This Homeowner Had Enough Pots & Plastic Containers To Open A Food Stall, But Managed To Declutter For Her Bright New Kitchen

“Are you running a zi char stall?”

That was one of Chen Hanwei's first questions for homeowner, Ai Lian, when he stepped into the kitchen of her flat in the latest episode of House Everything?.

Ai Lian revealed that she loves cooking, especially when her kids come over for dinner, and during special occasions like Chinese New Year. The thing is, her kitchen has become extremely cluttered over the years, and something needed to be done, pronto.

“There’s not enough storage space,” explained Ai Lian, who lives here with her husband. The kitchen sink was piled high with more containers and dinnerware, while countertops and the dining table were buried under piles of kitchenware and food items (including nian gao that she has kept for three years).

The small space was brimming with more than 30 pots and pans and even more plates, bowls and cups and two big bags of reusable plastic containers. “Why does every mother collect so many of these?” Hanwei exclaimed.  

An interior designer was roped in to give the kitchen a vibrant overhaul and extra storage space. But first, Ai Lian had the mammoth task of decluttering, with the help of experts, to fit everything into this new kitchen.

Here are some tips that the show’s home organisation guru, Shan, dispensed in the episode:

#1: To organise sauces, oils and seasonings (Ai Lian has over 30 bottles in total), split them into two categories: those that are used daily and those that only for special dishes. The former should be kept in easy-to-reach places, while the latter can be stored away in top-hung cabinets and only taken out when you need to use them, to ensure a clutter-free countertop.

Shop condiment racks:

Four-tier expandable bamboo spice rack, $29.90. Buy it here

Three-tier spice rack, $39.90. Buy it here

#2: Buy dinnerware from the same set, or get those that at least look similar so that they look neater when stored.

Shop dinnerware sets:

Corelle Livingware 18-Piece Glass Dinnerware Set, Winter Frost White, Service for 6, $90.81. Buy it here

Stone Lain Coupe Stoneware Dinnerware Set, Service for 4, Gray Matte, $57.93. Buy it here

Lenox Blue Bay 12-Piece Dinnerware Set, $136.76. Buy it here

#3: One space-saving solution that anyone can use: Keep pots in cabinets with the lids facing downwards (flat side up) so that you can stack the pots on top of one another.

Watch the full episode here:

Catch House Everything? Season 2 on demand for free on meWATCH, and every Thursday, 8pm on Ch 8.

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