
The kitchen is one of the rooms most used in a house. It’s a living space in its own right for most people. For special occasions—but especially for everyday life—a functional kitchen is essential. It must be designed according to its size, adapted to your own way of cooking and according to your tastes and habits! Here are 4 tips to design and maintain a functional kitchen without having to spend a fortune!
1. Declutter your kitchen to find your way around
Have you ever heard the phrase “organize to find things better”? It’s never been truer than in a kitchen, because a functional kitchen must be perfectly organized with uncluttered countertops. However, to properly organize our space, we must first avoid overloading it by sorting things out. Accessories, utensils; various gadgets, dishes, plastic and serving plates, cooking pots, baking pans, cups, bowls, bottles, textiles, cleaning products and other clutter fill our drawers and cupboards and accumulate without us really realizing it. Although this is much easier said than done, sorting out what is not useful or has not been used in a long time is a must! Keep only what you really use and give the rest (accepted items in good condition, of course!) to Entraide diabétique du Québec or to the ecocentre in your area. Consult the list of items accepted by the EDQ before making your donations.
2. Tidy up drawers and cupboards
Once you have weeded out what you no longer need, you can start tidying up your drawers and cupboards. Organize the items according to their use. This way, the most used items will be closer to the workspace, on the counter or in the drawers or cupboards that are easiest to access. Create compartments in drawers to maximize their organizational efficiency and opt for see-through containers to make it easier to find what you need in your cupboards. Then it all comes down to a quick glance!
3. Sort out spices, cans and fridge contents
Sorting your items by category will not only help you save you time, but will also keep your food fresh. Sort the contents of your fridge by food group and then by expiry date, from back to front. In the pantry, use airtight jars rather than the original packaging. Again, see-through, labeled containers will help you easily find what you’re looking for. There are also a number of options for storing spices close to the work surface. With a bit of research, you can optimize the storage of your spices without leaving them on the counter.
4. Organization is the key!
When the right tools are carefully stored and within close reach, everything becomes easier. An optimized work surface will also be more inviting. There’s no need to buy gadgets that will only clutter up your kitchen. Just arrange and organize the space well according to your own and your family’s cooking habits. Move items used daily closer to the counter. Store high up those items that are not used frequently or that are dangerous for children. And lastly, let your family know about your changes and the new habits to adopt so that everyone can easily find what they are looking for. Also, encourage each other to put all items back in their place after each use, which will make the job easier and help you keep your kitchen tidy.
In short, optimizing your kitchen to make it more functional is no small task. Avoid over-consumption and be resourceful! It will take time—and probably some trial and error—to achieve the ultimate in functionality for your space! Entraide diabétique du Québec encourages you to declutter your space and make it more pleasant, while giving a second life to your unused items.