Low Cost Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen
There are a number of reasons why organizing the kitchen can be a great idea â having an organized kitchen can save you both time and money, while keeping you healthier by preventing the buildup of various germs that can make you sick. You might even find yourself losing weight because of your organized kitchen, since it will make it easier for you to cook at home and adopt a healthier diet. One of the primary excuses that is used to keep from organizing a kitchen is how much it can cost to redo a kitchen design in order to make it more organized; this does not have to hold you back, however, because there are a number of low-cost solutions to getting your kitchen organized that can be done on even the tightest of budgets.
Organize Your Kitchen into Zones
One easy way to get started organizing the kitchen which does not cost a thing is to divide your kitchen into clear zones, with each zone having a specific purpose. All that this requires is reorganizing your existing kitchen layout, grouping items into existing drawers and shelving so that everything within each zone works toward the purpose of the zone. Most common zone layouts include anywhere from three to five zones, with three being generally agreed upon as the minimum number that can be used efficiently. Zones generally include a cooking zone that contains the stove and microwave, a prep zone that contains all of your bowls, whisks, cutting boards, and other prep materials, and a clean-up zone where your sink, dishwasher, and your cleaning and sanitation supplies reside. You might want to have a separate serving area as well, with your plates, cups, and silverware kept there instead of using kitchen space for storage of these items.
Make Use of Existing Storage Options
A number of items around the house can find a new purpose as part of your kitchen organizing plans. Small boxes that you receive with checkbooks and similar containers can be placed inside of drawers to make their storage much more efficient, and you can label the boxes to help you find exactly what you are looking for. This can help you save time as well. Larger boxes and baskets can be used to organize under-sink storage, helping you to reduce clutter and be able to find cleaning supplies or other items under the sink faster. Old baby food jars and other glassware can even be cleaned and then used to store spices and other small items, giving you the option of sealing the jars to keep the contents dry.
Keep Papers Organized
One of the main sources of kitchen clutter is paper goods, ranging from appliance instruction manuals to take-out menus and recipes to old newspapers. Instruction manuals and other booklets can be kept in gallon-sized freezer bags, letting you keep them all in a single convenient place so that you will always know where to find any manual that you are looking for. Menus and recipes can each be kept in their own binder, using plastic page protectors to keep them readable while making sure that they stay organized and safe from damage. The binders can then be kept in drawers, cabinets, or even on a bookshelf if you are trying to get everything that is non-essential out of your kitchen.
Sort the Cabinets
The cabinets in many kitchens are cluttered areas full of food, dishes, and the occasional storage container. Make better use of your cabinet space by working on an organization plan and getting rid of the clutter. Buy clear storage containers that you can fit on the shelves of your cabinets so that you can keep everything contained while still being able to see exactly what is in each container. Buy square containers if possible, as the use of square storage containers in your cabinets can not only help to keep them organized but will also allow you to store more in the space provided than the use of round containers would.
Make Use of Vertical Space
Countertops, drawers, and cabinets are not the only places for you to store kitchen utensils that you will be using; the walls of most kitchens are relatively bare and can be a great place for you to store those items which you use most often. Using a combination of small hooks and pegboards, create spaces on your walls to hold spatulas, slotted spoons, measuring spoons, and other utensils and small items that would otherwise have to be stored in a crowded drawer. Not only will this reduce the amount of clutter that you have to dig through in order to find what you need, but you will also be able to better organize your kitchen into zones if you can put the utensils for each zone within armâs reach.
Shawn Thomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/low-cost-tips-for-organizing-your-kitchen-726677.html
Organize and Renew: Today’s Kitchen Essentials are Fashionable Too
Throw away any ideas you may have that the kitchen, the very heart of the home, should be drab, boring or utilitarian. With the variety of kitchen essentials available in beautiful colors and decorative designs, there is no reason to suffer with a boring kitchen. Often, the reason that we settle for plain items in our kitchen is because we somehow believe that there is a difference between functional items and decorative items. This is not the case today. With the home experiencing resurgence as the primary place we relax and socialize, more and more people are interested in finding everyday items that are both functional and fashionable.
The first job of the kitchen is function. However, before adding anything to the kitchen, consider how it looks. Will it complement your kitchen and will you enjoy looking at it and using it for years to come? The best way to add design elements to the modern kitchen is by choosing kitchen essentials, items that you will use anyway, in styles and designs that complement your own taste. Examples are stainless steel or fashion-colored appliances like coffee makers, microwaves, and even dishwashers and ranges. Many of the essentials that you purchase will also aid in kitchen organizational efforts. This makes it doubly important to choose a style and a pattern that you love. The more you enjoy looking at the item, the more likely you are to use it. The more likely you are to use an organizational item, the easier it is to remain organized.
Even if you are not a kitchen buff, anyone with an eye for fashion cannot help but get excited about the many colorful and aesthetically pleasing kitchen essentials for sale nowadays. With fashion designers adding their names to department store and online products, you can find nearly anything with a designer twist to it. Mixing and serving bowls, cutting boards, sink mats and strainers, even trash cans, mops and brooms all come in fashion colors and patterns to coordinate with your overall kitchen and home décor.
Pot racks are both functional and decorative, and choosing one that you like is a great way to express personal style in your kitchen. A ceiling-mounted pot rack can also be an organizational lifesaver in a small kitchen or one that lacks adequate storage space. Freeing up the area that you normally use to store pots and pans by moving them to an overhead pot rack can add a great deal of storage for food or other kitchen items.
Glass bottles or jars make excellent storage solutions. Ornamental bottles are an excellent home for dish washing liquid, vinegar, oil and any other liquids that you wish to keep within easy reach. Using ornamental glass bottles also allows you to buy these liquids in large quantities and refill your ornamental container, which is nearly always more economical than buying a smaller container.
Another kitchen essential that adds style to your kitchen is a produce bowl. These bowls come in a variety of styles and colors. Some have a separate hanging area for bananas, while others are tiered, so that you can stack fruit on more than one level. This protects your more delicate items, such as grapes, from being squashed beneath heavier and sturdier apples or pears.
Organizational essentials, such as Lazy Susanâs and condiment carriers allow you to free up cabinet space, providing a home on your counter for napkins, ketchup, salt and other often used items. These organizational aids are as attractive as they are functional and are available in a wide range of materials like ceramic, wood and chrome. It is very likely that you will find something that coordinates with your existing decor.
For a bigger change to your kitchen, consider installing decorative wall tiles. Today some tiles are made for easy do-it-yourself installation, and with a simple peel and stick design, it only takes an afternoon to change the look of your kitchen. Adding a decorative backsplash not only adds beauty to your kitchen but also makes clean up a breeze. Self-stick tiles can be easily wiped down with a damp cloth or sponge unlike painted or papered walls.
Regardless of what types of kitchen essentials you decide to add to your home, there is no reason to settle for boring items. The kitchen is the heart of the home and a growing number of manufacturers are growing wise to the idea that we want to be surrounded by things that we love. The kitchen is also the workhorse of the home and everything in it should have a use. Any kitchen, regardless of the size, does not have room for wasted space. Careful shopping and analysis of how you use your kitchen are important before adding anything. Before making your purchase consider how you will use the item, and if it is something that you will love. If the item is both useful and beautiful you can make your purchase with confidence.
Lisa Parker
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/organize-and-renew-todays-kitchen-essentials-are-fashionable-too-690854.html
Reinvigorate the Value of Your Home With Bathroom Vanities
The economy has hit the real estate market hard, and house values are dropping. Simply put, it’s not a great time to sell your home. But if you absolutely have to sell, you may want to seriously consider remodeling certain aspects of your home to improve its market value and visibility. Because of the poor market, buyers are looking for homes that really stand out. One great way to enhance both the aesthetic and resale value of your property is to remodel your bathroom and install bath vanities.
If you stop and really think about it, your home is not simply an investment in your welfare and security; it is also a financial investment that you can use to increase your wealth. After investing so much time, money, and emotions into you property, you will most definitely want a great financial return. Generally speaking, statistical evidence suggests that the kitchen and the bathroom are responsible for the largest returns on your investment, moreso than any other room on your property. A clean and well-kempt but ordinary house won’t exactly sell prospective buyers, but an aesthetically stunning kitchen and comfortable, attractive bathroom definitely will. In other words, if your kitchen and bathroom stand out, buyers will tend not to notice the other mundane rooms, increasing the probability that they will purchase the property.
For this reason, it is a good idea to focus on your bathroom remodel before you attempt to renovate any other room in your home. Probably the easiest way to revive your bathroom’s style is also the most effective: installing a distinguished and sophisticated bath vanity. These crucial features serve as attractive focal points as well, drawing your guests’ eyes to the inherent beauty of the installation.
Because your bathroom is likely one of the smaller, if not smallest, rooms in your home, you simply aren’t afforded a lot of diversity in terms of unique decorations. Often, you are merely given just enough room for a shower, a toilet, and some kind of table or sink and countertop unit. Making the most out of these bathroom features is essential to a brilliant and beautiful remodel, but you aren’t given many decorative options when it comes to showers and toilets. With this in mind, it is really rather important that you make the most of your bath vanity.
Generally, your bath vanity provides a basin or perhaps a vessel sink, along with a storage cabinet that provides ample storage space for all your stowable items, toiletries, and hygienic products. Many vanities come with mirrors as well. There is a plethora of styles and designs at your disposal, especially in terms of vanity cabinets and original countertops.
Most often, these vanity cabinets are made from a sealed and prepared hardwood like mahogany, oak, cherry, and teak. Oak and other light woods give your bathroom a very cozy, charming, and delightfully rustic appearance. Decadent dark woods like teak or mahogany, quite distinctly from lighter woods, give your bathroom a luxurious and sophisticated elegance that will surely impress guests. This wood may come with engraved ornate designs and intricate patterns and styles; every design has its very own dramatic aesthetic impact. It’s absolutely worth the additional time to look through the massive amount of available options over a wide spectrum of online vanity retailers, with the goal of finding the perfect bath vanity.
Countertop designs are just as diverse and interesting as cabinet designs. Most countertops are stone materials, such as onyx, granite, travertine, slate, and marble. Sometimes, countertops are prepared and carved in wood, like the cabinets, or are constructed in a sort of acrylic polymer with a wood laminate sheath. As I said before, it is your responsibilty to fully research all the available options and find a fantastic deal on a durable, aesthetically pleasing countertop.
After you have picked out and installed the right vanity for your tastes, the remainder of your renovation project will probably fall in place around it. I can say with much certainty that your bathroom will be transformed into an eye-catching, elegant space that will boost your home’s market value in no time. We’re facing some tough times with this real estate market, but you can still sell your home at a great price if you put a little time into renovating and reinvigorating your bathroom.
Wyatt Frisk
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/reinvigorate-the-value-of-your-home-with-bathroom-vanities-706850.html