One of the things I told myself when we designed the kitchen and put an island in the design was that I would not have an island cluttered with stuff that didn’t belong there. Well…that hasn’t happened. On most any given day a person can enter our kitchen and see the projects there that need my attention. Typically there are a few things childcare related there, some mail and a few other odds and ends. I am sure most everyone with a kitchen island can relate. They often end up as a “catch all” for everyone coming into the house.
I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. I’ve been trying to think of something besides some hard tough discipline on myself to figure out how to have a cleaner kitchen island. Part of that included trying to determine what most often gets left on the island and the answer is childcare things that we’re working on throughout the week…art projects that need a second step….a toy that needs repair…a bucket of planned art project for the week. It’s all stuff that I want put away but need close to grab.
That lead me to think about the laundry room. I have this cupboard above the washer and dryer.
I have this BIG empty place above the sewing machine. Ah….maybe a set of open shelves will do it. I grabbed Hubby and told him my proposal.
Two hours later he had a shelving unit made for me. He wanted it to be similar to the one above the washer and dryer but I wanted open shelves. Here is the compromise….open shelves with bead board backing. He bought one board from the lumber yard. The rest he had.
It’s now my job to get it painted and then we’ll get it hung.
There are only two shelves to it but I think that’s enough. I think my cookbooks will go on one and the day to day childcare things will go on the other.
I know this won’t clear up the whole mess on the island problem. I am still going to have to discipline myself…the first thing I need to discipline myself to do is get this chalk painted to match the other cupboard.
My island gets cluttered also and my solution was to put a decorative basket on a corner for all the papers and misc. items. It has a handle and I can take it to the table to sort and keep what I need.
My house too suffered from “horizontalitis” and still does at times. Ok. maybe more often than naught. When my kids were little it bothered me a lot. Now that my kids have grown and left “the nest,” I miss it; the mess, the commotion, the projects both finished and unfinished and never going to finish. Just enjoy life: It goes by rather quickly. Maybe a basket on the island to put stuff into that could be quickly moved elsewhere when you need the whole island might help.
I know what you mean about a cluttered island. That tends to happen here too. I bet your shelves will help you. So many times, our clutter becomes because we don’t have a good ‘home’ for places. You’ve solved that!
That husband of your is indeed a gem once you get them painted they will indeed look great in your laundry room and so helpful to you. You two are a good pair. Oh yes the fabric is great also and nice the little girl enjoyed playing with it also. She might end up a quilter some day you never know.