This is the room I spend most of my time in, yet it really isn't functioning well at all. It is cluttered, hard to clean and needs reworking. There is so much junk everywhere and I need help with how to find places for it!!!

There is one major change I really want to make that involves getting rid of the microwave :D I reaallly want to! DH is resisting but says if I can find some concrete evidence it is bad for him he'll consider it :) I'll deal with that later (chime in if you have bookmarks!).

Here's the first problem area I am trying to rework. It is the work triangle area. There's only so much I can do without a major remodel, but...

I'd like to take the Kitchen Aid mixer from here...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/IMG_4870.jpg


and move it to this counter where the microwave is now. I need to better organize all the other junk here too (move elsewhere).

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/IMG_4873.jpg

this makes sense because there is valuable counter space wasted by that microwave (which I almost never use and am happy to dump!) and the drawers under that counter serve as my baking pantry.

I want to make this counter a safe place for Amelia, so I can keep her away from the stove but she can still help in the kitchen :) Not sure what to do with the toaster oven - I do love it and use it all the time (would love to upgrade to a nicer one even, but space is limited.....)

This leads me to problem area #2....Around the sink. I'm pretty embarassed to post this because of the clutter :o All the dishes to the right of the sink are clean! This spot is a collect all for clean hand wash stuff and for all of my extra things that need a home - capuccino maker, crock for sourdough starter, usually kefir jars......I really, really need some kind of cabinet or shelving for this spot. I hate the shelf that is there so I *don't* want to match it (maybe if it gets painted...). But I need more storage in this spot for sure!

There is no electrical outlet there so it makes more sense for this to house the things that are there pretty much, but I need them to be stored more efficiently. And I'd like to more my recipe book holder over to that counter if I can get some shelving to more some of the other things up off the counter. Ideas? (I started a thread a while ago looking for stainless shelving because I think that can work but DH is more set on a cabinet of some sort..... Maybe an open one?)

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/IMG_4871.jpg

I have limited cabinet space. What I did is move everything that doesn't get used daily to basement pantry. I have a wall mounted spice rack. Wall mounting is great to get things off your counter. Everything else, find cabinet space for it. Except toaster, obviously. :) Even the starters. Make a deal w/ dh to banish the micro for a week and see is he misses it? Dry your dishes and put away immediately, make that part of the routine and it will make you smile - I promise. Don't know about the shelf, sorry! I like it's use for cookbooks but might instead use it for colorful bowl set or decorative glass, something of that sort. nak, hope that was helpful somewhat.

just 3 pictures???...i have to get my brain wrapped around it...

so it it basically a rectangle? the room that is

I would put a cabinet over the dishwasher instead of that shelf. You could get a good, two cabinet piece right there and that would help tremendously.

I need to see INSIDE the cabinets, too :)

My kitchen aid isn't something I use daily, so it lives in a lower level cabinet. I use my cuisinart even less, so I store that (and my big lobster pot and things like that) in the garage, on shelves. That's what I would do with the kitchenaid, the toaster oven - anything that isn't used daily. Do you make cappuccino daily? My espresso machine lives in the garage, too, because it's right off the kitchen and I can always go grab it. But, if it's used daily you won't want to do that every morning, I bet.

I'm with your DH - I wouldn't get rid of the micro. What about putting in a hood over the range and mounting the microwave up there? It's great to have it off the counter, but really, it's not very 'cluttery' to see a microwave. It tends to be the mishmash of the other things on a counter that make visual noise.

I think we had the same fridge :D

The reason I said inside the cabinets is - can you put your dishes on a stacker and make more room in them. If you can clean off a lower shelf near the stove, you can move a lot of those things sitting out up into a cabinet. I keep out EVOO, salt, pepper, and a coffee pot on one counter.

I can't see the window wall very well - but if those are dishes over the dishwasher, I'd get a dish rack to set them on next to the sink there on the right.

I would get a closed cabinet over the dishwasher that matches the rest of the cabinets and use that for the extra appliances and jars and such :)

i'm with sandi - you need more cabinet space and it looks likeyou have to room for it.

what do you use regularly? I have my mixer out right now trying to inspire me :lol: but typically I just tuck it away until needed.

Well, here's a close up of the area above the dishwasher - I worked on it some yesterday (not perfect here, but I got some of the stuff out). Sorry this one is so big Photobucket keeps crashing Firefox so I can't resize right now, but with all of these messy pics I need at least one relatively clean one lol. Yes, the counters are gross - I loathe them (and the floor, and the cabinets.....) but we are holding off with major changes until we know if we are moving or not... We'll probably end up replacing the counter tops, painting the cabinets and putting in a new floor, but not doing the more extensive remodel....

I'd love a full cabinet here, but I really need the counter space too - so I was thinking track shelving. I got some suggestions in another thread for stainless shelves...but DH says he'd rather have a cabinet....
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4909.jpg

But then by dinner time it looked like this again! :lol: A dish drainer would look better than a pile of clean dishes I imagine, but then I'd have to store it somewhere...

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4925.jpg

And by the stove while I was cooking dinner....I like having the plant here - isn't in the way - I'll repot it soon. the utensils and cooking oil right there make more sense and I moved the KA mixer into the other room until I find it a new home :)
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4924.jpg


Yeah, what I really want is a 20K remodel with a sunroom/playroom instead of a deck and a storage bar/peninsula between the dining room and kitchen.....

I do need to check into a fume hood. I don't know how they would do it in that spot or how much $ it would be, but I'd love to have one and a built in microwave would rock! Can you get built in toaster ovens? A combo? That would be perfect! But I do still need the pot rack.......Hmn....

And I completely agree, I need to just hand dry the dishes and put them away sooner, but I tend to let them drip dry...

I'll be back with more pics later - need to get some cleaning done!

how about this one?
simplehuman: products: u-frame two level dishrack (http://www.simplehuman.com/products/dishracks/uframe.html)

Here are some things I'd like to keep in the general area above the dishwasher. Except the cookie jar - I'll put that over in the new baking area if I can move the microwave....

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4910.jpg

OMG - what is that pear and where can I find one?????

The pear is a cookie jar from....Harry and David I think? Gift from DH's Grandma. :)

oooh - nice!

can you show us a larger picture of that cooking counter side...with the fridge?

Okay, more pics.

This is the other side of the room - yes, it is pretty much a rectangle but it is narrower on the end with Amelia's kitchen - also doorways on either side of that corner. The big flat wall cupboard has to stay but everything else is negotiable if I can find another place for the stuff (I do want Amelia's kitchen in the room but it doesn't have to be there).
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/IMG_4875.jpg

I'm considering getting the white cupboard out of there and putting her kitchen there? I don't have a utility closet anywhere so I end up propping the broom and dust pan in the corner. Otherwise I have to go down to the basement every time I want to use it.

Inside the flat wall. Dishes, foodprocessor, glass storage dishes on top (there are usually more on the bottom shelf of dishes - lots of leftovers in the refrigerator now. So that space isn't really 'empty' iykwim.)
Bottom serves as partial pantry- pastas, sauces, canned goods, cereal...
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4952.jpg

And here's the microwave/refrigerator wall (I have NOT cleaned any of these cupboards/shelves in this area yet so some things can probably go)....The drawers below hold dry goods in jars (grains and beans, labelled on top so I know what is in there), some teas, baking supplies. The top drawer will have space when cleaned so some of the junk from above can go in there I think...

That spice cabinet is only about 3-4" deep so it doesn't hold much - the cupboard right below it is the same way - not a true cabinet. That one holds vitamins.
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4951.jpg

Above the refrigerator. Hard to access - I can only reach the very bottom edge without a stool so I don't want too much up there that I use often or that is heavy to lug. I use the salad spinner, coffee grinder, scale and those glass storage pitchers weekly or more - I can just reach those!http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4949.jpg


more in a bit.....

PS and I *know* it is totally cluttered and all - that's why I'm trying to change things! The room is a decent size but the storage is horrible and I need help making the best of what is there - and getting some junk out of that room! lol

could you move the microwave over to the white cabinet?...sit it on top?

could you move the microwave over to the white cabinet?...sit it on top?

It isn't quite deep enough so it would make the cabinet really top heavy. This worries me with my little climber monkey! Also the closest outlet is way over on the other side of the flat wall. That part would be easier to fix but it is annoying!

could you get something to put the microwave on...another shelf of some sort that also incorporated storage and put it where dd's kitchen is (i'm thinking that is where the plug is, right? something sturdy that wouldn't entice a climber....and then move dd's kitchen where the white one is?

oh and it's just killing me that i can't just come over and play around and help you. i work so much better if i can actually move things around myself.

Haha! I would love for you to come help! MY house has endless projects too - lots of things that need to find a better place :)

I'll get a better pic of that corner. The wall the play kitchen is on has a doorway so I can't have anything 'deep' there....The plug is actually on the other wall, just behind the edge of the big cupboard (near the corner).


It is a very frustrating puzzle to piece together! I looked into some hood/microwave things but the free hanging ones (what we'd need since it isn't on a wall) are 1K and up!

i'm nearly out of projects around here...at least ones that don't require thousands of dollars!!

stupid photobucket....hope this isn't too huge!

That whole area is a very awkward and underused space!

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4964.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/artemis33_photos/for%20sale/IMG_4963.jpg

look at that cutie little sprite girl!!! and i LOVE that armoire...i love the cutouts..that is awesome.