Being a minimalist doesn't exclude the kitchen, especially when we often think minimalism only applies to our lifestyle, how we dress, or how we spend money. As individuals, mostly women, (because the system has made it seem like the kitchen belongs to the female gender alone) the kitchen is a space where we spend hours of the day preparing meals, and that’s understandable because food is very important — essential to our well-being.
I love my kitchen because it’s simple. For me, embracing minimalism in the kitchen includes decluttering. This means removing items I don’t need from sight, focusing on quality instead of quantity, and most importantly, prioritizing functionality and storage.
Apparently, these are some of the ways I embrace minimalism in my little kitchen. It’s not very spacious, but it allows me to move around freely without feeling stuck or like something is slowing me down.
I love being in the kitchen. Every now and then, I go through my items and ask myself, “Do I truly need this, and do I use it regularly?” If my answer is yes, I keep it. If it’s no, I take it away immediately before second thoughts creep in.
My principle is simple: A minimalist kitchen has only the things you use regularly. That’s why I truly appreciate having cabinets. They serve as efficient storage solutions for everything I choose to keep.
Another way I simplify my kitchen is by reducing the number of dishes and appliances I own. I don’t keep plenty of them sitting around unused, especially since it’s just me in the house. I store the rest and only bring them out when they are needed, i.e, sandwich mixer, blender, hand grater, etc.
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In my kitchen, you won’t see many plates or pots, just a few I’ve intentionally kept ready just incase I may have guests around. I do have a lot of kitchen utensils like spoons, forks, sieves, etc., but I only bring out the ones I use frequently. I don’t like to decorate my kitchen with things that aren’t useful. That helps me create more space. The rarely used items only come out once in a while, when they’re actually needed.
For example, I once had two knives, but I ended up discarding one because it wasn’t smooth anymore. There was no point in letting it just sit idly since it no longer served its purpose. Some other items were given to me as gifts, others were bought. I simply kept them out of sight until I have decided what to do with them. But one thing is sure: I’m taking them to my husband’s house. I can’t go there empty-handed. He must know I am not a liability. I brought things into his home too! 😀
Creating space is important to me, especially in the kitchen. I love having room for ventilation when I’m cooking. I don’t want the place to feel stuffy or disorganized. Everything should be in its place.
As I have always believed, a kitchen doesn't necessarily need to have thousands of items around; it just needs a few items that we use often. One secret that has stuck with me for years is that being organized even in the kitchen means having less stuff needed and simplifying with intentionality.
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