Software
Houzz Logo Print
devhice

kitchen needs help

8 years ago
These are old photos of my kitchen but it still looks the same. I need to do something with this. It’s driving me crazy. There is nearly no storage for dry food items. The counter space is a little bigger than I thought, but still not that great. The floor needs replaced, the previous owners did not take good care of the flooring. There is no dishwasher. That is gone, I use the space there to store the trash can with a curtain. Please help Houzz people. You’ve helped me do amazing work to my living room.

Comments (18)

  • 8 years ago

    I'm not sure what you are asking for; are you remodeling the kitchen? Or are you asking for people's advice on how you can get more storage out of it as is?

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I'm going to assume you're on a tight budget, so here are some budget friendly things you can do to get more storage. You actually have a huge amount of storage that looks poorly used.

    --Before you do anything, line up three bins in the kitchen to sort out the following: one bin is for duplicate items from all your cabinets and drawers to donate; one bin for large oversized items you rarely use which you'll store elsewhere; one bin for things to toss out for good. Just this decluttering of all cabinets should open up a little space, particularly off the countertop, which is very cluttered and takes away work space. Get a large dishpan for under the sink for cleaning supplies.

    --Take everything off the top and front of the fridge for a clean look. Get a nice bulletin board for the wall next to the kitchen table for posting paperwork/calendar you need to look at next to the phone.Get a huge, colorful oversized empty frame or colorful bulletin board and hang it next to the fridge for your children's wonderful art work. Don't have a single thing hanging off the cabinets or fridge.

    --Measure some of your lower and wall cabinets. Buy pullout Rev-a-Shelves at a big box store for lower cabinets that can accommodate double shelves. They are very easy to install. Get a pull-out Rev-a-Shelf for a trash can under the sink.

    --Store paper towels and all cleaning supplies under the sink.

    --Get stick-on towel bars for inside cabinets to hang a dishtowel. NOTHING HANGING FROM CABINETS!!!

    --Get wire organizing shelves for inside upper cabinets to double your space for dishes and glassware. (Buy only stackable glassware.)

    --Remove your dark curtains and replace with nice Roman shades in a pattern you like. Those dark curtains are bringing the whole kitchen down.

    --Use your second sink basin for a small dish rack, dish detergent, and sponge. Don't put any dishes on the counter. They're either in the dishwasher or dish drainer, not on the counters. Um, I see you have no dishwasher. Get one since the plumbing must be there for it.

    --The only items on your counters should be a coffee maker not too far from the sink and a toaster oven for toast and simple broiling/baking.

    --Hang cup hooks under the cabinets near the coffee maker and get some pretty matching mugs to hang on them. This should free up some cabinet space.

    --Plan to give away your kitchen dining set and replace it with an island. If you can't afford an island, then get a carpenter to make you a bench seat with a lid against the left wall. Store infrequently used large items in the bench. Store your dry goods where large items were.

    Dallas, TX: Alun & Selena Urquhart · More Info

    --Does your kitchen open to a garage? If so, place stainless steel racks by the kitchen door to store oversized kitchen items. Use the opened up space in the kitchen for your dry goods.

    --Check Craigslist regularly to see if anyone is selling a large storage kitchen island or buy one when there's a sale at a big box store. Make sure there's three feet all the way around.

    --Install an oversized countertop on the island with an overhang you can use for eating. Or try something like this--double level with a work countertop and lower table.

    East Longmeadow II · More Info

    --Get wonderful colorful vinyl flooring that includes just a bit of white and golden brown. But pick a great background color for it.

    8"x8" Rotterdam-B Cement Tile · More Info

    --If all this is too much, hire an organizer for an hour or two. It will be money well spent and will cheer you up. Good luck!

  • 8 years ago

    You have a nice space, it just needs a few tweaks to perk it up.

    As mentioned above, you have a lot of clutter in your kitchen. The first thing I would do would be to pull everything off the cabinets, walls, fridge and counters. Throw out or store away.

    Take down your window treatment and your wooden valance. You can leave the window bare or replace with a simple, lighter treatment.

    If you don't have the budget to replace the floor, try a large indoor outdoor rug in a pattern or color that makes you happy. They are bulletproof and can be cleaned outside with a hose.


  • 8 years ago

    Can you get rid of the kitchen table, put the fridge there and extend more cabs/storage on the wall where the fridge is? A corner pantry might be helpful for turning the cabs to run on the fridge wall. Removal of clutter will make a big difference in the way you see this space. The fire extinguisher should be near the stove where fire is most likely to break out.


    Renovated Georgian Home: Classic meets contemporary · More Info

    The Hampton Kitchen · More Info

  • 8 years ago
    More pics of kitchen
  • 8 years ago
    More pictures. Yes I realize it’s a mess, but I’m currently decluttering and sorting and making dinner. Haha
  • 8 years ago

    I really think you need to hire a decluttering person. You have an enormous kitchen with loads of storage, but it jammed with too much stuff. You will need to empty out everything, cabinet by cabinet and purge as much as possible. Now that I look at the whole kitchen, I see where you could pull out the pantry cabinet and get a tall, cabinet-depth fridge there.


    Then you could build a banquette on the current fridge wall and use your current table and chairs in front of it. If you still need space, then get bottom cabinets for the wall where the kitchen table is currently. That would give you counter space and storage. Stain the cabinets the same as your current ones for now. Maybe at a later date you could have them professionally painted.

    Decluttering before decorating should be your motto.


  • 8 years ago

    Are you willing to paint anything or everything? If so, your cabinets could be brightened up immensely with a light color paint. And the lower portion of your walls could also be painted with a nice grounding color, with the upper portion a lovely airy color. For me, the first step of the painting would be the cabinets. That would open the kitchen right up nicely, IMO.


  • 8 years ago
    The cabinet closest to the fridge, where the shelf is next to, is where the hot water tank is. The doorway where the microwave is has a step down into dining room. The other doorway is to the halfway where the kids rooms are. I want to paint. So bad. I have a sunflower theme, and that’s not changing. But pretty much everything else has to haha
  • 8 years ago
    I am in the process of decluttering. I’ve made progress on cleaning supplies but got busy with the kids and didn’t make it too far
  • 8 years ago

    Okay, if that's the hot weater heater in what I thought was the pantry, then you can't now or eventually move your fridge there.

    Do you have garage space or a cellar? If you buy supplies in bulk, the bulk of things like all those sponges should be on shelves out there, with one sponge at a time in one of your two sinks. That goes for everything.

    Honestly, you need a professional organizer to come up with a grand plan. Don't even think about painting or replacing the floor until you deal with decluttering. Good luck!




  • 8 years ago

    following

  • 8 years ago
    We don’t have professional declutterers where I live. Or anywhere close. I live in small town USA. I’ll have to declutter everything myself. I’m multitasking. Trying to get the outside and inside done in just a month before my foreign exchange student gets here. I have a lot to do. My husband works evenings so I do outside work with him while he is home and inside at night while he is gone. Any declutter suggestions is appreciated too. But I really need ideas for what to do after.
  • 8 years ago

    Do a Google search for: "How to declutter a kitchen" Find a place in your garage or cellar to put rarely used large items and extras of things you buy in bulk. You don't need six sponges under the sink. You don't need six dishcloths--just 2-3. Get rid of too many duplicates. Start cabinet by cabinet. But first get those bins: Move, Throw Away, Donate.

  • 8 years ago

    I see you need a dishwasher...Do you have a sears outlet near you? White appliances will be very much less than stainless, so you're ahead of the game there. I have a double sink and I got a small dish drainer for one side so I don't have to have one on the counter.

    I agree with decluttering. Get rid of the little busy things...box them up and put them somewhere you can re-shop in at a later time when your kitchen is organized.

    I'm thinking that in a kitchen with no pantry(?) then the "prettier" things should go on open shelving and food should be behind doors. So I would have that as my goal. Perhaps some wire shelving on either side of your fridge--so you'll have to shop around for good sizes and make sure get them on locking casters so you can access the hot water heater and make them more on the narrow side. This will make your fridge appear to stick out less. I would put dishes and "nicer" small appliances and maybe pots here, freeing up cupboard space for stuff that you don't want to look at.

    For those items that must stay out, I like to contain them on a tray. For example the coffee maker along with sugar and creamer on one tray, the salt and pepper and oil and whatnot on another near the range....

    Tons to do before beginning! That part sucks and I'm supposed to be doing the same thing...my guest room is totally full of everything that was in the laundry room as that's the one I need to focus on now...so off I go!

  • 8 years ago

    One last suggestion, but only after you declutter and free up space. Rev-a-Shelves are super easy to install in lower cabinets and double storage, plus they're pullout so easy to see everything.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H46MB3C/ref=asc_df_B00H46MB3C5509546/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00H46MB3C&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167135973835&hvpos=1o4&hvnetw=g&hvrand=416205126432667233&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001710&hvtargid=pla-27565309435

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    I think you have the storage space.. maybe just too many things? If the budget allows, get yourself a kitchen designer.