Next - The Kitchen This Year

Last year I designed, and with some help from Alan constructed, this little shelf, cubbyhole and drawer set up.

The idea was to free up valuable space on the worktop and it's worked a treat.  It holds lots of those useful foodstuffs that I use on an almost daily basis, my little 'Aga' tin of sachets and samples, the little chopping board ... and tucked in the cubbyhole at the end Alan's salted peanuts.  The drawers contain pegs for keeping opened bags of food airtight and closed, my little packs of Lotus biscuits are in one, there are Sesame crackers in another and the last has some folded up Stayfresh bags from Lakeland. The little 'egg crate' that used to live on the shelf was sold at the last car boot sale,  although I loved it, it was completely superfluous ... because I no longer eat eggs!

The toaster and four more jars of foodstuff fit neatly underneath. Between the cubbyhole and the drawers.  This  little set up gives us so much more space to use on the worktop.  And talking of extra worktop space ...

We found this lovely large chopping board in Sainbury's a few months ago and having it on the cooker top when the hob is not in use gives us even more space.

I also found a wall mounted paper towel holder that I fixed underneath the cupboard, making good use of some dead space in the 'brewing up' area.

Also in the kitchen/dining area I took down the wall mounted cupboard and replaced it with a more soothing to the eye wallpapered wall.  At the second attempt the wallpaper stayed up!!

Then this week I took the basket that used to be on the worktop for fresh foods, it was filling up with clutter instead of food, wrapped my little battery operated fairylights round and about it and then wedged it onto one of the screws that used to hold up the cupboard.  It makes a lovely little lighting feature in the evenings.

They are just a few little alterations and additions, but when you live in a small space  and don't want to spend lots of money, you have to adapt what you have and find ways of making that space work well for you.  As your wants and needs change so must the space to keep things easy and simple for day to day life.


Sue xx