The flimsy shelf in my kitchen cupboard fell down awhile ago, and I'm ashamed to say I left it like that. Not surprisingly, the situation quickly deteriorated. Today I finally reorganized everything, and the "after" is functional, but still pretty ugly. That is in fact why I procrastinated so long: why bother working on something if the results aren't pretty?
I fear this is one of those times when I'm going to have to grow up a little bit. Every project can't involve sparkles and ferns, for crying out loud! There are many situations in which "functional" can be a version of "beautiful", and I'd do well to remember that. "Useful" and "good-enough" are never what I'm shooting for, but in dinky apartments sometimes even those lukewarm praises are something to be proud of.
I can now easily reach all my frequently-used appliances (food processor, waffle iron, blender, and coffee grinder), while the lesser-used appliances and baking dishes are still fairly accessible. Nothing is leaning precariously, and almost every item can be grabbed without moving any of the others. I'm trying to remind myself that accessibility is a form of elegance, even if it doesn't look particularly elegant. I would love to have glamorous slide-out shelving and such, but with a budget of $0 I'm just going to have to consider this job complete, and move on to other projects. Hopefully ones involving garland and dwarf trees!
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Haha, sparkles and ferns!
I recently did my best to pretty up the cupboard under the kitchen sink. It's full of appliances and dish soap, how nice is it really going to look?
It is much more functional, so spending some time on it was worth it. I'm right there with you on 'useful' and 'good enough.'
http://waldorfmodern.com/2010/12/under-sink-15-minute-makeover/
Awww, there there, it's not so bad, hehe. Good effort!
just get rid of some stuff. if you haven't used in the last year, you don't need it. this is particularly easy to do with your cookware. at some point, you just have to say to yourself "i don't need 15 large plates or 8 pyrex baking dishes."
i can promise you that it will be a liberating experience.
Here in Mexico, people rarely bake... so ovens are usually used to store pots, pans and tupperware.
I made fun of this "cultural tradition" for 5 years, until last week when I needed a place to store a pot. Lost for ideas, I resorted to my unused oven for storage. :(
Anything I use less than once a month goes in the pantry, which has worked out pretty well for me since it gives me more access to the things I use every day.
I think this post should win the true-to-life award. All we can do is the best we can do. Kudos!
Ehh, it's okay. As much as I love looking at photos of beautifully styled work spaces, our studio is not that pretty, but it works perfectly for our needs. And, as much as "curated" book shelves look great, our own are organized logically, if not photogenically. Not everything needs to be a photo op!
We call that "the cupboard of doom." I had one in each place that I have lived.
How badly do I want a fancy drawer for pots? My cupboards become unsightly too. I just shove the pots randomly in until I am forced to clean it out because they keep falling out. Sigh.
~Tanya
dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com
Good for you! We've all got those nasty little places in our homes. I've got an on-going project of painting the insides of all of mine a wonderful blue-violet that I'd never put on a wall, but that makes me feel good when I open them up.
Good job on reorganizing that cupboard, I know what a pain in the ass it can be. Honestly, with all the work that was put it into it, it wouldn't have been that much more work (and may have made your job easier) just to put the shelf back in with some extra reinforcements. Or if it broke completely, to add a new shelf.
Sadly these cleanups don't last long before a busy weekday or weekend screws it up. Looks like you need to add a pull-out shelf or a rack to better use the vertical space. Stacking items like this never works when you are busy in the kitchen, it only creates more headaches and inevitable messes.
I agree with jackjackjack. I'd get rid of the stuff I use the least. Pots and pans cupboard is a SORE subject in my house. It's always a mess but I can't talk the SO in to getting rid of HIS cookware (which I refuse to use). Getting rid of excess small appliances is a BIG help. I didn't need a shake maker, an ice tea maker, a second coffee maker, two coffee grinders (one blade/one burr), or the blender! I get along very well without them.
I know it doesn't have the big WOW factor of a great-looking rearrangement, but you say it yourself:
Nothing is leaning precariously, and almost every item can be grabbed without moving any of the others.
That is a triumph and a small inspiration. Pat yourself on the back for me!
Good job on the organization, but it still seems like you are trying to cram 10 lbs of sh!t into a 5 lb bag. At some point, you just need to weed out what you don't use.
lol,
i glanced quickly at the photo and thought "huh? that looks crappy" (sorry)
then, I read the post and understood -
yep, I am one of the spoiled ones, always expecting to see stunning "after" shots when in reality your experience hits the nail on the head: it's often times enough to merely strive to improve in small steps!
-
I agree, throw it out - you'll feel so much better and have space for something new/ newish/something crammed into someplace else
I did the same tonight and re-arranged my china cabinet. Soo much better now!
If its easier to use that's a huge step up IMHO. You can always add sparkles later--at least that's what I keep telling myself. ;-)
I love this website, but what i really love are posts like this - proof (or acknowledgment of) amongst all the lovely composed pretty shots of homey-niceness there lies a slice of the 'kitchen underbelly'. And no matter how house proud we are, in a small apartment, this must be a common sight (both before and after).
My domestic unmentionables have been banished to the garage. Another horror we dare not speak of....
I always like to use those rubberized racks on legs that create a shelving area within the cabinet. That way you can stack all the way to the top of the cabinet without having to take everything out to reach the stuff on the bottom.
Am I the only one who thinks a pretty little cafe curtain would make a major difference?
It looks the same to me!
PS. pretty little cafe curtain would look great!
But there are doors that cover up that mess, right?! Its not just all out there in the open.... right?!
There are definitely doors! If there weren't, well, something would have to change dramatically!
thank you for this post. i've done all the 'therapy' i can on our visible spaces, and now it's time to tackle the junk drawers and storage closets. glad to see that progress doesn't always have to be pretty.
IMO, you've gotta have at least some ugly somewhere. (How would we know what "pretty" was if we had nothing unattractive to compare it to?)
For example, I suppose you could (using appropriate technical precautions, of course) pretty up the coils on the back of a refrigerator - but why?
And either your commode and/or your aesthetic sensibilities are very different than mine, or the underside of your toilet seat is just never going to look especially good.
much improved ! :)