One Room Challenge - THE KITCHEN! - Come Join! - Page 2

[sincitymama]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR

-I might get around to this later.


WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)

-loads of storage. It's a new house (like, built last year) so they put in tons of cabinets, and I have a 'pantry', basically a nice size closet int he kitchen that is all shelves inside. LOVE that.

-good amount of counter space. when it's clean, cooking is a pleasure.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN

-crap everywhere. All over the counters. So much cabinet space we don't use them all for specific purposes so lots of stuf gets tossed in 'oh I'll just out his here for now, out of ds's reach..' bleck.

-no room for table. I'll tackle this when we get to the living room, because I'll need to get a table/chairs and re-arrange the livng room into two 'zones'.

MY PLAN OF ACTION - here is where you can be as agressive or laid back as you like. If you want to list a series of goals

-paint it! our landlord doesn't care and I need to get some color in there. Will need to get a ladder

-organize better so that everything has a sensible home. Especially hte stuff that always winds up all over the counter (mail, magazines, random food stuff that isn't temp sensitive).

-deep clean

-decorate a little. Maybe a curtain on the window. Not sure what else.

-tackle the 'junk drawer'. scary!

-figure out where to keep cleaners. I can't keep them low because ds is only 3yo, and right now I hate where htey are, a shelf high up int he pantry. I have worked food, we store food in there, and this is unacceptable to me. Cleaners NEVER get stored on shelves above food! Never ever! Maybe I can find a cabinet up high that doesn't get used for food? But then I'll have to seperate them from the mop/broom......hmmm.

[hellyaellen]

subbing for now back tonite for more

[MrsTittlemouse]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
I'm going to do dishes now!

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!) We recently moved into our house, we renovated it and salvaged just about everything for our kitchen. We bought all scratch and dent appliances.
I love my floor, my stove, my pots and pans. I have enough counter space.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
My messy cabinets, the stuff that isn't finished yet (tile, trim, and paint)
Not sure what to when the counters are clear (look to empty?)
Clutter on counters

MY PLAN OF ACTION -
1. Paint
1.5 Hang pictures
2. Clean the windows
3. Organize Cabinets
4. Create a message board and put up a clock
5. Organize cleaning supplies
6. Deal with paper clutter (need a system?)
7. Salvage a hutch for dining area
8. Display some pretty things that I love.
It would be magnificent if we could get light fixtures, finish trim, tile, if dh could install the broom closet he has promised me.

[Wild Flowers]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
will clean and do this today

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)
My pot rack. I love that one of us had the idea to do this when we remodeled the kitchen

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
That everything ends up on the counter. I really think that this is because where I have things aren't the best place.

MY PLAN OF ACTION - here is where you can be as agressive or laid back as you like. If you want to list a series of goals
1. Take everything out of the cabinets and drawers and figure out where is the best place for them
2. Do something with my spices, thinking of doing a magnetic thingie
3. Actually use my storage thing for what it was meant to do, keep things off my counters
4. That is all I can think of for right now. I think I have decluttered all allowable by my dh, he really freaks over kitchen things

[kreyno4]

First a confession. I didn't vote for the kitchen in the poll because I thought it would be too much this month. But the more I think about it, this works perfectly. We have already scheduled a mini-remodel of our kitchen for 1 week this month--dd and I are going to my parents (in MI) for the week so dh can take off work and work uninterrupted on the kitchen all week. Basically we have realized that it will be a long time before we can afford the kitchen we want, so we need to make it more livable in the short-term. So, I will do my best to complete the challenge while realizing that I may not "finish" everything I need to do!

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR

http://www.flickr.com/gp/71983829@N00/51496C


WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
- Table and chairs are pretty; I usually manage to keep them tidy
- New fridge and new washer and dryer. I like that they are Energy Star. The fridge has a lot of space. And having the w-d in my kitchen makes it super easy for me to do laundry.
- There is a lot of floor space in my kitchen, so dd can crawl and toddle around while I work in there! She won't hang out on my back for long if I am just washing dishes or cooking!

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
- Unfinished window trim, unfinished wall around water heater, and the most disgusting exhaust fan in the world (layers of paint over grease over more grease)
- Lack of storage for certain items--pots and pans, large bowls, bulk items like rice and flour, linens, vaccuum, ironing board, mop, etc.
- Drawers are installed wrong so they shed wood shavings onto the cupboards below when opening. Yup, for real.
- Storing things directly on top of washer and dryer; have to move everything when we do a load of wash or the machine will vibrate them off!
- Paint colors. Yucky shade of cream and cardboard-box-color trim. Has been this way since we moved in 3 years ago. We need something new!

MY PLAN OF ACTION
- BEFORE February 16 - Remove all items from all cabinets, drawers, and surfaces in the kitchen and unpacked "kitchen boxes" on back porch.
-Throw out or donate all things that we don't use.
-Pack up all items during the remodel. Find a place to put things we don't use very often so they don't come back in the kitchen after the remodel.
-Get feedback from others (like you guys!) on small projects that can improve our kitchen.
-Try to influence dh to work on the projects I feel are important while I am gone. Easier said than done!
- February 16-24. Go to Michigan. Keep fingers crossed. Call dh frequently to keep him on task.
- AFTER February 24 - TBA depending how much gets done that week!

[mrsuribe]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
DH has the camera. I'll try and post tonight.
WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)
I do have plenty of cupboards and it's a nice size.
We get lots of sunlight.
WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
The broken window above the sink.
I have way too much stuff.
My floors need a good scrubbing.
MY PLAN OF ACTION -
Get rid of stuff we don't use.
Clean out and organize all the cupboards.
Scrub the floor.
Replace the window.

[MamaPam]

My Kitchen Makeover

I'm actually glad we are doing the kitchen first even though I voted differently. We have a box of kitchen stuff unpacked and have no idea where to put it. DH is ready to go buy lots of shelves and stuff but I want to go through everything organize, simplify, and buy as little as possible.

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR---Coming Attraction

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)
The big empty space above my sink that is just begging to be decorated.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
It only has three tiny drawers and is also where my washer and dryer reside.

MY PLAN OF ACTION---A Work in Progress
1. Go through all cabinets and unpacked boxes and eliminate duplicate items and any kitchen gadgets that do not get used.
2. Participate in pantry challenge and get food stuffs down to only the set of cabinets above and right of the stove. (this should mean clearer counters and top of fridge)
3. Organize pantry cabinets, once downsized.
4. Deal w/ trouble areas: Where to put napkins/rags, where to put flatware in an organized manner, what do do w/ pile of pots and pans in lower cabinet
5. Simplify magnets and stuff on fridge
6. Figure out what type/where to put garbage and recycling containers
7. Decorate/add storage to area above the sink
8. Purchase only what is absolutely necessary to meet additional storage needs-Hopefully nothing:
9. Find a new home for clutter on top of the dryer

[mamabearsoblessed]

I want in! I want in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Kitchen Picture Tour I'll be back w/ that

What I Like Best Aout My Kitchen it is so very bright! the sunshine floods in.
Its vintage colors and style.

What I Like Least About my kitchen its vintage colors and style
the counters are beat, they have seen hundreds of better days.
the cabinets are crummy workmanship and over 30 yrs old, plus they are offwhite and show every sticky fingerprint and always look filthy, plus the broken knobs.
the random positioning of the stove~ very poor setup in the kitchen, total wasted space.
opening and closing drawers and cabinets causes serious sawdust snowfall w/in the drawers/cabinets below :

My plan of Action~ clean out/ sort and purge all cabinets and drawers. organize counterspace.
do the same to the kitchen closet and pantry closet (which is actually in the hall but used for food storage so I'm including it in this challenge).

ok~ off to get some pics

[MamaFern]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
pictures to come!

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
i love the colour and the windows and the cabinets..
it is a good size and very central (our whole house is only 2 rooms and a small bathroom ) we just got a dishwasher but we never seem to get it loaded, washed and unloded before stuff piles up.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
it has no seperation from the rest of the room so it all feels like kitchen and we have very little space otherwise. its totally open and feels weird. ive never been able to find a way that i really like it.
we only have a small countertop stove and burners and i hate them! it takes forever to cook/boil anything and its totaly inefficient..i love to cook but not like this.

MY PLAN OF ACTION
get some wood and tools and build stuff..give away/throw stuff out..
make it a really super rad space with very little $$.


update:

i got started on my cleaning yestrerday..

*washed all of the windows inside and out..

*cleaned and organised almost all of the drawers, cuboards.
i still have one drawer and one cupboard to go (the random stuff drawe and the container cupboard), but i got 95% done! i washed and vaccuumed everything out and declutered a lot.

*cleaned off all of the window sills and washed them and put the plants and a few things that i love back on them (crystals and photos of my babies)..

*cleaned the counter top, every nook and cranny.

*scrubbed all of my appliances (blender, toaster, food processor, mixer, oven/stove)

i now have a garbage bag full of stuff to get rid of (plastic dishes, pots and pans and other random stuff that we have collected over the years that dont get used or just sit around looking ugly)


i have felt way more inspired to use my dishwasher since i decided to challenge myself to this. .. once it is full (dishes get rinsed then go straight in) it goes on and once its clean its emptied right away so things dont build up in the sink and on the counter.


it feels so good to have a clutter free kitchen!

[lisalulu]

Here we go!

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
My bread machine isn't normally on the counter-its just in use today!
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge001.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge002.jpg
The corner cabinet here is overflowing with bulk food items.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge003.jpg
Missing a cabinet door in the lower right
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge004.jpg
My spice nightmare next to the stove
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge005.jpg
Laundry area with the dryer that always seems to have stuff on it.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge006.jpg
Cookbooks, appliances, shoes from coming in the back door-also home to the dehumidifier, boxes that need to go to garage and other crap.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge008.jpg
Closet for cleaning stuff
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge009.jpg
Dog food area that is next to washer
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge010.jpg
Place where dog actually eats
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...allenge011.jpg
WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
Its not too small and I seem to have enough storage space.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
Honestly, when dh and I bought this house we both hated the kitchen. It was going to be remodeled. Well one thing led to another and now we don't have the funds to really remodel right now. So I guess I really dislike all of it.


MY PLAN OF ACTION
1. I would like to do some other kind of organization for our fruit rather than putting it on the windowsill and on the counter.
2. Get some sort of organization/conatiners for my bulk foods that are sitting in bags in the cabinet.
3.Finish ripping down cabinets about washer and dryer-we started this and didn't finish-use the door from this to put on the cabinet missing a door.
4. Paint that wall and put up shelving.
5. Find a better alternative for my appliances than on the bar where you are supposed to sit and eat.
6. Organize my cleaning closet.
7. Sort through spice jars and get them spilover off the counter.
8. Get a new burner for my stove. Probably can't see it in photos but I melted my rice cooker to the burner a couple months ago and haven't replaced it yet!
9. Find somewhere other than the countertop to put the alcohol. DS was playing with it in its original spot.

Hmm, we'll see if I can actually do all that now!

[mightymoo]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR

The view as you enter the kitchen
My post box - it just got put up a little while ago, so hasn't had time to collect as much stuff as usual!
The cabinet corner - the cabinets are original custom build cabinets, which the previous owners painted white and replaced the doors with new laminate doors. The worst is the lower corner cabinet, its all one interior space from under the sink back to the corner and around, so its so hard to use well. The little replacement doors on the little cabinets above the stove fit weird, so there is this odd gap I threw a ceramic cookie mold into because looking at it drove me nuts!
The pantry corner (the solid door is the pantry) The hanging blue thing on the wall has the apparent purpose of collecting the red netflix return envelopes - and any outgoing mail. I want to replace it with something nice looking. It's nice to have something there for outgoing mail, but blech!
The table corner - you can see the three random pieces of art thrown on the wall, the santa slate forgotten in the christmas packing up, a random little print and an oil painting with no frame that is ALWAYS crooked like that!

With the cabinets open (in this picture you can best see the gap between the stove and the countertop on the righthand side of the stove)
The open pantry - I do love having my bins for paper and plastic recyclables right there but hidden, though there is a lot of wasted space beside them which is slowly filling with plastic grocery bags.
My little technology corner - I'm not sure what to do about this. The speakers live there because I listen to music from my laptop, so I plunk my laptop down there and plug it in, so the phone and a bunch of cords lives there and when DH is home, he puts more stuff there. Not very organized and looks very cluttered at all times.
The wonderful gap between the counter and stove. Arg!
Storage for mops on the basement stairway - something I did last round of decluttering - works very nicely.

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
Probably my pantry - it holds a ton though its hard to keep organized.
I like my floor - its pergo, just looks like tile - it is really pretty easy to sweep up and wash.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
Least would be the gap between the stove and the counter. Once upon a time there was a larger stove there I guess. I really hate that gap, but I'm not sure what to do about it.

MY PLAN OF ACTION
I have spent a lot of time decluttering the kitchen over the last few months, so its not quite as bad as it used to be. But its still very much just as it was when we moved in. The walls are white and dingy - its hard to see in the picture, but there are lots of marks on them. The curtains are original too. So I'd really like to make this challenge about trying to make this room reflect us more. I'd like to:
- Paint the walls
- Put up matching curtains and shades
- Do something about the gap between the stove and countertop
- Declutter the fridge front so it feels less cluttered
- Find a better way to store fruit than my plate on the counter, but still out in view
- Figure out a better solution for my little technlogoy corner. It's always a mess of wires and speakers and stuff, and even when the room is 'clean' it looks cluttered.
- Work on the pantry, I need better storage for a lot of the stuff in there, especially medicines and vitamins.
- I almost forgot - Put cabinet pulls on the cabinets! I bought them (and they are visible in one of the open cabinets) but they haven't made their way on. I hate not having them because the doors themselves get so much yuckier without pulls and it shows on the white big time.

I'm thinking of painting the kitchen a nice rich yellow, and painting stripes below the chair rail in the same yellow and a brownsih color that coordinates with the countertops. I saw it on one of those redesign shows and liked the look, though I'm nervous about picking the colors.

[MrsTittlemouse]

Mightymoo, your kitchen looks great, your before pics are already an inspiration!

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by MrsTittlemouse

Mightymoo, your kitchen looks great, your before pics are already an inspiration!

Thanks, it generally only looks that way for about 15 minutes at a time.

[sweetfeet]

Least would be the gap between the stove and the counter. Once upon a time there was a larger stove there I guess. I really hate that gap, but I'm not sure what to do about it.

First, your kitchen is gorgeous! I was wondering would it look better if you centered your stove within the space? Also, crazy idea, would you be able to make a wine rack in that space? I would wonder if it gets too warm there for that though. It looks like the space was made for those semi-industrial stoves that people have started buying lately.

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by sweetfeet

First, your kitchen is gorgeous! I was wondering would it look better if you centered your stove within the space? Also, crazy idea, would you be able to make a wine rack in that space? I would wonder if it gets too warm there for that though. It looks like the space was made for those semi-industrial stoves that people have started buying lately.

I used to have it centered, I liked the centeredness of it better, but I didn't like the functionality better, I got annoyed with things falling down through the gap on the lefthand side and not being able to get it out (since the gap was too small to really reach in) - since I rarely cook with stuff on the righthand side the gap bothers me less there. A wine rack is an interesting idea! The stove is insulated, I'll have to see how warm it gets the next time I use the oven. I am thinking if I can find a nice piece of butcher block I could use that to extend the countertop there in the gap.

The weird thing was when we bough the place the people had the fridge where the stove was and the stove where the fridge was - the stove didn't fit any better there, so I didn't understand why - and the fridge looked really odd where normally a stove should be!

[sweetfeet]

I know what you mean about things falling in between the stove and cabinets. Last summer while I was pregnant I had my dh close the gap to my main work counter and fridge because I couldn't get the stuff out easily.

[anniebee]

I wasn't sure I would join. Then I opened my pantry. Oh, my.

Walking into my kitchen.

Looking the other way.

My stove & coffee stuff. (Very important in our home...)

The refrigerator and catch-all desk-y thing.

The wine & compost corner.


The pile o' vegs & fruit.

Where we eat. (Um, yes. The streamers and balloons are from my son's first birthday party. Three weeks ago.)

Under the sink.

Hideous cabinets part one.

Hideous cabinets part two.

Inside the pantry.

What I like best about my kitchen:
I love that it has lots of counter room and a big pantry. I also love my curtains!

What I don't like about my kitchen:
The catch-all spot, the disorganized pantry, all the cleaning products, and a few of the other cabinets. I also dislike the cabinets themselves. Very 1973...

Plan of action:
Address the above issues, with the exception of the cabinets. We'll see about that another time. I'd love to paint them, but I'm taking classes right now, and that has to come before giant projects!

Thanks for looking... I think.

[mrsuribe]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR


Walking into the kitchen

The other view


Cupboards I cleaned today
Cups and kid's dishes
Former junk drawer, silverware and baking dishes
Under the sink
Dishes
Cooking utensils, pots and pans

Cupboards I need to do:
Spices, oils and misc.
Top of kitchen pantry
Bottom of kitchen pantry
Top of landry room pantry
Bottom of laundry room pantry
Top of fridge
My oldest, because he was in the kitchen

[Wild Flowers]

Anibee, I love your kitchen, I like your cabinets also. Maybe instead of painting them, I saw this on a home show, looooong time ago, they cut out the center panel and put chicken wire in it. I know it doesn't sound all nice, but it opened up the kitchen, you could even put fabric behind it.
mrsuribe, I was really wondering what you were doing in this thread for awhile I hope I can get the inside of my cabinets to look like yours do, your kitchen is wonderful also.

[hellyaellen]

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR-coming soon

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN - i have decorated above the stove w/ a glittery snowman ornament and a lighthouse ornament. we don't celebrate christmas so i can decorate a tree but i can hang ornaments on the cabinet handles. on one cabinet door i have some origami that dd and dh did. and i like how i have my stove mits hung. (also on cabinet doors)

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN - it is so DARK. i need a better place to store my crock pot. i don't like the table we are using and dh needs to fix the one we are GOING to use. oh and my pantry sort of stinks sometimes b/c the cat litterbox and the diaper pail are both in there.

MY PLAN OF ACTION - i don't know what i can do about the darkness. its possible landlady would let us lighten the pantry door to match the laundry area. we can definately put in more lightbulbs too (dh only used one of the 4 sockets over the table) i need to do something about the cookware staorage to adress that crockpot issue.