CREATING A MINIMALIST KITCHEN | clean, declutter and simplify

ever since I moved into this new apartment six months ago the number one question I've gotten on this channel is how do you keep your kitchen so clean so today I thought I'd share a few tips on creating a minimalist kitchen but before we dive into the video I just want to say a few quick words on interior design and minimalism and first I am definitely not an expert on the subject my personal style has morphed over the years though it's always been a contemporary look and feel for years I actually avoided using the words modern and minimalist because I thought that that translated to rooms that were cold and stark and empty and unfriendly but it doesn't have to be that way at all today I describe my style as cozy minimalist meets warm modern with a little Scandinavian in socal vibe thrown in for good measure so minimalism is really just about simplifying life it's about getting rid of excess stuff and things that weigh you down and it definitely aligns with the whole philosophy of downshifts ecology so without further ado let's dive into these eight tips on decluttering and simplifying your kitchen the kitchen is a congregating area of the home so it's easy for kitchen counters to become a drop-off place for things like purses he's male and anything else that you may have in your hands but resist the urge to drop things on kitchen countertops and instead find a permanent home for them remember that the front of the fridge is a surface as well and a very big one at that so if you've gotten into the habit of using the front of the fridge for notes and calendar items try using electronic means in the future the great thing about using your phone to store these items is that you'll always have them on you wherever you go countertop appliances like blenders toasters coffee makers and stand mixers can easily accumulate on top of your kitchen counters but they also take up a lot of space so really focus on only keeping out the one or two appliances that you use most frequently and then store the others in a kitchen cabinet as you've seen by the multitude of Vitamix videos on this channel I use my Vitamix daily and I use my toaster quite often as well so I leave those out on the kitchen counter but as much as I love my mixer I only use it every couple of weeks when I'm baking something so I usually store it down below in a lower cabinet and then that gives me a little extra freedom on top of my kitchen counters that's a really nice clean setting go through all of your drawers and cabinets and find kitchen gadgets appliances or items that you haven't used in the last year if they're broken or in bad shape of course discard them but if they're in good shape and just don't serve your purposes anymore donate them to a friend a family member or give them away to charity perhaps your style has changed over time or you just having to use that item as much as you thought you would when you first bought it whatever the case may be when you get rid of these unused items you decrease the clutter in your kitchen and you create space for better organization and for those items that you'll use more frequently I'm a big fan of clear drawer organizers and bins because they always keep everything neat and tidy and you can see what's inside the ones I use our modular which makes them great for a variety of different floor sizes on different widths and depths and considering I've moved every couple of years for probably the last decade these drawer organizers have moved with me because they easily accommodate any different drawer size if you keep your spices in a drawer a drawer insert is always a good way to keep your spices organized as well these can easily be cut to size and I was fortunate when I moved into this place that my brother cut them for me but any hardware store will usually cut these for you as well dirty pots and pans on the stovetop not only look cluttered but dried on food is ten times harder to clean off so get into the habit of cleaning your pots and pans immediately after you've finished your meal after I've cooked something all filled the dirty pot or pan with water and then place it in the sink and then I'll go and enjoy my meal when I'm done with my meal I'll come back into the kitchen and clean that pot or pan and then put it away now I will be the first to admit that I'm not always the best at this but I do try because I think that there's positive reinforcement and always having a clean kitchen and it makes you want to keep it clean all the time invest in cookware sets that nest inside each other this not only saves you a ton of space but it gives you all of the different sizes that you'll ever need I saved up and invested in this all cloud set right out of college and while it was certainly expensive I've used it daily for nearly 20 years and it still as good as new so investing in stainless steel cast iron or other materials that are durable is a smart idea and a cost-effective one in the long run lastly when it comes to decorating your kitchen simple is best and while I personally love whites and neutrals and different metals you can still be a minimalist if you love color just be intentional with your color palette what you leave out and practice a little restraint simple jars of ingredients cookbooks cutting boards and even bowls of fruit along with fresh herbs and plants make for great kitchen decor remember that a minimalist kitchen doesn't have to look sterile or unfriendly it's simply just one that's clean and tidy as you can imagine as a food blogger and a recipe developer I spend a heap of time in my kitchen so it's really important for me that it stays clean and tidy but I'll also be the first to admit that my kitchen isn't always as clean as you see on these videos I just do my best and these tips that i share with you are also reminders for myself so there you have it eight tips to help you clean be clutter and simplify your kitchen if you enjoyed this video and found it helpful at all I would appreciate if you gave it a thumbs up and I will see you again in next week's video

Channel: Downshiftology

Views: 1,283,807

Keywords: minimalist kitchen, minimalism, minimalist living, minimalist lifestyle, minimalist apartment, minimalist tour, kitchen organization, declutter, organization, decluttering, decluttering your home, decluttering tips, simple living, becoming a minimalist, minimalist home, kitchen, kitchen organization diy, cleaning, organizing, minimalist, how to clean, simplify your space, clean home, clean, downshiftology, healthy, how to, recipes, cooking, gluten free, kitchen design, kitchen tour, design

Id: RF68W4Fukj0

Length: 6min 2sec (362 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 09 2017