Tip #4: Optimize ANY Kitchen Series

In Tip #3 I covered the two most important accessories to make accessing things in your kitchen easier. Check it out.

TIP #4:

Hanging things in the kitchen makes cooking and clean-up easier by creating more storage space that's easier to access.

An item that is easy to put away, gets put away. An item that's easy to access, makes you 30% less likely to yell at inanimate objects (percentages may vary) ;-)

These are examples of things that can hang in kitchens.

• dish racks

• pots and pans

• lids

• spices and/or oils

• cooking utensils containers

• vegetable baskets

• knives on a wall-mounted magnetic strip (knife blocks are a good place for mold to grow anyways)

• coffee cups

• paper towel rolls

Implementing a smart change has the possibility to completely change the way your kitchen functions. In considering what changes to make, consider what makes you the most frustrated in your kitchen. What is causing that problem? Can one of these ideas help fix that problem?

Try to think outside of the box In order to procure tools to help you do this.,

• You can use things you have laying around in a new way or find old hooks in your garage etc.

• You can check on Next Door and Craigslist (or the equivalent in your area) or ask your friends. If you get used things, you can have people put the item in a box for a few days and then leave it in your garage for as long as you think it needs to be safe for that material.

• You can get them at the grocery (outlet) store if you are there to grocery shop.

• Get things online if you can’t get it another way. The images link to sources.

IMPORTANT warnings:

- If you are hanging anything heavy on your walls (ex: shelves and pots and pans) please make sure it is secured into the studs. You might need to attach a 2x4 or piece of plywood from stud to stud and then attach your item to that piece of wood. Pro Tip- paint the wood to match your walls.

- If you are going to hang something on your cabinet doors make sure your hinges can handle that amount of weight. Over time this could wear on the hinges until they break.

- If your house gets a lot of dust you might not want to hang things on your walls but you can still hang things inside of cabinets and pantries.

- Please be VERY careful to read online instructions and take careful measurements before ordering things. You might want to only buy things that are returnable.

If making these choices seems like more than you want to do alone, I do offer short consultation packages. I completely understand that most people can’t afford help from designers. That is why I’m writing this blog to help you make decisions on your own to improve your experiences in your kitchen. I do not make money from anything I recommend in this series.

If you've missed any of my tips, go to my blog to get up to date on the series. Please, as with any field, follow the advice of experts in the field, not bloggers trying to sell you things that you don't need.

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