Hi all! I'm currently getting ideas for redoing my kitchen. I've posted in a couple diffrent forums on this great site for decorating ideas! I decided to post here to see if anyone could give me any space saving ideas or clutter free advice for the kitchen, I don't want it to have this much clutter once it's redone.

The TV will be gone.

Thanks!!

I think the wallpaper adds to the cluttered-look in the kitchen. Were you planning on removing it?

Also, can you take a couple of more photos? I can't really see much of the kitchen itself, where is the sink, stove, is there an island, where are the countertops? Maybe step back and photo from one end to the other, then in reverse. If you can do that from each wall, it'd at least help me understand where the kitchen is right now and possible solutions to go forward from here.

What's the budget for the kitchen redo?

Oh my, I am exhausted just looking at that wall paper!!!!!!I think I need a nap. lol Anyway, it appears that there is very little cabinetry? And most of your storage is in the "stand alone" cabinets? Agree with CM. need more photo's. Is it an eat-in kitchen? What is the square footage?

To remove clutter, you start by removing the things you don't need in the room. Try this: remove everything from the kitchen, then bring back only the things you know you need. And by everything, I mean everything sitting out and everything in cabinets.

The set of four storage containers with the chef on the lids is attractive, but do you use the contents? If not, either find a use for the containers or don't use them, or decide that you want then as decoration only.

You appear to have turned the top of your refigerator into a storage area. Do you really need/use the items up there? Remove everything from the front and side of the refrigerator. If you need that information, put it in a folder. You will be amazed at how much a decluttered refrigerator improves the look of a room.

How many of the spice bottles on the spice rack do you use? I see two rolls of paper towels - one on the counter and one on the wall. Do you really need both?

Everything in the room should be there by conscious decision, not happenstance.

If you removed that wallpaper, your kitchen would look 85 percent less cluttered

I agree -- take everything out and then bring in what you absolutely need. It is surprising sometimes what you find that you don't need after all.

I am not a minimalist -- with just a coffee pot and something else on the counter. I believe in keeping the things that I use everyday handy so I have quite a bit on my countertops.

Martha

Hi everyone! Thanks for your suggestions.

Trust me, the wallpaper will be the first to go, it is the main reason for the make over!

I use all my spices, I only buy the ones I absolutly use.

I don't really have a budget. We're not replaceing the cabnits or anything, trying to keep it inexpensive. If I had to set one I'd say $1,000.00.

The floor space is 98 sq feet that's not including the space the counters and oven take up. It is not an eat in Kitchen.

I need the top of my fridge to store somethings, but I would like to do this in a more attactive manner, Are there any ideas for storage up there that will hide the junk?

I have alot of those plastic cabnit organizers, that I don't use in my cabnits, any ideas what I could use them for?


Do you all still want more pics?

Yes, we need more pics. We need to see the kitchen itself. Please give us more pics from every wall looking across the wall. Need to see the layout.

It's frustrating--wallpaper is in and paint is out, and before you know it, wallpaper is out and paint is in, but I agree that painting the walls a really pretty color will really calm the room

I personally try to stay away from "themes" in decorating. It seems that as soon as a person declares a theme, that everyone jumps on the bandwagon, and it's what you get for all gift-giving occasions, and before you know it, you have clutter.

We moved into a new home 3 years ago, and I swore off the country look, which seems to encourage collecting doodads, and a look we'd had in our home for years. Just keep telling yourself--the less stuff you have sitting around, the less you'll have to DUST! Good luck with your project.

As others have said the wallpaper should go. $1,000 is actually quite a lot and you could do much to make this space look less cluttered if on the refrigerator wall you had base cabinets with a counter top that went from refrig to the doorway. You could have open shelving above this space. The cabinet is very nice but you evidently need more storage than that gives and small things like the unit microwave is on add to the cluttered look. I would also recommend painting the cabinets on the wall with d.w.; white. That would unify the look and visually make everything calmed down. Good luck!

Your kitchen has loads of potential!! Can you get rid of the cart with the microwave and put that stuff in the other free-standing piece? I would remove the spice rack and put the spices on the white cabinet. Remove the hanging paper towel holder. If you HAVE to use the top of the frig for storage, try to get a decorative container to put the stuff in. I love knick-knacks, but I would suggest that you remove all of them first. Once you get back the essentials, then add the things that you have room for. Take all of the doodads off the counter by the TV and put them in a drawer or else put them in a pretty basket. You will see a big improvement. Have fun doing it!!

Its definitely the wallpaper! It's not that its bad, just too overpowering. If there are budget constraints, you could just remove the upper 1/2 of the wallpaper and paint above. If you already have a new paper picked out,still stick with just doing 1/2 the wall. The new textured paintable wallpapers are wonderful for adding a subtle pattern while still allowing for painting/color changing themes later on on. I noticed the paper towel holder is mounted above the trash can and away from the sink. Doesn't this mean you are trailing water across to the flooor to dry your hands? The cabinet has four useful spots for storing things that now appear to be being used as decorative spots only. Baskets, fabric covered boxes, or other coordinated types of storage containers would be useful there, still be decorative, but hold a lot of the small things like spices out of the way. If the storage cart is really a necessity, skirting the bottom with a coordinated fabric can camoflage the clutter and soften the look or the area. I also see that you like reds (me too). Your canister set set is really cute, but the white on a white background really doesn't show them off. While I usually love paint, your cabinet is very nice and I wouldn't want to make any permanent change there. However, a large piece of cardboard cut to the size of the back area could be covered in a solid fabric (a nice textured red maybe) and placed inside to provide extra color and a contrast that would make your canisters stand out. (Plus have the added ease of being easily changed) A great way to declutter a fridge area is to find an attractive frame and add magnets to the back. I use mine with a background of wrapping paper (that I can change with the seasons). This way the magnetic items can still attach to the fridge, but everything is kept within the frame...lol...its a large frame...but it still organizes and keeps the clutter from spreading. Baskets on top of the fridge are also more attractive for storage. One last note on baskets...you don't have to drive yourself crazy looking for a special colored basket...and besides, colors are usually more expensive. Design Master spray paints (sold at most craft/floral stores are great for spraying plain wicker and they dry super fast. They are also great for fabric and silk flowers etc and come in a wide variety of colors. Hope you'll post pics of your redo and that some of my ideas might be helpful.

It's funny what catches peoples eye. For some reason I spotted the paper towel rack over the trash can and another paper towel roll on the counter near the tv. Why do you have two in such odd spots? I'd attach just one plain holder under the cabinet near the sink and get rid of the others. I don't think your job is going to be too difficult. Your kitchen looks clean and not too cluttered. I'd love to see it after you take down the wallpaper.

Hello Hello!

I've finally returned with the much anticipated pictures!

Okay so, just to let you all know the paper towels on the counter are usualy not there. I didn't stage these pictures at all and this is just what my kithen looked like. They had been brought down from upstairs and set on the couter.

The paper towel rack on the wall is definatly getting taken down when the kitchen gets painted. I agree that it is in an odd and unconvient place. I just put it there cause It went on the wall and I had no other wall space that wld work. I plan on getting one that rests on the counter, once the TV is gone I'll have more space. I plan on getting one of those under the counter tv/radios.

Also, the wallpaper will be totally gone, new flooring, new countertops, and a back splash will be added. The dark cabinets will be painted white and get new hardware. The free standing cabinet will not be painted.

I would love to be able to add cabinets by the fridge, but that's not in the cards right now, the free standing cabinet is brand new, and I have no where else I could put it, plus that is alot more time and money. But a great idea, maybe one day!!!

The chief theme will be gone once the kitchen gets painted.

I would like to think of something attractive to place ontop of the fridge, or above for more storage.

I'm asking you all for advice because I'd like to plan out what I want to do before we get started on the "remodeling", so I don't overlook anything and make the nesscary changes!

Thanks as always!

Now on to the pics:

The first set is in the doorway of the mudroom ( the entrance we use the most) looking threw the kitchen and into the dinning room.

This next set of pics is taking from the dinning room doorway.

The door in the kitchen next to the garbage is the cellar doorway.

Across the kitchen is the mud room doorway, which is the main entrance to the house.

Also, these pics are not of the kitchen right after it is cleaned, so there are def. items that will not be there

ex: stacks of papers (they will be gone threw)

and other small stuff that hasn't been put in its home.

Sweet, thank you for the new photos. They are great.

Ok, what color do you have planned for the walls? What type of flooring and what type of countertops are you going to install? New faucet? New overhead lighting?

Is the fridge hooked up to water or can it (fridge) be moved at all?

Personally, I'd eliminate that microwave cart maybe putting the microwave on an angle on the counter where the TV currently is.

I'd move the spice rack over by the stove. What is to the right of the stove? I can't quite make it out but maybe the spice rack can go there or directly above the stove.

Now what is it exactly that you want to store on top of the fridge?

I love that large white cabinet but, unless you use those cannisters, I'd either move them or lose them entirely. The cups hanging? Do you use those? Do you use the thing for cutting? If not, I'd move the knives to the other side of the kitchen between the sink and stove if that's where you do your cutting.

Just get rid of the stuff you don't use or you don't need in the kitchen.

Hope that helps. Please keep us posted.

A friend gave me this advice, and I am going to use it starting this weekend:

As others have already said, remove absolutely everything from the kitchen - from the countertops, drawers, cabinets, pantry, everywhere but the fridge (but go ahead and clean that out while you're at it). Get rid of the things that you know immediately should go (trash, donate, yard sale), and then rather returning the rest to the kitchen, arrange it all accessibly in a nearby room, garage, hallway, etc. (I am going to use shelves in my garage) Over the next few weeks (I am going to give it until Christmas) retrieve things one at a time as you need them, then store them after use where they should go in the kitchen. At some point, trips to retrieve items should diminish to almost none, and the things that you really need and use will be back in the kitchen. As for the rest..... just grit your teeth and get rid of it.

And I know that this isn't the decorating forum, but I just looked at your new pictures. Paint the walls a deep color, then paint the cabinets white, with a semi-gloss finish. The appliances will blend in much better, and the room will seem much larger. New cabinet hardware (brushed chrome would look good with a cool wall color, brass with a warm color)will finish it off, and you will still have money left for maybe new preformed laminate counters, and/or a new tile backsplash (all DIY).

Wow, thanks for all the great advice!

Okay so, I wish I could get rid of the microwave stand... However, we think we're going to get one of those Tv's the fold down underneath the cabinet, so i don't think It wld work in the corner. However, it's still a possibilty I'd like to try if we decide not to get the tv thingy.

I do use my canisters, but the chiefs on top will go. I do not use the hutch for cutting and the suggestion to move the knives does make good sense.

I don't use the mugs now, but I would like to once the kitchen gets redone. I plan on getting rid of all my other mugs and just keeping the 6 that hang on there, that way I'd have an extra self in the cabinet!

I was thinking about removing the spice rack and getting a sleek silver one with two or three shelves to put over on the wall by the oven where the solid red pot mits currently are.

The stuff in the cornor by the stove is all my cooking utensils and cutting boards. I plan on putting the cutting boards in the cabinet with the cookie sheets and pizza pans.

Ultimatly, I'd like to store all my large plastic bowls and chip/dip holders and pitchers above the fridge. But I'm trying to think of a way they wonl't bee seen.

The fridge can not be moved, there is water that connects to it.

As for colors I debated this along while and decided to go with a tan/beige/brown nutural color. I want the cabinets either white or off white (that is the color the hutch) and the floor tile will be a light color that matches, and the counter will be nutural as well.

I havn't picked an exact color yet or decided on white or off white for the cabinets yet... I wish I would tho, so I could get moving on this project!!

Also, any suggestions for the coffee pot? Currently it's beween the stove and the sink, but if i move my knives there I'll have to move it.

Put the coffee pot to the left of the sink with the microwave.

We finally decided how we're going to decorate the kitchen.

I'm attaching a pic below that shows the paint color, back splash, and counter top choices.

The cabinets will be white, and the trim in the room will be white as well. The floor tile will probably be similuar to the light colord tiles on the back splash.

What do you think?

The other question I had the location of my spice rack.

I plan on getting rid of the big red one.

So what if I where to move it from aboce the microwave to the wall by the stove? I plan on taking down the oven mitts, and moving the cutting boards, the only thing that wld be on that lil' counter is my cooking utensils in a jar.

Do you think it wld okay on that wall? I'll attach a pic to show placement.

I was thinking of a spice rack like this,
only thing is it dosnt come with the fancy jars.

Love your color choices! Definitely move the spices closer to the stove, too. Just see how the rack looks on that one wall. Definitely remove the oven mitts from that wall there no matter what.

Gosh, this is so exciting! I ope yu'll post pics during and after, too!

The wallpaper will make a 1000% difference. Once you've taken everything out of the kitchen, arrange by category, serving platters, mugs, tupperware, seasonal items like Christmas plates, etc. You may be surprised at the number of duplicates that you could divest yourself of. I like your idea of the spices on the wall near the stove. It seems like your hutch/cupboard has a lot of storage potential. Stack plates and bowls and display them up high and give yourself more space in your cabinets. The fridge is just a magnet for "stuff" If you could put all of those items in one item, your eye wouldn't read it as clutter. Here's a few ideas.

Above the fridge, put seldom used items in wicker hampers...like little suitcases. You could stack up a couple if need be.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lmccrore,