Under Sink Cabinet Revamp

If you ever wondered if my home was in spotless, pristine condition with everything constantly in its proper place, let me put your mind at ease.  It is not.  Sadly enough, I mean well and like to have everything is tip top shape, however when spending most of my time with clients making their homes perfect, mine seems to suffer.  Add on to that equation my two girls and husband, all of whom never put anything in the same place twice, and I dread opening cabinets and closets at times.  So I decided to take a few days after the 4th and pamper myself and my home.
I picked a neglected space, my beyond small kitchen, and began to work my magic.  Just in case you need a visual to see just how tiny it is....

A few issues I have with this space.  I love to cook, but with limited counter and cabinet space, one must get quite creative to house all items necessary to run an efficient kitchen.  Another is storing household cleaners, reusable cloths and sponges all under the sink with all of the piping in the way. Not to mention these cabinets are two of the 14 total in my kitchen.  So I decided to begin here.

This space has always been last on my list.  Out of sight, out of mind so to speak.  The only time I open it is to get some type of cleaner, so it's never been high priority.  I finally got sick and tired of having to dig through this dark space for something specific, so project number one is has become.  

First off, what is not working:

• Basket with dishwasher tabs, way too bulky.
• Half opened boxes of items.
• Cleaners not easily seen, spilling onto each other.
• Inside the cabinet is dark and dingy.

What is working:

• The bag for soiled reusable rags hanging on the inside cabinet door.

Definitely looks as if there is limited things working here.  I began by removing all items from the cabinet and gave it a good cleaning.  Not for the faint of heart, here the pictures begin to get real!

And what I was left with after cleaning out the cabinet was quite disgusting!  You can tell I have purposely overlooked this space.  First off, I want to make the space look brighter than it actually is.  By adding some contact paper to the bottom of the cabinet, it will give the illusion of being brighter, plus it will make it attractive!  That's an added bonus!  

The space already looks better, not to mention bigger.  (And yes, I purposely did not take the paper all the way to the back of the cabinet!)  Now to add some new bins to make all items more accessible. 

So just an FYI, if you haven't heard of or ever used products from either madesmart* or InterDesign you are totally missing out.  Not only are there products super inexpensive, they are completely versatile and long lasting.  I purchased the two clear stackable bins that are used in the office for containing my dish sponges and rags in one, with my dishwashing tabs in the other.  Did I mention these stack?!  I am a firm believer that you MUST maximize your vertical space, using every inch in a smart and creative manner.  And these stackable baskets were just what I was looking for!

I snagged this stackable cabinet shelf with the purpose of storing kitchen cleaning brushes and extra dish soap.  Not only does it keep the wet brushes up off of the cabinet bottom, it creates a storage space underneath!  I'm in love!

I couldn't be more happy with the results!  

For a little over $20, I revamped a dull and lifeless space that was dirty and very unorganized to a bright and inviting space.  Even if it is only storage for cleaners, I am thrilled with the outcome!  I might even find myself opening the cabinets just to take one more look!

Never underestimate your space.  Do not judge yourself or measure your self-worth on the size of your home, just maximize its potential!  I forgot just how much I loved every inch of my teeny, tiny home!  

Stay tuned for more tweaks in my little kitchen coming later this week!