The other day, I opened my appliance cabinet and had one of those moments.
You know the kind.
The moment when you stand there looking at a collection of things you’ve accumulated over the years and start asking yourself a few honest questions.
Do I actually use this?
When was the last time I pulled this out?
Why am I storing this?
And perhaps most importantly...
Is this appliance earning its place in my kitchen?
I think most of us have at least one appliance that falls into the category of …
“I thought I was going to use that all the time.”
Maybe it was a gift.
Maybe it was purchased during a late-night online shopping session after watching a very convincing demonstration.
Maybe it promised to make life easier.
And maybe it did...
for about three weeks.
Then it quietly moved to the back of a cabinet, where it has been living ever since.
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I started thinking about how much our kitchens have changed over the years.
Did you know that avocado green and harvest gold were among the most popular appliance colors of the 1970s?
Back then, appliances were often large, heavy, and built to stay put. If you owned a mixer, you practically needed a workout plan just to move it.
Today, appliances have become so much more compact, lightweight, and efficient. Air fryers, compact food processors, streamlined mixers, and beautiful electric kettles now accomplish more while taking up less space.
Which brings me to one of my favorite appliances.
The kettle.
For most of my life, I never owned one.
Then I lived in England.
If you’ve ever spent time there, you know that kettles are not just an appliance; they’re practically a way of life.
Of course, tea is a big part of that culture, but what surprised me was how often a kettle was used beyond tea. Need hot water for cooking? Kettle. Need boiling water quickly? Kettle. Need hot water for a recipe? Kettle.
It was always there.
Always useful.
And once I brought that habit home with me, I found myself reaching for a kettle constantly.
In fact, if my kettle disappeared tomorrow, it would probably be one of the first appliances I’d replace.
That’s the interesting thing about appliances.
The ones that truly serve us become part of our daily rhythm.
The others simply take up real estate.
And kitchen real estate is valuable.
Every shelf.
Every cabinet.
Every inch of countertop.
It all matters.
One of the things I encourage people to do is periodically evaluate their appliance collection and ask whether each appliance is supporting the life they live today, not the life they imagined they might live someday.
Because organization isn’t about fitting more into your home.
It’s about making sure your home still fits your life.
Another thing I’ve learned over the years is that updating your home doesn’t always require spending new money.
One of my favorite tricks is what I call recycling my home dollars.
If I decide to upgrade an appliance, I often sell the older one first.
Then I take that money and put it toward the replacement.
It’s amazing how quickly small sales add up.
A blender you no longer use.
A bread machine that’s been collecting dust.
A specialty appliance that sounded exciting but never became part of your routine.
Sometimes those forgotten items become the budget for something you’ll actually use every single day.
It’s one of my favorite ways to keep my home functional, intentional, and fresh without constantly spending new money.
And that’s actually what inspired this month’s Beautiful Living Guide.
Beautiful Living Guide No. 003 is focused on organizing your appliance cabinet in a way that makes your kitchen easier to use, easier to maintain, and far less frustrating.
Inside this month’s guide, I share:
✓ My appliance decluttering process
✓ How I decide what stays (and what goes)
✓ Where appliances should live
✓ How I organize attachments and accessories
✓ Simple systems that make kitchens easier to use every day
I won’t give away all the details here because that’s what the guide is for.
But if you’ve ever opened a cabinet and felt overwhelmed by cords, attachments, bulky appliances, or things you forgot you even owned, this month’s guide was created for you.
And if you’re new to the Beautiful Living Guide collection, these guides are released every month as a simple way to help you create small wins around your home.
One month.
One project.
One focused goal.
That’s it.
Because lasting organization doesn’t happen all at once.
It happens one manageable project at a time.
My hope is that these guides become something you save and revisit, much like a collection of favorite recipes.
Print them.
Store them in a binder.
Share them with a friend.
Even challenge a friend to work through the monthly project alongside you.
Sometimes having someone cheering you on is exactly what you need to finally tackle that space you’ve been avoiding.
So if you haven’t downloaded Beautiful Living Guide No. 003 yet, I’d love for you to grab your copy.
If you haven’t downloaded Beautiful Living Guide No. 003, I’d love for you to grab your copy.
Then pour yourself a cup of tea.
Maybe from a kettle.
And let’s create another small win together.
Less clutter.
More calm.
Beautifully at home.
👉 The full guide is available for paid subscribers below.
The Orderly is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber
Happy Organizing!
Nikki
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