Kitchens can be high-traffic areas in busy family homes. There will often be someone cooking, someone snacking from the fridge, and kids looking for missing toys and asking questions! These memories are precious, but in the moment, they can be stressful if you have an impractical space.
Here are some ways to organise your kitchen to suit your life with a busy family.
Making space work for you
A good layout and flow are cornerstones for practical kitchen design. This can often be interrupted with awkward boxes in aisles and things housed in impractical pieces. Even luxury kitchens can be designed with family life in mind.
In a smaller space, vertical storage is your friend. Whether it is wall-mounted spice racks or shelving on an unused wall, having extra storage helps to keep the clutter at bay.
Multi-purpose furniture is also worth a look. For example, picking a table that slides away into a cupboard maximises the space you have to move around.
Smart storage solutions for every family
Before you can get inventive with storage, a good declutter is in order – even the drawer of odd bits and pieces! Getting rid of useless, broken or outdated items will free up some much-needed space.
Next, think about how you want to organise. Drawer organisers are a great way to ensure whoever is emptying the dishwasher or tidying up knows exactly where items belong.
To make getting condiments and sauces easier, store them in their cupboard on a tiered kitchen turntable. The days of rummaging in cupboards for an essential ingredient mid-cook will be long gone.
Keeping it clean and tidy (without the stress)
Having the storage and space is one thing, keeping it organised is another. If you don’t already have a rota, maybe it is time to introduce one. Set aside 30 mins per week for kitchen cleaning and designate jobs to whoever is old enough to help. This doesn’t have to be at the same time; you could stagger it over the weekdays.
School lunchboxes are commonly found strewn over surfaces in the evening or at weekends. Instead of having them in the kitchen, you could have a school-day box for each child in the hall. Here, they can place lunchboxes, rucksacks, shoes and homework folders, ready to collect on their way out the door.
Creating a welcoming family hub
Many parents have fond memories of helping to make meals or doing homework at the table while their parents cook. Having flexibility in the dining space helps to create these moments. Try to keep the surface clear and have table mats stored away until the table needs to be set.
If you have spare wall space, create a family noticeboard. You could pin up a calendar for important dates as well as have a place to display achievements and family photos.
To prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed, try one new organisational idea at a time. You will soon work out what helps your life as a busy family.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
