My favourite room: the kitchen

My kitchen - the hub of the house and one of my favourite rooms. It is a simple kitchen, quite small (petite) but has everything I need and I love working in it. It is particular lovely in winter when it is warm and cosy. My sons spent many hours sitting on the stools watching me cook and eager to lick the bowl and wooden spoon when I had finished baking. Its a space full of very fond memories and one or two that aren't so good (but that's life).

This is the view looking into my kitchen. I have a lovely large window at the end which makes washing up enjoyable.  No, we don't own a dishwasher - something that raised the eyebrows of the company who designing our kitchen! They couldn't understand how a woman could cope in a kitchen without a dishwasher. With only two of us, we really don't create that many dishes and I quite enjoy washing up. 

Yes, red is a favourite colour of mine and I have quite a few bit splashed around my kitchen.  Red says "cheery and joyful" and I just love that in a space like this.  I have found that leaving the food processor on the shelf (it is very heavy to move) means I use it far more than I ever did when it lived in the cupboard.

It is a great workspace and many a "masterpiece" has been created here!!  The red cloth is covering the no-knead dough waiting to be made into bread.  I love that bowl - it is very heavy and large (looks old fashion) and perfect for my dough to grow overnight in. 

This is the messy corner, fortunately it is tucked away and can't be seen when you first walk into the kitchen. This is still a work in progress! 

Once upon-a-time I use to have these sieves hidden away in the cupboard, but they are used often, so why not hang them on the wall. A kitchen, whilst it should look inviting, should be a  comfortable workshop where the tools of the trade are in reach.  Men (in their sheds) don't puts all their hammers and chisels in a drawer, they all hang on the wall, easy to reach.

I have been slowly collecting these French Provincial glass jars with their fun rooster lids and whilst I could keep them all in the cupboard, I thought they look so much better on display.  Yes, there is a jar with jelly-beans, they belong to my husband! 

When I tell people I am very organised, its true. Being organised and tidy makes housework so much easier.  This kitchen is quite simple to maintain as everything has its place. I also never go off to work in the morning unless it is neat and tidy. However, my husband is home all day (he is retired) and it doesn't always look as good when I get home (but not too bad). 

I am quite the fan of my spice drawer! It is directly below my workspace and all I need to do is open the drawer and there is everything I need. It really does work well for me. 

My eldest son said something funny the other day.  He said he loved looking in my pantry as he really likes all the little boxes of food I have. I keep these well stocked so I never run out of anything I might need when cooking. This pantry has 6 shelves all full to the brim with dried and tinned foods.

And finally - I find my husband needs a space in the kitchen where he can dump his sunglasses, keys and those oddments he has in his pocket like nails and screws.  This is his little place and the one place I don't tidy up. It is also where I keep the bigger items in the kitchen (such as the slow cooker, the bread flour, those favourite bowls and the Kitchen Aid) making them easy to grab and use.  I don't have a lot of cupboard space (or perhaps I have to much "stuff"), but there really isn't any space in the cupboards for these items. 

What do you like best about your kitchen?

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