While it happens regularly, it’s still always so exciting when Simplify Experts is featured in the media! Owner/Founder Denise Allan is in the July 14, 2023, issue of The Seattle Times:
The kitchen counter is prime real estate. Anything that’s out should be things you use every day, says Denise Allan, a certified professional organizer and owner of Simplify Experts in Redmond. Make sure there’s a clear landing zone for papers away from any heat source. Allan has been to two houses that had kitchen fires that were started by papers placed too close to the stove.
If you use something once a week, it can go in a cupboard. If it’s once a month or less, it goes to longer-term storage. Allan keeps her holiday dishes in seasonal bins, not her kitchen. You could get a rolling shelving unit for the garage; one shelf for Costco overstock, one shelf for small appliances you don’t use frequently.
Speaking of appliances, be honest about what you actually use, not the fantasy Top Chef version of you.
“Gadgets get out of control,” Allan says. “Be true to yourself. I’ve made the decision, if I want fondue, I will make the reservation at the Melting Pot. And I only need to do that once every three years.”
Kitchen storage is at a premium. Allan went to a Ballard home with only seven kitchen drawers — and three of them were junk drawers.
“You are only allowed one junk drawer in the kitchen,” she says. “And take a good hard look at it.”
Click here to read the whole article, including Denise’s tips on bathroom organizing!