Everyone wants their kitchen to feel cozy and welcoming.
But did you know that you can redesign your kitchen to make your day more productive?
Think about it:
We stumble into the kitchen every morning to fix our go-to caffeine beverage of choice and munch on a quick breakfast. Then we stumble back in every evening to put together something that resembles dinner. And if you work from home, you no doubt scour your cabinets and fridge every afternoon to find lunch and snacks.
That’s a lot of time in the kitchen each day — and even more spread over the year!
That’s why we want to share our five kitchen redesign tips for a more productive 2021. Follow these, and your kitchen will look great and flow perfectly.
1. Ditch Tools You Never Use
Are your countertops, cabinets, and drawers overflowing with As Seen on TV slicers and dicers?
How often do you actually use those devices, honestly?
If it’s just about never, it is time to say goodbye for good. You don’t necessarily have to throw them all away. Donate them to your local Goodwill or another charity shop for someone else to enjoy.
All you really need is a good set of knives and perhaps a multi-tasking juicer/blender/food prep gadget. And I don’t mean one or four of each. Find just one nifty device that can whip your fruits and veggies into glorious meals, fast and easy.
One versatile machine will save you space and time. And when you’re ready to make a meal, you’ll reach for the right tools, not the goofy gadgets you regret purchasing.
2. Store Spices Near Your Stove
Spice jars have a way of ending up in the oddest places and exactly where you don’t need them.
Corral them once and for all and keep them near your stove, where you’re most likely to use them to season meals as you cook. Besides keeping them where you need them, organize them based on how often you reach for them.
You probably use some more than others, like salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano, which you can keep front and center.
The spices that don’t come up as often as a meal seasoner (we mean really, how often do you use cloves?) you can store in a pantry cabinet, so they are out of the way entirely.
Besides where you put your spice jars, you want to decide how you store them. Consider a wall-mounted shelf instead of a rack, as these will save you valuable countertop space and keep everything neatly at hand.
3. Organize Groceries With a List App
Organization is the key to productivity, which is what this article is all about.
But there may be one thing that you haven’t thought of. You can make your kitchen a more productive space by ensuring you don’t run out of your favorite foods, drinks, and paper products.
Keep a grocery list app, like AnyList, loaded on your device at all times and immediately add items to it as they run out. It not only helps you keep track of what you need, but it also lets you share and sync lists with family members and roommates.
It will help you keep all your kitchen essentials on hand while promoting a general feeling of organization. And who knows what additional good that may inspire!
4. Make the Best Use of Storage
No matter the size of your kitchen or the budget you have for redesigning, you must have a storage system set up.
And how you use storage is crucial to productivity.
If your kitchen is large enough, investing in a kitchen island can up your productivity. Kitchen islands not only look great, but they help maximize storage space while adding a handy worktop surface.
To add storage options to smaller kitchens, think vertical, like stackable countertop shelves. Besides eliminating clutter on your counters, remember that your cabinets may need a storage makeover, too. Try adding stackable shelves that fit in your pantries and cupboards to make use of vertical space there.
5. Set Up Stations
Redesigning your kitchen to have separate stations may be the most productive tip on our list. It’s simple to do, and you can get to work on it immediately.
To bring this to life in your kitchen, consider the space you have and the tasks you handle there daily.
Here are some of our favorite station ideas:
- Cleaning station. Your kitchen sink is where you wash your hands and clean your produce, so it already has hand soap and probably a drying rack nearby. That’s one station.
- Drinks. You likely also have a coffee maker somewhere in the kitchen. Make its nook the coffee station, and keep your filters, coffee of choice, sweetener, and mugs in this area. Keep your wine or beer rack nearby for those nights when an evening tipple is a must.
- Prep station. Have a dedicated prep station where you keep your cutting board and knife block and solely prep your meals in this area.
- Snacks. Set up a snack station to keep your morning, afternoon, and evening snacks organized and at hand. Besides your morning coffee, now you can quickly grab a cereal bar to start your day,
Be sure to keep specific tasks to their separate stations. This is easier to do if you set up your stations in a way that flows naturally. And from there, it will soon become a habit.
Do this in every area of your kitchen, carefully considering your habits and needs. Pretty soon, you’ll have a gloriously redesigned kitchen that really works for you and your household. And you won’t believe how productive you’ll be.
Conclusion
It’s essential to make your kitchen a productive space. After all, you don’t necessarily want to spend any more time in there than you have to!
Follow these five simple redesign tips, and you’ll be making incredible strides toward a more productive 2021.
Elaine Chavez is the Business Manager at 625 Broadway, luxury lofts in the historic Spreckels building in San Diego’s Gaslamp district. With over eight years of experience in the industry, she begins and ends each day loving what she does. Elaine is passionate about helping people find the perfect place to call home and shines at building a community that everyone is proud to be a part of.