Kitchen Shelf- Before & After

It's our first Before & After!

Before:

This time it's a kitchen shelf (that I embarrassingly admit is mine).

Notice that it has good roots- it was once upon a time pretty & organized.  But, over time the clutter bug has taken over.  Medications, papers, and junk- oh my!  So, let's talk about how we get to this:

After:

Take a deep breath & get ready to dive in!

1. Clear everything off and begin with a fresh slate.  You'll be surprised at the possibilities you can come up with once you have a clear surface.
2. Clean everything.  In this case-surfaces, glasses, and containers.  A kitchen accumulates grease over time, so use a good grease cutting product like Dawn (a little goes a long way), water, and a sponge.  Be sure to rinse thoroughly.
3. Admire how it sparkles again!  :)
4. Sort through the things that should be here and the things that belong elsewhere.
5. If it belongs elsewhere, return it to its proper home and it reunite with its family.
6. If it does belong here, decide if you like your current organization and design, or if it needs sprucing up a bit.  Play with your items and get creative.  Maybe a new look will also be more functional.
7. Put back only the essentials.  Bust the clutter bug!  
8. You did it!  Sit back, admire your hard work and appreciate how far you've come.  Great job!

Organization and design usually go hand in hand.

I think for a design to be truly beautiful, it also has to be functional, and that also means it's organized well.  If a kitchen is beautifully decorated, but you can't reach the plates or aren't inspired to cook, it's not designed well.

Good design inspires you to live and be creative in your space.  If your design doesn't fit you, change it.  Keep experimenting and you'll find what works best in your space and inspires you to Get it All Together.