Have you ever looked around at your kitchen and felt flustered by the sheer amount of clutter crowding the nooks and crannies of your eating areas? If so, you’re not alone. Relieving the stress of a busy space is the foundation of minimalism, a philosophy based on simplicity. Minimalism can help you declutter your life and your mind. Sometimes it can be difficult to implement minimalism in the kitchen, where you’re likely to have a multitude of appliances, utensils, and other clutter. If you’re working to create your dream minimal kitchen, here are some tips that can help.

Make the switch to built-in appliances

Appliances can take up a lot of space in your kitchen floor plan. Fortunately, nowadays it’s easy to fit many appliances while using as little space as possible, maximizing the efficiency of your kitchen’s layout.

You can build dishwashers, fridges, coolers, and even coffee makers into the home design so that they integrate seamlessly. For example, wall oven-microwave combos from retailers like Goedeker’s put all your cooking needs in one convenient spot that looks neat and keeps your counters clear. This combination is an excellent example of kitchen appliances that are both space-saving and functional.

Get rid of the extras 

How many cups, plates, forks, and knives do you actually use? Some people may love throwing lavish house parties and use all thirty dish sets they have every month. Realistically, most people only use thirty items if they haven’t done dishes in the last two weeks. 

Figure out what dishes you actually use and donate the rest to charity. Freeing up that space will ensure that you only use the pieces you truly like. 

Limit your tools to what you use

Face it, you have never and will never use that melon baller or manual orange juice press. Don’t make the mistake of keeping an item just because you might one day find a use for it. When that day finally comes, you probably won’t be able to find the melon baller anyway.

Whenever you can, get tools that perform multiple tasks. Why have a rice cooker when your crockpot can cook rice and do other tasks, like cooking meat or chili? Everyone has specialty tools they love and use all the time. Only keep the tools that actively make your life easier. 

Clear the counters 

Kitchens have a ton of storage area, and now that you have gotten rid of all the extras, you likely have space. If you want to decorate the counter, try to use items that double as tools.  

Get extra items off the counter and put them in a drawer so that you can keep the clean lines of the room intact. It will help you have counter space for food prep, and the whole place will feel less cluttered. 

Junk the junk drawer

Quick, what is in your junk drawer right now? Why do you have batteries, rubber bands, and spare tools in your kitchen? A kitchen is a place for food and food prep. Over 80% of people have a junk drawer. Empty the junk drawer and put the remains somewhere they make sense, like a desk or a workroom. 

Give everything a place 

What’s going to happen if you don’t have a place for something? It will stay out on the counter, take something else’s spot, or get lost. Whenever possible, you want to avoid this problem. 

Make sure that everything in your kitchen has a proper place to go. It will help keep the whole room clean, and it will promote a minimalist experience. 

Less is more

Once you make a minimalist kitchen space, you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to make meals. The lack of extras will help you keep your head in the right place to tackle your whole day.