Kitchen question

 What is the most important concept to consider in the kitchen premises for yourselves and others?

• Safety for everyone—whether the appliance choices and floorplan layout allow those working in the kitchen to do so safely. Kitchen users vary in height—someone over six feet tall will not have the same wants and needs as someone around five feet tall or in a wheelchair.
• Work triangle—affects efficiency and safety.
• Counter space—multiple small appliances are contributing to the need for more counter space. My mother had enough counter space for the dirty dishes and the sink drainer, her mother used the kitchen table and had no counter space. The counter space that was adequate ten years ago seems restrictive today.
• Storage—with the abundance of new small appliances comes the need for more storage. There was a trend where pantries were eliminated in homes. Smaller kitchens need one or some type of extra storage space. I use a set of chrome shelves, a baker’s rack will work also. My rarely used kitchen supplies are stored in a separate building. Inconvenient? Yes, but it works.

Upholstery

 Upholstery choices for home use will vary according to the occupants' preferences.

We chose quality dark prints with a strong weave and durability for living room sets. The fabric also had a texture we found pleasing. [The children in the family were small, and we had dogs and cats for pets. We felt like we needed to be able to spot clean and wipe up spills.]

Before we upgraded to upholstered furniture, we had sturdy wooden living room sets with cushions that could be recovered or replaced. The covers were washable.

I like Sunbrella fabric and chose it when I had cushions or cushion covers made at an upholstery shop. The cushion covers are washable; more importantly, you can wipe them when spills occur, and the material tolerates the sun.

I don't think leather works well with cats for pets. In my family, we always chose cloth material and added throws. Cats have sharp claws and like to knead.

People with dust allergies might prefer leather upholstery.

How to clean a Lazy Susan Cabinet.

 Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets

Assemble needed supplies

• Gloves
• Eye protection
• A covering for your head
• Spray cleaning solution of your choice or pan/sink of wet cleaning solution—Dawn and hot water
• Rags, wipes, paper towels—your choice
• Soft scrubber
• Baking soda or slightly abrasive cleaner
• Knee pads or step stool depending on the location of the cabinet
• Oil for the mechanism—I use sewing machine oil
• Shelf liner
• Scissors
• Cabinet cleaner for the outside of your type of cabinet

Remove everything from the cabinet that you want to clean and the adjacent cabinets on each side unless this is a standalone cabinet.

Check for items that may be in the void the lazy Susan doesn’t address and remove them.

Remove any removable liner placed on the shelves.

Cleaning the shelves

• Spray or wet the shelves with the cleaning solution.
• Wipe the shelves.
• Repeat until the shelves are clean.

Hard to remove the residue?

• Wet the area
• Add a sprinkle of baking soda over the area.
• Use a damp soft scrubber to clean the area.
• Repeat the baking soda as necessary.
• Use a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue.
• Use a dry cloth to dry the shelves.

Maintenance

• Use the oil to grease the moving parts.
• Add shelf liner—use scissors to cut the liner to fit.
• Clean the outside of the cabinet per the cleaner's directions.

Finishing up

• Place the desired contents back into the cabinet.
• If food contents have expiration dates, remember to purge the items.
• Put like items together.
• Place the items that will go out of date in front of items that will last longer.

Bonus

• Clean the adjacent cabinets.

Sustainability

 Ways to make my home more sustainable? That’s a tough challenge.

We bought a mill house that is now over 100 years old. We’ve lived in it for more than 43 years now. It is in the 1000–1100 square foot range.

Over the years, we’ve added or done the following things.

• We installed multiple roofs, with the last one being metal.
• We installed a heat pump with a thermostat and backup gas heat.
• We installed double pane windows.
• Added a water filter to the cold water kitchen faucet.
• Added insulation.
• We are converting to led lighting.
• We added railing to the front steps.
• We maintain upkeep on the front porch.
• We added floor coverings and moisture barriers.
• We converted the bathroom to one that is more ADA.
• We installed a back deck, cover, wheelchair ramp.

I hear the question—what does the above have to do with sustainability.

• We maintain and improve our current home with the expressed desire to live in it until we pass.
• We are in an established town with sewer, water, gas, and electricity.
• We have converted to more energy-efficient systems over the years.

The contents of the house, what about them?

• Only replace items when they are nonfunctional or no longer fit our lifestyle.
• Repurpose items whenever possible.
• We repair items as necessary, doing the work ourselves when we are qualified.
• If we replace a functioning item, we gift it to someone with a need.

What about growing our food? Shouldn’t we be doing that?

• Growing food source animals are prohibited.
• A garden? I suppose we could do that; we tried it a few times without much success, but we could do something like a raised or victory garden. The lot is small.
• We don’t water the grass.

Recycling?

Of course, we do. Our town picks up every other week and has a garbage pickup too!. Electronics, etc., are taken to a specific site a county over.

Little things

• Energy-efficient large appliances
• Cloth hand towels
• Two sets of bed linens
• Use washable kitchen items instead of disposable ones
• Clothing and linens are washing machine washable
• Air drying clothing and dishes as much as possible
• Cooking meals that can do double duty

We could do more things; however, if we don’t have the skills or the physical ability to do them, can we?

Isn’t it better to hire someone with the necessary skill sets to do tasks than waste time and resources attempting functions for which we are ill-suited?

That’s it off the top of my head. Yes, I know there are countless articles about specific sustainable products—research before you buy. Buy quality and long-lasting things. Avoid fads.

And a final word, build memories with family/friends. Memories are the things you cherish or cringe from as your life’s clock ticks.

Window Coverings

 Drapes, curtains, blinds—which should I use?

Blinds are great; they let in the most light unless the drapes or curtains are sheer. You can direct the direction the light shines into the home. Vacuum them frequently. Please do not use them in a high humidity area as any dust will stick to them. I have blinds in four rooms of my home. The ones in the bathroom are hard to keep clean. I’m ready to replace them with curtains that I can frequently wash.

Metal blinds seem to draw less dust than plastic ones. I have those in my dining room and den and love the minimum intrusion into the space. We added opaque window film to these northern windows.

I have single-pleated blinds in the living room with opaque film only on the bottom half of the windows for privacy. One window is on the south side, and one is on the east.

The bedroom has the most window treatments—window film, double pleated cloth blinds, black-out shades, and drapes. Both of us have been day sleepers, and this northeastern bedroom was our best bet to achieve a dark room. I vacuum but have to wash the drapes occasionally.

Drapes consist of more elegant materials than curtains. You must read cleaning labels and follow the directions.

Curtains are the most practical window coverings. They are from lighter-weight washable materials. Curtains provide privacy—easily cleaned when they become dirty.

So, which do you choose? It is up to you. You may be limited in your choices if you rent or live in an HOA. Owning your home gives you infinitely more options.

Less is more? Really!

 While I would agree that “less is more” may apply to many things, I can give a few instances of when that is not true.

If you don’t have enough salt (I also like to add pepper) in milk gravy, the gravy is not fit to eat.

While some prefer a minimalist kitchen, methods of refrigeration, cooking food, and cleaning dishes are more healthful than the lack of either of these three things.

Some cultures sit on the floor and lay on mats to rest or sleep. While most will agree that this is minimalist, those with mobility difficulties will agree that chairs and a bed with a frame are more desirable.

I can get by with three sets of clothing—one to wash, one I’m wearing, and one as a spare. Some only have the apparel they are wearing--this may or may not include shoes. Personally, that is too minimalist for me.

Cultural differences may be the defining factor of what is considered minimalist. Therefore, each reader will have a different perception of possessions and living conditions to make their lifestyle acceptable.

Material needs and necessities are more easily addressed than interpersonal relationships. Low expectations of reciprocal love in a relationship diminish one’s self-worth. In all probability, such a person has low self-esteem and has prior poor interactions with relationships that should have uplifted them. That “give a dog a bad name” thing and what usually follows.

One [you, me, we] must learn to love ourselves the way our creator intended. He created us as individuals, worthy of love and respect. Our physical appearances have nothing to do with what we are due as human beings with souls.

We each have unique attributes and talents to use (or abandon) for good during this lifespan. We must strive and work to achieve that which we desire. We are beings capable of taking care of ourselves, not pets to be indulged by those who own us.

It is up to us not to settle for the “less is more” mindset that would have us believe we are not worthy of deep, abiding love in our relationships. When each person in a relationship gives their all to make the relationship succeed, the result is glorious.

How do I decorate a room with a lot of stuff? [Quora question.]

 You don’t say what kind of stuff or the room in which the stuff is located. You also do not state if this is a rental property or one you own.

Gather or group items—toys, jewelry, CDs, DVDs, books, trophies, specific collectibles, etc.

Remove things that do not belong in the room to the locations where they belong.

Determine which items must stay.

Display no more than 3 or five like items at a time. A bookcase makes a beautiful display medium. Organize books by topic or genre. Box the excess items in pretty standardized uniform containers.

Do not get additional things to place in the room—stuff.

Reduce items before buying storage items.

Buy furniture that can also store things. An entertainment center, a bookcase, a display case can all help you put your best foot forward. Underbed storage can hide multiple boxed items. The high and low spaces in a closet can do the same thing.

• An old armoire or buffet sideboard can store things. 
• A free-standing screen can keep multiple things out of sight. 
• Small items can be stored in a chest of drawers. 
• A trunk can double as a table and storage place. 
• Old luggage can be filled with things and stacked.
• A side table with a floor-length tablecloth can hide many things.
• Boxes with a door-core or plywood top can become a table that hides much. 

Can you give us more information on the types of things you consider stuff and in which room the items are located?

Give the room unity, a serene, calm look with possible pops of color.

Floor to ceiling curtains on windows and storage areas can give a cohesive look when they match or complement each other.