Smallest kitchen in the world...
Moms View Message Board: Get Organized: Smallest kitchen in the world...
My kitchen is made up of two parts, kitchen 7 x 10 (my sink, dishwasher and stove plus a eat at small bar is in this area) and an eat in area (maybe) 8x8 (I have a table with bench and three chairs and the refrig is in this area). I have four cabinets above the sink, four below (these are mostly where I place pots and pans. I have one cabinet above refrig. And a built in closet (coat hanging kind) in the eat in area. I do not have any money to buy extra storage but I would love a pantry. Do you have a pantry and for me any suggestions. It is almost the tiniest room in the house. You can tell a man built it and lived by himself in 1902 (and apparently didn't think much of the kitchen). I would love to be able to store more food for 5 people When all three dd and dog (sheltie) are in this area all together I go crazy.
Can you put shelves in the closet? Or do you already have them? Next I would buy a rubbermaid door rack for that closet door. (it has several shelves going down it to pace cans/food in)
Get a hanging pot rack for your pots and pans. Either one that hangs on the wall or one that hangs from the ceiling. That would free up a cabinet.
If thats still not enough space then look in the next room. Can you fit a pretty cabinet in their and use it for kitchen storage? My sister has a pretty 'pantry' cabinet in her dining room. It has handpainted wood doors (so you cant see what is being stored in it) She keeps her baking goods and cookbooks in this 'pantry'.
I know you said you dont have any extra money. I think you would be surprised how inexpensive some of the things I listed above can be.
Yep I agree with Conni - if you can install shelves in that closet.
Also, I use my laundry room for overage inventory - canned foods, oversized cereal boxes (switched to plastic containers), paper towels, garbage bags etc. I also have shelves in my kitchen that hold dry goods - pastas - in glass containers. For kitchen linens - which used to take up a - whole prime space - drawer - they are now in my diningroom, on the bottom shelf of my bookcase in a pretty wicker basket.
Brooms etc are hung at my back door on the wall.
I limit the amount of plastic ware - it was taking over my small kitchen
Plastic wrap - stored on the inside of a cupboard door. There's white wire holder you can buy.
Pot lids are stored in the drawer of my stove. Pots & pans are in one cupboard. I don't have many but I dont't need many.
Don't be afraid to use adjoining rooms. a lot of my pyrex, casserole dishes, glass bowls are displayed on shelves in the adjoining playroom. I just didn't have cupboard space for them!
Marg- I HEAR you! I have a really tiny kitchen, too. It's more like a pantry. In this area, I have a stove, fridge, and counters/cabinets that are L-shaped around two walls of the area. I also have a portable dishwasher, that I wheel up to the sink. I can't build it in, because I can't afford to lose any cupboard space. We have an open dining/living room, with a table and four chairs. Our other two dinette chairs are one each, in the boys' rooms. They put their backpacks, etc. on them, unless we need them for company. If we invite another family for dinner, I set up a folding table in the living room, for all the young people.
Our house was built in 1975. It is a tract, three bedroom, one bath ranch. There are twenty others just like it, all in a row on our country road. We bought it new, and have been here 28 years. We have raised two kids in it, and have started all over again. We have (and still do have) many different animals. And, at different times, have had our elderly parents living with us. I always say that our house isn't small. It's just that we have too much STUFF! LOL!
However, I am so grateful to the Lord for a home that is our's (we have no mortgage), that protects and shelters us.
I use my basement a lot, for storage. I have canned good shelves where I keep a lot of food. I also buy paper products in bulk, and store them down there.
Also, I have a narrow, but deep, broom closet in my center hallway. DH put lots of shelves in it for me, and I use that for cereal, popcorn, cake mixes, etc. So, using your closet is probably your best bet.
I LOL when I read what you wrote about a MAN designing your kitchen. How true! I've always said that dishwashers have to have been invented by a woman who was left alone in the kitchen one too many holidays, to clean up after dinner.
Ladies you have a lot of great ideas, I should have explained that the coat closet is one of those bifolding doors (miserable to clean). I would love to get a cabinet I can roll in and out that would fit within the closet, so I don't have to be scared if I put shelves in and hate them. I just would like a nice cabinet but not put a bunch of money in it.
Holly, the original house (built in 1902) consisted of the kitchen, living/dining room, two bedrooms (with a bathroom between the bedrooms) and someone built in the side porch to make a sitting area (we use as a spare bedroom when our friend comes to visit). We bought in 1986, we built on a two car garage in 89, then in 91 a master bedroom/bath, in 93 a large family room with connecting bathroom/laundry room. We also paid off last year It was not easy, we only built on when we had the money. My dad and dh did the work. But I will never be able to do anything with the kitchen from the way it is situated. It doesn't seem big when everyone and all animals are in the house, but when the girls grow up and go on their own it will seem huge (I'm hoping for grandkids (Lord willing).
I would sometime like to fix up the basement because one small room has the water heater in it I could use that and there are too other small rooms, but we will have to wait.
In our previous house we had a galley-style kitchen. Similar to what you described actually! There was no room for storage at all. Fortunately, we had a storage room that was bigger than the actual kitchen. We used it to store all of our food in. It was nice.
The house we are in now, has a nice open kitchen with a nice amount of cupboard space (could always use more) and even a walk in pantry. BUT, if given a choice, I would go back to the smaller kitchen with the separate LARGE pantry. The pantry we have now doesn't fit all of our food. And, there is no other empty rooms in the house for storage. I like the ideas above!
We have our canned storage in boxes under the kids beds. We also have our dry-pack cans in boxes stacked in DS's closet. I'm feeling your pain with the no storage space thing.
We use those roll shelves thingy's. They have like three drawers on them but they're stackable and sell for under 15 bucks at walmart. They have different heights some with more narrow drawers and more of them.
They're inexpensive and movable.
Trish,
I've never thought of that! Thanks for the idea! I haven't been to Walmart in ages, taking the 3 yo is not very fun Sorry she's all over the place and she can't even fit into the cart. She's weel over 3 ft and weights 48 lbs. She's almost as big as our 8 yo but not as mature of course.
NO problem! My Mom uses them to hold her silverware and cooking utensils too.
My 7 yr old son has been the size of a 9 year old since he was just turning six and he just turned seven! He's 95lbs and one inch shorter than his 11 yr old sister!
He's actually pretty muscular for a little guy and boy oh boy can he throw a ball!
But anyway I hope these darwer thingys work out good for you! They also have bright colored ones for kids rooms and playrooms, they're really handy and you can roll em! If you want to stack them just don't put the wheels on em!
|
Members
