BTR: Duboce Park Entrepreneur's Kitchen
Room: Kitchen
Complete: 6
Main Objective: Removing unused appliances and optimizing the layout for creative and consistent cooking. Also creating space for others to be in the kitchen with the cook.
The Details: This is the 3rd of a 3-part series. Check Part 1: Bedroom and Part 2: Livingroom.
While C is an amazing cook with an even better selection of whiskey, his kitchen was not living up to its potential. You can see that the counters were crowded with everyday items, because the cupboards were filled with many items he no longer used.
Before: Cluttered counters make both prep and cleaning a struggle.
After: Counters are reserved for only the most used items, making prep and cleanup a breeze.
Decluttering Tip: As any seasoned chef will attest, counter space is pivotal to a well-functioning kitchen. After going through hundreds of items in the kitchen, we donated over 50% of the cupboard contents. That freed up space so that the counters could serve as prep space.
In the corner he had a bar hutch that was devoted to his whiskey collection. And while inside it was brimming with some of the finest selections, the top was cluttered with everyday kitchen items.
Before: The surface of the bar is covered in excess kitchen tools, making C's favorite spread of whiskey's challenging to access.
We cleared the top and removed the bar and brought it to the living room. With the desire to have others in the kitchen while he cooked, we suggested C fill the empty corner with a small round table and chairs, at counter height.
Redesign Tip: Whenever you have seating in the kitchen, it usually feels more comfortable to have seating at a similar height to those standing in the kitchen, otherwise it feels as if those standing are towering over those sitting.
Before: Cluttered counters...
After: C's kitchen is transformed into an airy, spacious and highly cooking-friendly space.
While we couldn’t do anything about the water heater, we could clean up that corner so that the counters were clear of oils and vinegars.
We kept C’s most-used oils near the stove, and edited the rest to fit into the spice cabinet that was previously overflowing with spices that were past their prime. We removed the microwave and toaster from the counter by the oven to let more natural light in towards the stove. C said he rarely used his microwave, so we decided to test how important it actually was by stashing it in the closet.
Before: The little prep space there was next to stove is dominated by rarely used appliances.
After: The stove now has it's own prep area, holding only C's most used tools and oils.
