A kitchen downsize may be just what you need to simplify your home, especially if the room causes overwhelm. Here’s what to do.
The story.
I pulled the drawer open with an impatient yank. Where was that extra screw? I knew I’d seen it there recently.
I pushed one thing and another aside. Nope. Not there.
I shoved the drawer closed harder than necessary. Stepping over near the sink, I pulled another, taller drawer open. At least I knew I could find a kitchen towel. All the kitchen towels were in this drawer.
Pulling it open, I took off the towel lying on top, then pushed the drawer closed.
Only it wouldn’t close. The drawer was so jam-packed, I had to reopen it, shove a towel down out of the top where it had become stuck, then close it again.
I sighed as I slung the clean towel over the oven handle. Maybe I should just stick the old towels my grandmother embroidered in a box somewhere.
And empty that stupid junk drawer out on the lawn.
Reasons to consider a kitchen downsize… even if you have a large kitchen.
A friend once told me that if you have empty space in your home, it eventually gets filled. While she’d been speaking about furniture, decades of experience has shown me that the bit of wisdom might apply to the Western kitchen more than anything.
Unless you’re intentionally minimal in your accumulation of things, over time, every corner of every kitchen cabinet – and often a considerable amount of kitchen counter real estate – is filled.
And if you’re neurodivergent or postmenopausal, this state of fullness can feel more like a curse than a blessing.
If you’re at this point, it’s time for a kitchen downsize. How can you be sure you need one? Consider the following reasons.
#1:You’re having trouble finding things.
Likely as not, you can grab your favorite mug and a dinner plate on autopilot. But some of your lesser-used kitchen items and gadgets might require rummaging around in order to find it.
#2 reason for a kitchen downsize: Breakage risk.
Sure, you know exactly where your favorite drinking glass is, but whenever you grab it, your hand bumps into two other glasses. And half the time, one of them begins rocking precariously.
Same for grabbing plates from a stack.
If that’s happening on a frequent basis, it’s time for a kitchen downsize.
#3: You have more than you use.
Once upon a time, you thought you should have fifteen extra place settings for whatever reason. But that reason has never manifested into reality, and all the extra dishes and eating utensils are taking up precious storage space.
#4 reason for a kitchen downsize: Opening a cabinet floods you with anxiety.
This can be a real thing for autistic women, women with ADHD, and any woman over the age of forty-five. Between our limited ability to make decisions on the fly and our near inability to deal with visual clutter, the jam-packed shelves make us want to run away screaming.
#5: You’re hoarding.
Your mother-in-law gave you a tea service on your wedding day… and no one in your house drinks tea. Ten years ago, your sister gave a set of champagne glasses for Christmas.
You haven’t used any of those gifts one time, but each set sits quietly on an upper shelf in a kitchen cabinet.
Then there’s the breadmaker you used twice when you first bought it six years ago. If only the stars would line up properly, you know you’d feel like baking bread from scratch again.
Many women keep unwanted items out of guilt or fear. (HINT: fear is what every “just in case” item in your home is about.) I get it. I do.
But this is your home. Not your mom-in-law’s. Not your sister’s. And you know by now that “just in case” items end up being never used, and having to be tossed by descendants of the hoarders who kept them.
If your crammed kitchen cabinets and counters are a result of hoarding, it’s time for a kitchen downsize.
The question is, how do you do it without losing your mind?
Here are the three steps. You can apply the steps to your entire kitchen in one fell swoop. If the very prospect overwhelms you, however, just tackle one cabinet, cupboard, or drawer per day. Or per week.
Step 1: Take out and put back.
Remove everything from a cabinet, cupboard, or drawer. Arrange them in some semblance of order on the counter or a table. Then, put back only what your family uses on a daily or weekly basis.
What if you entertain at least occasionally? I’ll get to that in a moment.
If you end up with extra kitchen towels and dishcloths, store them in the bathroom or linen closet. Things no one in your household never uses need to go into either a donation box or the trash.
Step 2 of your kitchen downsize: Give everything breathing room.
You have a lot more space in the cupboard or cabinet now. Use it. Arrange the dishes you’re going to keep so that they are easy to see and easy to remove (no danger of knocking into something else).
If you entertain at least on occasion and now have plenty of shelf space, put back extras to account for the usual number of guests you have. If shelf space is still at a premium, see the third step.
For kitchen gadgets, saucepans, or food items, use the same principle.
Step 3 of your kitchen downsize: Store the occasional items separately.
After the kitchen declutter, you may have an entire cupboard or cabinet left empty. Great! You have a place to store the dishes and gadgets that you only use every few weeks to every few months. Place eating and cooking utensils together in a box. Stack plates and bowls. Arrange drinking items in rows from front to back so that you don’t have to move them around to access the other things.
Store small appliances and large pots on one side, dishes and utensils on the other.
If you don’t have extra cabinet space, put the extras in an easy-to-handle box or two, <bi>label it, and store it in a closet or shelf on the garage.
There! That wasn’t so bad, was it?
A neurodivergent-friendly home – as well as a menopause-friendly home – contains a kitchen that is easy to use. Consider a kitchen downsize for your peace of mind… and when you’re finished, come back and tell us how much better your life is! 😉
