A guest rearranged my books. I posted it on Instagram... and it blew up (hundreds of comments). I'm happy my friend left my kitchen alone. How do you organize your cooking equipment?
When others are trying to discern the organizing principle for my bookshelves, I just tell them that the books are arranged in lexicographic order according to the Cimmerian alphabet.
Haha ! It always amazes me what others find "organized" to me. It is how OUR own particularly wonderful unique brain thinks of as organized. New meaning for "it makes sense to me" Good luck finding anything
Ruth. My son Thatcher ( Juniperbooks.com) is a professional in the book world. He did the library at the Nomad Hotel in New York and wrote a book about home library design - For The Love of Books. When he helped me arrange them books in my kitchen , his main piece of advice was “Dad, put Ruth Reichl’s books front and center. They are the best ones here”.
My books are not an art installation. Books are arranged by subject, with a few most currently in use stored on a shelf in my kitchen. My 1904 kitchen cabinetry with its quirky drawers and bins means that my spices are stored in three different places, grouped by Seeds and Flakes, small jars and tins, and larger bottles. A Bakers Rack next to the stove holds small appliances, along with containers for whisks, spatulas, stirring spoons and such. My best organizational hack was using metal file stands to vertically store all baking sheets.
Your books are now arranged in the style of the upstairs freeby section of The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. Those are books that no one will buy to read -- interior decorators get "10 feet of green books" to match the upholstery and drapes in the living room of a client who presumably does not read books, but wants to give the impression that they do. Not the case in your home, obviously, although you do have a lot of books with white or black covers. And what's with the four yellow books on the bottom left shelf? The other yellow books are on the top shelf, middle section.
Fortunately, not by color....Every day cooking utensils are next to the stove. Kosher and special salts along with my pepper grinder are shelved above it. Other spices/seasonings are in a cabinet separated into two categories, savory and baking. Things like my Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid and grinders stored close but out of sight. It makes my NYC kitchen efficient for my cooking and baking needs. Since it's small, things are never very far out of reach, even if in a cabinet.
That house guest should not be invited back, LOL. How in the world do you find the book you want?
To answer your question, the best thing I did this year was to buy an in-drawer, tiered spice organizer. That thing is fantastic! It gives me so much pleasure to open my spice drawer and find what I need (arranged alphabetically, not by the color of the label, hahaha)!
I realized a few months ago how perfect a lazy Susan cabinet is for storing cooking equipment. So far I have moved a rice cooker, salad spinner, and electric steamer in.
In a crammed nyc apartment there’s only one way to organize. - wherever it fits! But, whenever possible’ input like usage things together. Cookbooks are grouped savory vs sweet, because cooking and baking are so far apart in my brain (I’m a baker). Baking cookbooks are almost like non fiction/fact based. whereas the savory cookbooks are more akin to philosophy. Non cookbook books are on my kindle now, sadly. But that leaves me more physical room for cookbooks and kitchen tools!
One notable exception: I have about 10-15 books in a special location on my shelf. These are my favorite books of all time. One of them is Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl :)
Your guest arranged your books by color? I can't imagine how that person's mind must work. Since I live in a tiny apartment, the way I arrange my cooking equipment is to stuff it where it fits. Things that I use only occasionally are on top of the cabinets in plastic bags so that when I take one down I can just throw out the bag and the item is clean. Isn't that what everyone does?
My mother-in -law once rearranged my refrigerator. I was not happy. A guest should leave no trace of their being in your house. This person who rearranged your books should be made aware of their "crime" and I would banish them from ever being allowed in my house.
When others are trying to discern the organizing principle for my bookshelves, I just tell them that the books are arranged in lexicographic order according to the Cimmerian alphabet.
At least they're not on the floor
I once had Jenny Craig spend the weekend. She re-arranged my books by weight.
It's still boggling my mind that a "friend" would have had the gall to "rearrange" your books like that!
Haha ! It always amazes me what others find "organized" to me. It is how OUR own particularly wonderful unique brain thinks of as organized. New meaning for "it makes sense to me" Good luck finding anything
Ruth. My son Thatcher ( Juniperbooks.com) is a professional in the book world. He did the library at the Nomad Hotel in New York and wrote a book about home library design - For The Love of Books. When he helped me arrange them books in my kitchen , his main piece of advice was “Dad, put Ruth Reichl’s books front and center. They are the best ones here”.
My books are not an art installation. Books are arranged by subject, with a few most currently in use stored on a shelf in my kitchen. My 1904 kitchen cabinetry with its quirky drawers and bins means that my spices are stored in three different places, grouped by Seeds and Flakes, small jars and tins, and larger bottles. A Bakers Rack next to the stove holds small appliances, along with containers for whisks, spatulas, stirring spoons and such. My best organizational hack was using metal file stands to vertically store all baking sheets.
Your books are now arranged in the style of the upstairs freeby section of The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. Those are books that no one will buy to read -- interior decorators get "10 feet of green books" to match the upholstery and drapes in the living room of a client who presumably does not read books, but wants to give the impression that they do. Not the case in your home, obviously, although you do have a lot of books with white or black covers. And what's with the four yellow books on the bottom left shelf? The other yellow books are on the top shelf, middle section.
Get your guest back and have them UNDO
Fortunately, not by color....Every day cooking utensils are next to the stove. Kosher and special salts along with my pepper grinder are shelved above it. Other spices/seasonings are in a cabinet separated into two categories, savory and baking. Things like my Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid and grinders stored close but out of sight. It makes my NYC kitchen efficient for my cooking and baking needs. Since it's small, things are never very far out of reach, even if in a cabinet.
That house guest should not be invited back, LOL. How in the world do you find the book you want?
To answer your question, the best thing I did this year was to buy an in-drawer, tiered spice organizer. That thing is fantastic! It gives me so much pleasure to open my spice drawer and find what I need (arranged alphabetically, not by the color of the label, hahaha)!
I realized a few months ago how perfect a lazy Susan cabinet is for storing cooking equipment. So far I have moved a rice cooker, salad spinner, and electric steamer in.
In a crammed nyc apartment there’s only one way to organize. - wherever it fits! But, whenever possible’ input like usage things together. Cookbooks are grouped savory vs sweet, because cooking and baking are so far apart in my brain (I’m a baker). Baking cookbooks are almost like non fiction/fact based. whereas the savory cookbooks are more akin to philosophy. Non cookbook books are on my kindle now, sadly. But that leaves me more physical room for cookbooks and kitchen tools!
One notable exception: I have about 10-15 books in a special location on my shelf. These are my favorite books of all time. One of them is Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl :)
Height! I'm short, the kitchen is tall. Whatever I use a lot is at lower level. Anything used infrequently gets the step stool treatment.
Your guest arranged your books by color? I can't imagine how that person's mind must work. Since I live in a tiny apartment, the way I arrange my cooking equipment is to stuff it where it fits. Things that I use only occasionally are on top of the cabinets in plastic bags so that when I take one down I can just throw out the bag and the item is clean. Isn't that what everyone does?
I have a simple method for organizing my kitchen. I put anything I use often in the front. All the rest fight for the remaining space. Works for me!
My mother-in -law once rearranged my refrigerator. I was not happy. A guest should leave no trace of their being in your house. This person who rearranged your books should be made aware of their "crime" and I would banish them from ever being allowed in my house.