5 Steps to creating an organized, efficient and peaceful kitchen. These steps are a great place to begin cultivating a life-giving kitchen you can’t wait to be in.
One thing is crucial for being able to put thoughtful meals on the table for my family. That is creating a kitchen that is setup for efficiency and peace. Here are a few steps that I fall back on when things get a little off kilter in our home. If you want more peace in your kitchen, going through these steps is a great starting point for creating a life-giving kitchen you are excited to be in.
Before diving in, I have created this FREE Workbook for us to walk through this process together. You can download it by clicking here.
If you are more of a visual learner, I created this video for you here.
Sit down with your workbook and your favorite beverage.
I find it helpful to slip in a moment to breathe in my day. A cold glass of water, hot cup of tea, coffee. Something a little more bougie like a homemade iced cold brew with vanilla maple cold foam. Yes, I am that person in the coffee line. Whichever your preference, take a few deep breaths while you grab your drink and find a comfy chair.
Think.
Write down 3 things that work really well in your kitchen. Maybe you have a cleaning routine that works well for your family. Maybe you are just thankful to have some food on the table and a kitchen to work in. Whatever end of the bridge you find yourself on, write these down. Choose thankfulness for the things that are working well. Be willing to grow. Aim for progress over perfection.
Next, let’s write down 1 area that could use some fine tuning. If only one thing could be improved, what would make the biggest impact towards peace in your kitchen. Clarity here will help move the needle a bit in the right direction. The goal: less chaos, more efficiency and peace. This pain point is going to be your first focus area.
Step 1 to a Peaceful and Efficient Kitchen: Simplify
First we are going to look at down sizing items. Are things falling out of your cupboards? Does your kitchen have drawers where items are stuffed in rather than nicely at home? The first thing that I do with this chaos area of the kitchen is move everything OUT. On the counter or floor, wherever there is a safe spot (away from the baby, the dog, tripping hazard…).
Next once everything is out, I pick up things one by one and ask:
1. Does this belong in the kitchen?
If not, move the item to it’s home outside of the kitchen. I like to use the one touch rule where I only have to deal with something once. If it would throw off your focus to leave the project, I would recommend having a basket nearby. This is for “items to re-home” at the end. I would also keep the garbage bin handy for trash and items that simply are broken.
2. Do I use this item often?
If I don’t use something at least every month, it either needs to be donated or move to another location. I like to have only what I constantly use within the working zones of my kitchen. For example, I make special birthday cakes for my family members every birthday. Do I use these cake supplies every month? No, I do not. Do I still need them to do the baking that I need to do? Yes, I do. Instead of having to shuffle around these items in my drawers and pantry, I have a designated bin. Cake decorating supplies and sprinkles are put away in my garage pantry to bring out for those birthday celebrations. Not to be cluttering up the drawers in the meantime.
3. Is this item functional?
If it’s broken and cannot be fixed this week, toss it.
4. Do I have multiple?
I personally keep very few quantity of most things. It’s easier for me to manage. I never find myself needing 5 spatulas at once or even 2 of the same type of knife. In our home, we keep it pretty minimal. Inventory is something you will get a feel for over time in your own home. It has changed as our family has grown. We have about 2 plates per child and 4 large adult plates. We have a separate area for hosting dishes away from my everyday management zone. Test out what amount of items you manage in your working zones of the kitchen. Is it stressful to have too little of that item? Is it stressful to be constantly shuffling around unused items? To have a hard time keeping up with the dishes? Only you can gauge what will bless or cause more chaos in your unique home.
My rule of thumb.
If any item I pick up has a “eh, I don’t use it that often” response to these questions. Or “I don’t love it but may use one day”. If I am afraid I might need it- I would put it in a box for “time will tell”. I label the box “time will tell” and today’s date. Everything left in the box after 3 months is donated. Those items I never needed can go to better homes and out of my management.
Step 2 to a Peaceful and Efficient Kitchen: Strategize
Once your designated area is simplified and decluttered, it’s time to strategize. How can you best set up the area of the kitchen for efficiency and peace?
In this station of the kitchen, does it make sense to have these items here? Are the stirring spoons in a drawer across the room from where you actually use them? Are the spices out of reach from the stove? This may not be the most efficient spot to optimize functionality of your kitchen. Think through where things may make better sense.
In my home, we have a few designated stations. A “coffee making station”. A “food prep” station. A “home management/calendar” station. The “water station”. I switch things around occasionally but this is how I tend to implement a strategy when it comes to working zones.
Step 3 to a Peaceful and Efficient Kitchen: Systematize
Next once my strategy is in place, I implement a system for keeping things functioning in a peaceful, efficient manner.
Do I need to let everyone in the family know that mom moved things around? Do I need to label things? This is key if you have many people living with you to help a system stick longer. Implementing systems when there is a pain point can really help cultivate a peaceful and efficient kitchen.
One system that has helped our home tremendously is my Recipe Binder.
I used to have random papers with recipes scattered. Recipe books all over the place! After being tired of this I decided to put each tried and true favorite family recipe into one collective binder. Once I go through a cookbook I will photo copy or write down our favorites from it. This recipe gets categorized in the binder. Then I can either keep a cookbook for decor or I will gift or donate.
All the favorites are categorized nicely in the binder, within a plastic report cover to avoid splatter stains and ruin. This is just one example of a system we have implemented that works really well for us. This makes dinner time a breeze on busy days. 80% of the recipes in the binder, I have the majority of the ingredients on hand at all times. I can open it up, make the meal and know it will be enjoyed by the whole family.
If you want to get started with your own recipe binder, I created this free printable just for you!
Another example of a system we recently set up is in regards to my children getting a glass of water.
We had a problem of random water cups all over the place. Outside on the picnic table. On the bathroom counter. All over the dining room. Spills randomly throughout the house from travelling water drinkers. No one could tell their cups apart or they forgot that they already had a drinking glass for the day. Chaos. Queue system implementation.
We have a large counter top gravity water system with a spigot. I made sure that this filter was placed in reach for my children. They each have one water cup that is their own color that lives by the water filter. I let them know the new expectations for water being filled up and consumed in the kitchen. They are responsible for their own cup and putting it back where it goes. Everyone (besides my one year old) is capable of independently doing this system. They grab their water when they need it. They know where to keep the water to avoid spills and dishes piling up. I am not being asked a million times a day for a glass of water. Nor am I stepping in spills randomly on my way across the house praying that it was just water…(if you know, you know).
Systems can be game changing.
Step 4 to a Peaceful and Efficient Kitchen: Organize
We have simplified, strategized, systematized and now it’s time to organize, for an efficient and peaceful kitchen space.
You know that you only have what you need within your work zone. You have made a plan and a system to help keep this area working. Now we are going to fine tune it just a bit more with organization. Let’s take the pantry for this example.
Scenario: You have just what we need in the pantry. You have a plan for where things need to go. We have set up a system for it that makes logical sense. Such as: things we need often are within reach for us. Items we want children to grab independently are in reach for them. Hazards we need to keep away from the baby and the dog are out of reach (you tracking?). Now we are going to organize a bit for that peace and efficiency.
I love using baskets, shelving systems and labels to organize. Methods of organization may be trial and error depending on your personal organization system. Observe how you prefer to organize and the
Here’s an example of an area that may need some organization:
If I have a problem of chip bags being randomly tossed around the pantry shelves, I grab a basket. Big enough to fit the amount of bags we keep on hand and label it “chips”. This way even my 3 year old can even help put away the chip bags.
If I have a problem with my extra spices cluttering up my pantry, I grab a basket for the overflow. Then I label the basket so that other household members know where to find the extras.
The point is for everything to have a designated home. People can find what they need with no fuss. Anyone could come in and put things where they belong. Your management of the space becomes simplified and easy. Peace.
Step 5 to a Peaceful and Efficient Kitchen: Add Beauty
One of the things that really helps me feel more peaceful in my kitchen, is adding beauty.
I am constantly in my kitchen and am very affected by visual clutter. Knowing this about myself I try to be mindful of what is in sight.
My preference is to have clear counter tops. If I need something on the counter I prefer it to be easy on my eyes and beautiful. A pretty basket or glass container may be just the thing for those things we must leave out. Cut flowers, indoor plants, decanting dry goods in beautiful glass jars. Simple beauty and joy in what may be considered mundane to others, can add a sense of calm.
These simple touches really contribute to the peace I feel in our kitchen. Bringing in the beauty without compromising functionality.
Recently, I found this huge bowl to make larger batches of baked goods for my family of 6. The beautiful touch this adds to the process inspires me to create and bake all the things. The first recipe I made in it were these tasty sourdough lemon poppy seed muffins for our tea time. You can find the recipe here!
You did it! Now we have an efficient and peaceful kitchen station.
Making our kitchen efficient, productive and peaceful is part of my important work. It inspires me to be in my kitchen more often which leads to creating. Nourishing meals come together quickly and there is a sense of calm in an organized kitchen curated for peace and efficiency.
What if your time in the kitchen brought you life? Your clean up time was shortened? If others could find what they need and feel at peace in the kitchen as well?
- Simplify
- Strategize
- Systematize
- Organize
- Add beauty
One step at a time is a step in the right direction.
