Tiny Kitchen Life

​I love to cook! I love prepping the food, smelling the food, arranging it on the plate, the whole experience. Now don’t get me wrong, I too, have my frozen pizza days but I find that I’m cooking much more these days than I used to and I attribute this to the balance that has been brought back into my life from going Tiny. Home cooked meals were usually one of the first things to go in my old gig. I came home mentally exhausted and honestly just wanting wine (not the healthiest of diets). So when I started rediscovering myself and this new lifestyle, I happily dusted off the recipes and donned an apron. 

My kitchen is, well, TINY. And I love it because it is also FUNCTIONAL.  I’ve been in some very large kitchens where drawers went unused because of where they were placed. Or loading the dishwasher was a pain because it was not close to the sink. Poor layout is a poor layout whether it’s in a large space or a small one. This is why a lot (I   mean A LOT) of time went into designing my kitchen area. 

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Pulling on my process improvement background, I walked through the daily processes performed in the kitchen: washing dishes, throwing away trash, cooking, snacking, unloading groceries. If it happens in the kitchen, I thought about how it would work in a space one fourth the size I was used to. This is how our current design came to life and by working with our awesome builder it turned out even better than I originally imagined.
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Every inch of the space is used. We have a full stove, dishwasher, under cabinet trash (highly recommend if you have pets and to help with odors), a deep sink, produce baskets, a pantry, tons of storage and plenty of counter top space to prepare food 

Oddly enough we cook more meals and eat around a table as a family more often. Just this morning, I commented to my husband that we rarely eat in front of a TV now. I can’t put my finger on the “why” behind that change but I’m happy it has occurred. We pull out our space saving table and hidden stools each night (takes about 60 seconds) and purposefully connect with one another. It is a daily habit  that I’ve come to treasure each day. So yes, tiny kitchens+ good food can contribute to a fuller life (see what I did there 😉 )  

If you’re going tiny and wanting any tips on design efficiency feel free to reach out! I love nerding out on that stuff and be sure to join my facebook group to get the latest tiny life news. ​https://www.facebook.com/groups/479222586335815