Go BIG in a small space

Last year we moved from a 984sqft bungalow with no basement and no closets to an 1800sqft four level split.  After years of living in a teeny home I was worried that we'd be collecting "stuff" (my nemesis) left, right, and centre, and that my much larger home was NOT going to feel larger for long.  Though we do have a LOT more stuff, thankfully many of the lessons that I learned in the little house have held me in good stead out here at Casa Elzinga: Cardiff Edition.  One of the more useful lessons, is that living like you're still in a small space will keep your larger space feeling larger.  Just because you've got more space doesn't mean you need to fill it to the brim!  With that in mind I've been slowly figuring out how to make our galley kitchen work for us.

In terms of floor space, it's a pretty decent size, with a huge pantry and peninsula.  But while it's got a ton of working counter space, what it lacks is a place to put "stuff".  After all, an island/peninsula isn't exactly a practical place to actually KEEP anything ie. Microwave, laptop, knife block, etc.  I mean, if your workspace is covered in stuff, it's not functioning as a workspace anymore, is it?  So what I do have is this wonky little corner desk... thing.  I'm thinking that back in '83 this was all the rage, the little phone nook.  These days?  Not so practical.  Especially since it butts right up next to a fridge that is, undoubtedly, twice the size of the one that was originally there, it's kind of useless... or is it?!  Nope.  No no, senora.  It is a WONDER of storage!

So let's see how much we can cram into an 18"x24" space, shall we?

Ok, so maybe it doesn't look like much, but that's the point.  The more open and neat it is, the less cluttered, the more it adds to the spacious feeling around it.  If this space was just crammed with junk, well yeah, at least it would all have a home, but it would be nothing but visual clutter, messing up the vibe of the whole kitchen, which totally defeats the purpose!  So instead it's a corner CRAMMED with stuff, without looking like it.  Wanna peek inside?

1.  This is our "junk" drawer.  All of our day to day electronic doodads like chargers, cameras, etc., some basic tools, scissors, glues, and tapes, boat loads of pens, and then a spot for catalogues and mail, amongst other things.
2. "Diaper Drawer": Classy, right?  Hey, we all need a spot for this stuff, and this is mine.  We can fit a full bulk pack of wipes and around 100 diapers in there, as well as grocery bags for cleanup.
3. Chalkboard.  It could be a message board I suppose, but for us it's our weekly menu board.  I was super resistant, but it's turned out to be great for our family!  
4. Plastics Drawer.  All the containers grouped together, all the lids together.  I'm psychotic about this drawer.  Just accept it and move on.  But seriously, I have NEVER found a better way to organize this stuff than in a deep(-ish) drawer.  You don't end up knocking anything over, nothing gets lost at the back, and it's SUPER easy for kids to put stuff away or find things on their own.
5. Ikea Utensil Rack. EVERYTHING that can be hung up, is.  All our serving/cooking utensils, plus measuring cups, colanders, you name it.  In fact, I intentionally buy utensils with the idea of being able to hang them up here.  Nothing gets tangled up, nothing gets lost, everything is super accessible, and you don't have to sacrifice drawer or cabinet space.  PERFECT.
6. Office.  Combined with the supplies in the "junk drawer", I've basically got a full office operating out of this corner: laptop, printer, phone, chargers.  Everything I need, really.  I had considered getting a tablet for the kitchen for emails, searching recipes, etc. but a laptop is just much more functional.  The great thing about having it in the kitchen is that I CAN find recipes, listen to music, stay on top of my emails, etc.  And let's face it: Pinterest.  It's embarrassing, but it's the truth.

So there you have it: useless 80s phone nook to VERY functional kitchen hangout.