SMALL WINS+: YOU'RE ORGANISING YOUR KITCHEN WRONG
kitchen organisation 101, prioritising effectiveness + ease of maintenance over temporary organisational highs
Welcome to Small Wins+!
SW+ is a supercharged version of the newsletter for paid subscribers.
In addition to supporting the time and expense that goes into producing the (always free) fortnightly posts, paid subscribers receive a bumper bonus post each month containing a deep-dive into a particular area or category. In the coming months we’ll get into everything you need to know about pasta, potatoes, eggs to name a few. Consider these a handy reference guide that you can return to again and again.
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Love,
Alexina
KITCHEN ORGANISATION 101: YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG
Today we are deviating from the cooking itself to consider the place that we cook in: our kitchens!
I've spent a lot of time in my kitchen these last few years, and have found every possible way of optimising it so that it's both functional and beautiful (even though I didn’t get to choose the design of my kitchen).
Kitchens get a lot of use, so creating a space that is functional arguably pays off more here than anywhere else in the home. But here’s the thing: a lot of what “organisation porn” is trying to sell you doesn’t, in fact, work. So it’s time we talk about what does. Plus I have a COZY playlist for you (essentially what I like to listen to when I’m having a ‘sort my home out’ day).
This post:
Explains the problem with most #OrganisationInspo + why it never sticks
Shares the right storage tools to buy so that you stop wasting your money on pointless “stuff”
Lets you in on three useful organisational principles
Gets brutal about the kitchen equipment you probably don’t need
Shows you ideas for getting the most out of your space (even if it’s limited)
Reveals the key to maintaining an organised space
Offers some tips for ensuring that your kitchen still has soul
Let’s get into it!
1.
THE PROBLEM WITH MOST #OrganisationInspo
In the words of Caroline Winkler (one of my favourite YouTubers): “Don’t get me wrong: I find the above brand of medical-grade pantry organisation just as sexually satisfying as the next guy […] however, this brand of home organisation is never going to give you an organised home.” PREACH.
Ever since I heard these words — a couple of years ago now — I have been obsessed with creating systems for organising my space that don’t just give me a one-off organisation high, but actually improve my life long-term.
Good home organisation should:
Make your possessions easy to access, and your space easy to manoeuvre around
Be low effort to maintain (this is where most #OrganisationInspo fails)
Human beings are inherently lazy. If an organisational product or system that you’ve put in place requires too much effort to maintain, guess what? You will not be maintaining it. You will organise once, get a massive high from the joy of your colour-coded snacks and within a few weeks it will be chaos again, and you will feel overwhelmed. Let’s change the script.