The Organized Life archives

THE KITCHEN -- THE "HEALTHY HEART" OF YOUR HOME

Dear Subscriber,

In creating a welcoming home that looks and feels great, there are three essential areas to address: the entryway, the bedroom, and the kitchen. In past issues of my newsletter I’ve written about creating a welcoming entryway and setting up a serene bedroom, so this month I’ll take on the kitchen, which ought to be the “healthy heart” of your home.

The kitchen has a long history of symbolizing health, wealth and abundance. The food you store and prepare there supplies sustenance and nutrition, providing the vitality that enables you to prosper in the world. Making meals and cleaning up afterwards are important ways to show how much we care for ourselves and our loved ones.

The role of the kitchen continues to evolve. Now, especially in new and renovated homes, it’s been enlarged to take on the family-centric role it used to have in ancient times. It’s a place where its central function in a family’s life is acknowledged: a place where we make emotional connections.

A Top-Ten Makeover
If your kitchen needs a makeover, there are a few things you can do immediately to give it a new lease on life before calling in the contractors. The bottom line is that the kitchen should make your life easier while sending a message of health and prosperity. It requires well-designed storage and generous counter space. It needs to be easy to work in and easy to clean. Above all, it needs to be appetizing!

Here are my Top-Ten Tips for making your kitchen into the "healthy heart" of your home.

1. Clean everything inside & out. This includes drawers and cabinets, appliances, walls and counters. Line shelves with new liner paper, and give the floor a good scrub. This step requires that you take everything out of the cabinets, leading naturally to step 2,

2. Assess what you really use. As you remove things from cabinets and drawers, ask yourself when you last used this item, and what the likelihood is of using it. If you want to keep an item even though you seldom use it, consider deep storage, or making room on hard-to-reach kitchen shelves.

3. Clear the counters. While you’re at it, remove everything from the countertops. Ask yourself how often you use each item before you put it back. For example, how often do you toast bread? Could you store the toaster under the counter, bringing it out on the rare occasions when you use it? Many appliances live on the countertop unquestioningly. “Familiarity blindness” kicks in and before you know it there’s no room to work or spread out.

4. Put like with like. As you take things out, put like things together. For example, separate baking spices from the savory ones you use for meals. Put doubles into a separate place so they don’t block your path when you’re searching for those elusive caraway seeds!

5. Adjust shelves to maximize storage space. Most cabinet shelves are adjustable. As you think about putting your newly-organized things back in the cabinets, separate tall items from shorter ones and use the pegs to adjust your shelves accordingly.

6. Use “shelf helpers” for convenience and efficiency. Items like tray racks, lazy susans, and stacking shelves don’t cost much, but they can change your life (!).  Check out the Container Store site and get what makes the most sense for your kitchen.

6. Make sure everything works. Fix things that are broken. Check that doors swing freely. Replace chipped spoons and sharpen your knives. In Feng Shui this is a crucial step – things that are well-cared-for signify your intention to take the very best care of yourself, too!

7. Create a separate place for papers. Countertops must remain clear for their central function, food preparation. Paper processing in the kitchen creates confusion, and can even be dangerous. If your kitchen has turned into a mini home-office, it’s time to get the papers out of there.

8. Recognize the importance of your stove. The stove, a powerful symbol of Fire in your life, is the heart of this “Heart of Your Home” and must be treated with particular respect. One way to do this is by noting your tendency to use just one or two burners. Spread the wealth and use them all to bring more healthy energy into your home.

9. Use mirrors to create more wealth. The burners on your stove symbolize wealth coming into your home. You can multiply this by simply placing a mirror behind the stove so that it reflects the burners. This mirror also reflects activity behind you as you cook, so it brings in a desirable element of safety and comfort as well.

10. Balance the elements. Finally, your kitchen already contains Fire, Water, Metal and Earth elements. The element that’s usually missing, Wood, can be brought in simply with things like fruit or a small plant – or even a picture of one of these. When the elements are balanced, a space feels great.

Until next month, Happy Organizing!

Sincerely,

Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life

DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH

If you realized during your kitchen cleanup that your papers have gotten out of control, you’re not alone.   This problem can sometimes be solved with the acquisition of a good-sized file cabinet – even a “lateral” file cabinet, the kind that’s usually used in offices.  Attractive ones exist for use in the home; check them out.  It may be the case that all your papers need is a good home!

ABOUT Ann Bingley Gallops

Ann is a Feng Shui and Decluttering Consultant in New York City, specializing in improving the energy flow and organization of homes and businesses. She is the President of the New York chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO-NY).

GETTING IN TOUCH

Call or write to schedule a Feng Shui or Decluttering consultation for your home or office in the New York City area.

And please drop me a line with comments, questions, or suggestions for future newsletters.

Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
646-382-3878
ann@theorganizedlife.net
www.theorganizedlife.net