How to Reduce Visual Noise in the Kitchen

Hello Hive,

I re-watched the Minimalists documentary on Netflix for the 3rd time. The show brought out this impulse to remove all of the existing artwork hanging in the living room of the fully furnished tiny home we're renting. Given an artwork that sparks joy, I don't mind having one to accentuate a space but the loud colorful images at home bother me every time I see them. Firstly, they're not necessary. Secondly, they're oddly placed. Lastly, they are dust collectors that only create visual noise.

I took them down twice but my husband insisted that I should leave them alone.

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist defines Visual Noise as "any random visual stimulus which has a negative effect on our brains."

Visual noise can also be referred to as visual clutter. Unconsciously, all of the visual information fed into our brains can cause fatigue when there are too many stimuli. The distraction makes it more difficult to focus. It may affect our learning ability and could cause migraines to those suffering from it.

Out of sight out of mind.

Marie Kondo mentioned this in her book, Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing - "By eliminating excess visual information that doesn't inspire joy, you can make your space much more peaceful and comfortable."

In my opinion, the kitchen is the hardest to control when it comes to visual stimuli. The jar labels, the clutter, the kitchen tools that hang on the walls, the unwashed items in the sink, and the appliances that occupy our kitchen counter all create visual noise.

Our present 4.8 sq.m kitchen is currently a disaster because it's so tiny, we have limited storage space, thus we have no choice but to expose most items. I enjoy cooking international dishes thus have a huge collection of spices and condiments. Embracing minimalism doesn't mean one should sacrifice making delicious homecooked meals. By de-cluttering, it leaves more space to effectively work in the kitchen.

I have already downsized so I think our family of 3 has reached the bare minimum. That's okay, we've learned to accept it. Well if this were my permanent home, I would have remodeled it already, but to accept it is the cheapest alternative.

For this post, I'll use the kitchen from our previous home which we call "The Yellow House" as an example.

I re-use glass jars and plastic containers hidden inside cupboards

The goal is to inexpensively de-clutter, minimize, and free up space, particularly the kitchen counter from visual noise. There's a difference between tidying up and minimizing.

Evaluate the kitchen items we own.

Once we start exceeding 8 plates, we should start questioning how often we entertain and if we need these extra plates. Are there kitchen gadgets we bought and never used? Are we ready to discard items that don't function or have them repaired?

Create a pile to keep, to throw, and to give away or sell and evaluate each item's value and cost.

Time, energy, and money were spent on purchasing these items. We should weigh whether keeping each item adds value to our lives. For the items we intend to keep, we need to decide for each whether we should leave them where they are or relocate them to a different place.

For gifts, with or without sentimental value, you've all probably seen the #KonMari method on Netflix so you know the drill.

Alphabetized spices hidden in the drawer next to the stove

Observe the way you operate and move within the kitchen

I like segregating the kitchen into zones. It is important to strategically place items in your cupboard within reach and which requires less effort to be able to function effectively.

The topmost shelves should carry items one rarely uses. The spices should be situated within the cooking zone as well as pots, pans, and cooking tools. Knives, a chopping board, and all of the other special kitchen tools are all in the preparation area.

I also designate a beverage corner which in this scenario is best placed next to the water dispenser and the fridge. The beverage area is closest to the open dining space so the person preparing the food is not bothered by the other who is making coffee, especially when entertaining. I adhered to the same principle in my current tiny kitchen and it works.

Kitchen Cupboard Uplift

When we moved to the yellow house, the kitchen cupboard above the built-in stove had clear glass cabinet doors. That space is best for storing sauce bottles used for cooking (oil, soy sauce, etc). Unfortunately, the thin clear glass on the cupboard meant exposed bottle labels visible upon entry. This would create visual chaos.

I could remove the bottle labels but I didn't want to do that every time so a faster and more aesthetic solution would be to apply a frosted glass film sticker to the existing glass panels on the overhead kitchen cabinet.

Since we had a leftover frosted film that we bought from Wilcon Depot, we can use that to create a frosted glass look.

At that time Ikea was not yet available in the Philippines. During a trip to Japan, I bought a colander (Grundvatnett) for the sink that I use as a dish dryer. Once dry, I keep the dining ware immediately inside the cabinets. I'm not a fan of the exposed dish rack on the kitchen counter because they create visual clutter.

There was a time when we were living with a suitcase each when we rented space while living on Bantayan Island for 2 months. We had a communal kitchen in the compound where all tools are shared. That is another option in minimalist living.

There's no one-size-fits-all in a minimalist lifestyle. It's up to you to find what suits you and your family's lifestyle and preferences.

Hope this post helps you in your next tidying up, downsizing, and organizing project. Thank you for reading!

"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."

@discoveringarni

_{Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.}