So, you’ve got your kitchen floor plan down pat, you bought used and saved the difference, you made sacrifices and went with VCT and Formica. Now what? How do you make it yours? Why bother anyway?
Part of the dancing in the kitchen is making it a place you want to be. A happy place. The kitchen is the place where you will spend a lot of time and a lot of work will happen. Make it yours. Here’s some ideas.
Most of these ideas don’t cost a lot and can be bought at thrift stores, e-bay, etc. But, they make a big impact.
Helper Things
A clock and a timer. These tools can help food from getting burned when you are multi-tasking and you can do anything for 15 minutes! (FlyLady nod!) Use your timer!
A calendar keeps your family peaceful, on track and knowing what’s for dinner! Meal planning on your calendar leads to peace in the budget and in the kitchen.
A little chalkboard keeps up with the grocery list for you. Before you leave snap a pic with your phone and delete it when you are done shopping!
Speaking of your phone- you can text yourself your list as well! And it has a built-in timer and clock!
A clothesline / clotheshorse / swing-arm rack is a small wonder. It dries towels, delicates, socks and mittens, then folds-up, winds up and can be put away.
A mop / broom clip or holder keeps your pantry tidy.
A whistling kettle that doesn’t burn you. Our kettle has the whistle in the lid, no need to flip up a whistle from the spout and burn yourself. The whistling function helps you know when it’s tea time!
A kik-step is a great way to reach! Originally built for libraries ours has rolling casters so you can “kik” it around and lowers to feet when you “step” on it and remains stable! We use one in the pantry and one in front of our front-loading washer-dryer set for sitting on while transferring laundry.
A tall stool, or barstool, or a Cosco-like step-stool provides seating for counter-height work and can relieve strain and give rest.
Enough lunch containers to fix everyone’s lunch in bulk for the week. Put two shelves in your fridge close together and put them there. Just grab and go in the mornings!
Under-cabinet LED lights won’t heat up your workspace, yet allow you to see easily, especially if your kitchen doesn’t have a lot of natural light. These lights are also relatively cheap!
A bottle opener comes in handy for treats like Mexican Coca-Colas, and a pencil sharpener helps everyone!
Hygge Things
A little lamp, or a couple, with soft bulbs, adds a lovely glow. It can be left on at night for a night-light. Shabby chic nursery lamps have a small footprint, fit easily on top of the fridge, and look traditional. I just adore seeing my kitchen at night in the light of our little lamp on top of our icebox!
Plants add life and greenery is very restful. Plants clean the air and make a room happy. I put a little garden in my window by my sink.
Candles on the table make an elevated meal experience and add warmth.
A Tablecloth reflects your personality, adds a softness to the room and color.
A clothesline hung on the wall can be a place to hang the joy of children’s artwork.
A rocking chair with a quilt offers a gentle place to put up your feet and rest between work.
A chalkboard is a fun addition that you can write quotes on, or let kids play on.
Decorations that suit your tastes. I really like decorating with nice dishes and historical objects and packaging.
Cafe’ curtains (curtains that cover the bottom-half of your windows) let a lot of light in, yet still offer privacy.
Self-Care Things
Your teapot, teacup, and saucer on a serving tray elevates tea-time and keeps your things organized.
Speakers to plug your phone into make any work fun as you listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and of course, dancing music.
Artwork you love can envelope you like a hug and give you beauty in your life.
An apron and apron hook keeps your clothes clean and the uniform helps you feel confident.
This might be the biggest “little thing” but it made a huge difference to me. A TV with a DVD player or internet access so you don’t feel deprived while working. Watching your favorite show makes work more enjoyable!
I hope you can find things to make your kitchen a happy place, a place you can dance!
With Kitchen Love to you from Kansas Street,
-Jaime
Life on Kansas Street 