3 Tips to Curate a Minimalist Kitchen
Standing in the kitchen this week I had a “thank goodness for minimalism” moment. It started with the realization that I’m spending more time in the “heart of the home” this winter than last.
Noticeably more.
Regardless of the cause—my affinity for baking or simply having more kids to feed this year (including a nine-month-old baby who seems to consume constantly)—I was at peace with the situation.
The gratitude-epiphany continued as I realized working in a decluttered kitchen delivered a sense of calm.
My kitchen before minimalism wasn’t a pretty sight. Not because of my lack of effort or intention, but because of the sheer takeover of stuff.
I had enough coffee mugs to serve the neighborhood and enough plastic utensils to host every kid on the block. (Not once did either scenario happen). Besides holding superfluous serving potential, the kitchen seemed to grow random paper piles. All occasionally fertilized by food remnants that reappeared despite my scrubbing.
Needless to say, it wasn’t a peaceful place to be.
A recent poll found that Americans spend an average of 67 minutes per day in their kitchens. That’s the equivalent of over 400 hours (or 16 days) annually.
In my experience living as a minimalist family, less stuff in a kitchen enriches the time that is spent there.
A minimalist kitchen still takes work and upkeep (the dishes don’t put themselves away). But less stuff simply means less work to be done.
Before minimalism, I could work in my kitchen for 30 minutes with little visible progress. More stuff always needed my attention. Eliminating the excess made my kitchen work more effective and enjoyable. And it can for you, too.
Here are three tips to curate a minimalist kitchen:
1. Keep less than you think you need
The first step to curating a kitchen with less stuff is getting rid of the excess. The kitchen is a room that usually houses duplicates (seven spatulas, anyone?).
My favorite tool for decluttering your kitchen is called the “power of half.” Take a big box and simply place half the contents of your kitchen in it. If you have 14 coffee mugs, seven go in the box and seven stay in the cupboard. This continues with dishes, glasses, silverware, and all categories of kitchen stuff.
Store the box away for three months. During that time, if you need anything from the box, retrieve it. After three months, donate whatever you didn’t need or miss. Your space will feel lighter without the excess stuff and your systems will flow in a minimalist kitchen.
2. Choose multifunctional tools
Kitchen gadgets promise to make our lives easier. The spiralizers, graters, shredders, choppers, mixers—each specific to its own food type. Truth is, they contribute to clutter. Any pineapple slicing, avocado peeling, or strawberry hulling can seamlessly be done with … a knife.
A minimalist kitchen contains tools that serve multiple purposes (like the knife) instead of collecting excess gadgets that serve only one purpose (like the strawberry huller).
Mason jars are a wonderful multi-use item. We use them for drinking glasses, vases, baking, and vegetable and soup storage containers. This means we don’t own many of those actual items, which helps reduce clutter.
3. Clear the front of your refrigerator
A 2006 UCLA study showed a direct relationship between the amount of stuff covering a refrigerator and the amount of clutter in a home. Researchers, who studied 32 Los Angeles homes over a four year span, found that the average home had 55 objects on their fridge surfaces. Homes with higher fridge density also had more clutter in the home.
Clear, or keep a minimal amount of items, on the front of your refrigerator. Reducing visual stimuli will make your kitchen feel calmer and may even serve as an impetus for decluttering other areas of your home.
If you feel like you’re spending more time than you’d like in your kitchen (because of time spent cleaning) or if your kitchen environment feels cluttered and stressful, give one of these tips a try.
In my experience, a minimalist kitchen with less stuff, filled with only what you use and love, is one that’s more manageable and enjoyable.
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Julia Ubbenga is a freelance journalist whose teachings on minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living have reached thousands of people worldwide through her blog. Julia practices what she preaches in her Kansas City home with her husband, two extremely lively young daughters, two-year-old son, and nine-month-old baby girl. You can also find her on Instagram and now also on Facebook.
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