.

Originally Posted by lisalulu

I threw out quite a few but they were ones I bought bulk and didn't right the name on the bag so who knows what they actually were!

I have this problem too, and I am always kicking myself for it!

Originally Posted by hellyaellen

re:magnetic strip for knives. I use a butcher block. it would make me nervous to look at all those sharp edges also.

Definitely something I was thinking about. I'm notorious for giving myself some serious cuts with knives, so this could be very dangerous for me!

Originally Posted by BowenTherapist

i just installed a mag strip for the knives.
we were using a block (which is better than a drawer because it keeps the edges sharp and keeps your hands safe when rummaging through drawers)
i switched because one day i came into the kitchen after leaving ds (at the time 14 mos) alone for maybe 2 min. well he had managed to push up a chair and take out all the knives and was waving around the sharpening steel!!!
after that i put the block vertical instead of the normal angle, so it was a little harder to get the knives out. i finally got the knife strip up and it seems to work fine

DS hasn't figured out that he can climb on the chair yet, but he did manage to stand on his tip-toes and grab a steak knive that I left too close to the edge of the counter. I found him waving it around in the air, thinking he was king of the world. It was a pretty scary moment, because I wasn't sure what he was going to do to keep me from getting it away from him, kwim?

[serenetabbie]

Re; the knife storage... I have a butcher block that I use right now, but I have a magnetic strip waiting to be installed as soon as I figure out where to put it. It does not fit where I thought it would . I saw something on the food network (Alton Brown I think) about how nasty butcher block caddies can get, and I was sold on the strip! Plus we have such little counter space that having back that tiny bit of room the butcherblock takes up would make a huge difference.