7 Suggestions For The Best Minimalistic Kitchen {Guest Post}
Guest Post by Samantha Rosario
In the world ruled by things, which is especially visible in the kitchen, the minimalistic approach is sometimes very much appreciated. The kitchen is the cornerstone of the house, as the place in which we spend a lot of time. After all, everyone’s gotta eat.
Think about your kitchen – how many gadgets and gimmicks do you have lying around? How many pots and pans you’ve never used are taking up cupboard space? Do you still own that blender, even though you never use it?
Stuff just has a way of accumulating, so it’s good to regularly reassess your possessions. If you’re looking for a way to make your kitchen more comfortable, scatter-free and dashing, YOU’RE IN LUCK! I’ve done the research and accumulated this list of top seven tips for a minimalistic kitchen:
- Clean your Kitchenware Out
Imagine it’s spring cleaning time and take all the kitchenware out of the cupboards. Split the contents of into two sections: stay and donate.
Make a list of all of them and take note of the things you use more frequently: those are safe to stay. Donate or throw away that pan you keep around ‘just in case’, but have never actually felt the need to use. There’s no need to have more than one strainer or cheese grater, so de-clutter and move any extra cooking equipment into the donate box.
Be sure to leave enough cups, glasses, plates and utensils for when you’re entertaining guests – but don’t go overboard, I’m sure you don’t need more than eight glasses or plates.
- Assess your Appliances
There are so many interesting and fancy appliances on the market today, that it’s sometimes hard to resist giving in and purchasing something that you’ll only end up using once a year – if that.
Such is the case with waffle irons, bread makers, yogurt makers, spiralizers and so on. They may seem like a good idea, but unless you’re going to be using them regularly (and you probably aren’t), they’re just a waste of money and space.
Limit yourself to what you really need. If you’re a coffee drinker, a coffee machine is a good investment; if you prefer tea, go with an electric kettle. Don’t throw things out just to be minimalistic, but be honest with yourself about what your requirements really are.
- Reconsider the Space you’re Working With
Big or small, a kitchen needs a lot of free countertop space. Freeing up the countertop is the best and easiest way of giving your kitchen a minimalistic feel, and it goes a long way to help you in your cooking endeavors.
In order to free this space, you might need to say goodbye to the microwave, the rice cooker or the extravagant knife set you only used once.
Hang the oven mitts and dish towels on a hook on the backsplash or dedicate a drawer to them, just to keep them out of sight and to reach that minimalistic view.
- Organize the Spice Rack
Most of the spices we buy are from different producers and come in different packages. This means that their visual appearance is about as far apart from each other as it can get, since most of us don’t bother dedicating a container to each spice.
A simple way to make your kitchen more organized and clean-looking is to purchase the same spice containers in bulk – this way you can store your spices, without it looking messy and chaotic.
- Purchase Some Glass Containers
The same principle that applies to spices applies to coffee, rice, flour and other food items. A nice and simple way of keeping them in order is investing in some pretty, labeled jars.
It looks nice, it gives you less clean-up trouble and it makes your kitchen more functional – what more do you need?
- Invest in Open Shelves
Not only with replacing your current closed cupboards with open shelves give your kitchen an inviting look, it will also keep you on the organization-wagon, as it will be visible that things aren’t in their place if that were to happen.
It’s not the biggest investment you can make, and it’s a simple way of opening up the space. This adjustment will even trick the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it actually is. And it’s extra-helpful for guests, who will no longer have to hunt for glasses when they’re in need of water.
- Choose the Color Palette Wisely
If you opt for a minimalistic kitchen, it’s best to stick to white, grey or black as a basic color in your color palette. Solid colors work best, and lighter colors are easier on the eyes and will give your kitchen a certain je ne sais quoi.
An advantage of going with a solid white or black for your kitchen is the number of possibility it opens for accents, allowing you to stay modern as interior design trends change.
The Conclusion
Our lifestyles are busy, but that doesn’t mean we need to bury ourselves with things. A kitchen a room in which you will spend a couple of hours every day, so it’s preferable to transform it into a space which doesn’t give you a claustrophobic feeling, but rather leaves you feeling optimistic and fresh.
These seven simple suggestions can really improve the overall appearance of your kitchen, as well change your mindset and approach to shopping. Good luck!
