Written by Cora Gold, Editor-in-Chief of Revivalist
Upgrading the heart of your household doesn’t have to conflict with your green values. Imagine a minimalist kitchen! Align your kitchen with your style and personality by using minimalist ideas that match your sustainable goals. Reading more about your options could guide your next home improvement project, reduce stress and make the results more fulfilling than you imagined.
1. Use VOC-Free Neutral Paint
Painting is often the first thing that comes to mind when you want to freshen up your living space. The project is also excellent for minimalists. Choose a neutral shade that reflects a homey vibe, creating a relaxing space. Don’t forget to check the manufacturing pledges on each paint company’s website. You’ll quickly find out if they add pollutants to their products, which you must know when making your kitchen sustainable.
Compare your options and see which brands are free from volatile organic compounds. The airborne particles contribute to atmospheric pollution, but you can easily avoid the problem by buying VOC-free paint. You’ll still need to open a window while you work to avoid filling your home with fumes, but the odor won’t release harmful chemicals that affect your local ecosystem.
2. Donate Unused Belongings
Minimalist practices encourage regular decluttering. Sorting through the belongings in your kitchen cabinets might be the best place to start your next upgrade. When you’ve picked out the things you no longer use or need, donate them to charity or give them to friends. You’ll prevent them from joining your local landfill and pay it forward.
3. Research More Sustainable Materials
If you plan a complete kitchen redesign, you’ll likely need new household materials and premium home furnishings. For example, imagine replacing your aging countertops. Limestone has naturally occurring veins that create an earthy look for any kitchen. The material is also durable, so it’ll last a long time. Look for a manufacturer that extracts the stone using sustainable practices to further align your kitchen upgrade with your goals.
Follow the same principles when updating your cabinets or flooring. Select materials collected with eco-friendly methods or those made with renewable resources. You can reach all your interior design targets without compromising your sustainable values.
4. Designate a Compost Container
Composting is an excellent way to help the planet, but it might lead to a messier kitchen if you throw your coffee grounds, eggshells or food scraps in a bag that reveals its contents. Instead, select a bucket with a lid and a handle. The container will hold your compostable materials and is easy to carry to the bin in your yard when it’s time to empty it. You’ll hide waste and keep your kitchen tidy while continuing to use your preferred green disposal practice.
5. Focus on Lighting Fixtures
Some homeowners fill their kitchens with lamps, string lights and ceiling lights. The extra illumination might create a welcoming vibe, but it also wastes electricity. Choose one or two primary lighting sources powered by light-emitting diodes. The LED technology uses 75% less electricity than incandescent models. You’ll have a planet-friendly way to light your kitchen at night.
6. Look Into Vertical Storage
If you love a minimalist interior design scheme because it doesn’t clutter your walls, you may need a backup storage option in your kitchen. Avoid adding extra cabinets or standing pantries by using vertical solutions. You could organize your spices on a rack that slides between your fridge and your counter. Hang your pots on magnetic strips above your stove. You’ll create storage solutions that use the least amount of materials possible.
7. Install a Low-Flow Faucet
Water is essential in every kitchen. You couldn’t enjoy your meals or wash your hands without it, but your faucet may work against your eco-friendly lifestyle. Install a low-flow faucet to solve that problem in minutes. Standard models release 2.2 gallons per minute, but a low-flow aerator will reduce your usage. You can even select a minimalist faucet design to merge your green values with your updated interior decorating efforts.
8. Plant an Herb Garden
Starting an indoor garden could be the most minimalist upgrade for your home. You won’t need to rely on manufacturers or gas-guzzling grocery store trips to restock your spice cabinet. You can also use organic fertilizers, reducing every meal’s planetary impact. Make a list of the herbs you grow and track their progress in a journal to sharpen your gardening skills throughout the year. Even if you don’t harvest them, they’ll add greenery to your living space, thus emphasizing your love for Mother Earth.
9. Invest in Glass Containers
Home-cooked meals sometimes result in leftovers. It may be time to reconsider how you store your food. For example, plastic can take up to 400 years to break down in oceans and landfills, so switching to glass is a more sustainable option.
Replacing all your containers might not initially seem to align with your minimalist goals, but you can reuse glass containers for years and even bequeath them to family members and friends.
10. Decorate With Heirlooms
Minimalism assigns a purpose to every belonging. Some utilitarian items help you accomplish tasks. Others have sentimental value that creates an emotional attachment. Opt for family heirlooms instead of decorating your kitchen with mass-produced accessories. Everything will have meaning, which keeps your choices from becoming clutter.
If you don’t own family heirlooms, find previously loved decorations at thrift stores. You’ll give them new meaning by making memories around the decor. Keep the tradition going by passing them on to loved ones someday.
11. Store Food Wisely
Food waste is a problem many people struggle with. How often do you find yourself throwing away fruits and vegetables at the end of the week because you forgot to cook them? Or tossing those leftovers that got pushed to the back of the fridge?
Storing your food differently can help reduce your food waste in creative ways. Here are some tricks to try:
- Label items with their expiration date. Having the date written in big letters on the front of a container can encourage you to use them before they go bad.
- Keep things in the freezer. Whether it’s leftovers, produce or bread, putting them in the freezer will extend their lifespan.
- Use open shelving for pantry items. If you hide items away in cupboards, it can be easier to forget you have them. If you can see everything on open shelves, you’ll be more likely to use what you have before buying more.
- Keep an inventory list. Try putting a dry erase board on your fridge and keep a running list of everything you have. This can show you what potential meals you can make with ingredients you have on hand.
- Use grab and go containers for your meals. Say you cook a big meal for dinner one night that results in leftovers. Instead of storing it in a large container, split it into a few small containers that you can easily grab when you need one serving. Small strategies like this will make eating those leftovers more convenient.
12. Don’t Buy In To Kitchen Trends
You may be tempted to buy every latest kitchen gadget or trendy decor piece you see on social media. There is always a new product that seems like an essential, but chances are you don’t really need it. If an item only has one use — think an apple slicer — then you probably don’t need it. Similarly, kitchenware brands are constantly launching new colors for their products. Just like clothing brands, companies want you to ditch “last season’s” item and buy the new, even if it’s exactly the same.
While kitchen items do wear out over time, most cookware is built to last many years. Avoid falling for the trends and only replace something when you really need to. Additionally, be sure to invest in high quality products. You may see cheap products on sites like Temu or Amazon, but those items are not likely to hold up over time. When buying a new kitchen product, ask yourself these two questions: Do I really need this right now? And will I be able to use it for years to come?
Make Your Minimalist Kitchen More Sustainable
Merge minimalism with your passion for the planet during your next interior design upgrade. Whether you want to make your daily-use belongings greener or redesign the space, your kitchen will soon embody your values more than ever before.
About the Author
Cora Gold has a passion for writing about life, happiness and sustainability. As Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine Revivalist, she loves to share her insights and find inspiration from others. Follow Cora on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.