My new "rule"

[NewGig]

For whatever reason, decorating my kitchen/dining room is something I never seem to think is "done." That's true, even though about 2 shelves of the "I'd like to keep this but don't know where to use or put it" cabinet are things that were bought for the kitchen/dining room.

So...

I've imposed a rule on myself. I've had various "make more things go away than come in" rules. 5:1 was the last one, for every 1 new thing I brought in, I had to get rid of 5. That works for a while, and then it doesn't any more.

I've gotten rid of x amount of things a day, a week, and year too.

Counting things is pretty much out.

So, what can I do?

I'm limiting myself to 1 decorative piece a week, max. Since I'm still in the midst of a major cull, I think this will work. The last thing we bought wasn't for the kitchen/dining room, it was a new desk for me. It replaced the melamine/particle board one I'd used for years, from Staples. This one came from Habitat and is a second-hand Ethan Allen student desk. We reclaimed about 8" of DH's office and got something which will probably last longer than me.

I'm putting off buying new kitchen canisters. I've been looking for new ones for months and finally found exactly what I want. I got rid of the old ones (gallon size Hoosier Anchor Hocking "cracker" jars) because they were just too heavy when full. Ever since I nearly dropped a canister of flour on my toe early this year, I've been looking at canisters. Being me, I wanted cheap.

That wasn't going to happen.

So, I finally found the right thing, the salt-sugar box at zero japan. I'll buy 5 of them and I'll be done. It will be expensive, but it's exactly what I wanted.

[happystuff]

Congrats on finding the exact canisters you wanted and not "settling". That is something I am trying to get out of the habit of doing. I don't know that I have rules. I just try to not bring anything into the house and try to get more stuff out. Our town wide yard sale is coming up, so hopefully I can get rid of a lot of things that way.

[NewGig]

I was going to use old commercial food tins. I just couldn't find the right size with graphics that I liked. Also, they have to be lined with something, and I'm trying to get out of using plastic. If I put mason jars or something in them, why not just continue to use the mason jars?

I've gone back and forth and back and forth. I've been looking in the antique shops, thrift shops, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane, Pottery Barn, etc. I found something I loved on Ebay, it was only $800. Um... no.

I've been doing this for months!:0!

[happystuff]

I was going to use old commercial food tins. I just couldn't find the right size with graphics that I liked. Also, they have to be lined with something, and I'm trying to get out of using plastic. If I put mason jars or something in them, why not just continue to use the mason jars?

I've gone back and forth and back and forth. I've been looking in the antique shops, thrift shops, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane, Pottery Barn, etc. I found something I loved on Ebay, it was only $800. Um... no.

I've been doing this for months!:0!

Wow - $800 seems a bit excessive for kitchen canisters. LOL. I just use the plastic Rubbermaid for my flours and sugar. Everything else is pretty much in canning jars, but then, I really like canning jars for both their looks and functionality.

[catherine]

So, I finally found the right thing, the salt-sugar box at zero japan. I'll buy 5 of them and I'll be done. It will be expensive, but it's exactly what I wanted.

Wow, I never heard of zero Japan, but it piqued my interest right away bc I love Japanese design. Muji is another great Japanese design store. Thanks for the tip!

[iris lilies]

I think it is important to not settle in home furnishings. As you all know, I’m giving a ton of focus in my life to furnishing to new places because I am retired and have that time to ruminate about things.

As I sit here in my current living room, there are five pieces of wood furniture. Some of them go back 20 years. At the timeI bought one of themBecause I thought I needed something that shape for that space. I didn’t especially love it. Well many years later it is the one that stands out as the one I don’t love and I will be getting rid of it at some point. The other four pieces will be carefully placed in their new homes.

But I realize that not everyone has the time I have to fuss around on the Internet or shopping IRL looking for things.

Just yesterday I visited a set of French lingerie chests for the third time in a local antique store.
The dealer is asking more than I want to pay, but on the other hand it’s only a few hundred dollars more so why does it really matter? It doesn’t matter..The main problem with these chests is I want only 1, not 2, and she won’t break up the set nor would I expect her to.


In no way will I allow myself to have the perspective “there’s a lot of room here that I have to furnish quickly. “I will finish these houses at a rate that pleases me and not a bit faster.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I'm pretty sure I settle, I settle with pride maybe with furniture, because 1/2 or more of my furniture is thrifted and almost everything purely decorative is, if I find something I prefer at the thrift shop, I take a thrifted piece back and get another.

I don't thrift upholstery as I don't want to risk bed bugs. If buying new I tend not to settle and just get exactly what I want. Most of the actual kitchen pots/pans/utensils is new as with used you never know how safe the material is, except I have some old white corningware. I tried the glass containers for grains, beans, etc., with thrifted jars etc.. I decided I'd prefer just to store that stuff in the freezer and mostly do. So I donated all such jars back. And since storing in the freezer there are no moths :) I have glass containers to store leftovers in the fridge. Sure I tried glass stuff with plastic rubber lids - pyrex stuff not a fortune or anything, but ugh I've decided I really hate cleaning plastic, and moved beyond that, donated it all. I own pretty much no plastic kitchen stuff now, except the jar that fits the hand blender for blending, maybe a few stainless steel things with plastic rubber handles. And I love not having plastic to clean much.

If you thrift taking awhile to be whatever fully decorated is could also be just be part of the process. People tend to get bored with their decorations anyway, so maybe it's better suited to human nature anyway. It will come when it comes. Although I can see being frustrated with that too, and that's assuming things that are decorative where there is no urgent need.

[NewGig]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1007958911/vintage-swedish-16-piece-canister-wooden? (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1007958911/vintage-swedish-16-piece-canister-wooden?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=canister+wall+mount&ref=sr_gallery-2-15&frs=1)

Sorry, it was Etsy, not Ebay.

This is what I'm going to buy, probably in October:
https://zerojapanusa.com/salt-box/

[Teacher Terry]

The 800 set reminded me of the antique set my second husband and I bought 30 years ago. We only used it for display. He loves it more than me so I let him keep it. I think it’s important to have stuff you love and when you are sick of something to get rid of it. I definitely have to be more selective now in a small space.

[iris lilies]

Re: canisters

DH keeps his flour and sugar in old ice cream buckets. We’ve done that for 30+ years of marriage. They sit behind a cabinet door so I don’t care what they look like. But I will say that a couple years ago I started a “upgrade “with plastic containers of similar size that I found at Goodwill.


I have a photograph of him moving in with me after we got married clutching sacks of flour and ice cream buckets full of sugar. He had to bring his own because I didn’t have that stuff, I didn’t cook. He was the baker.

[beckyliz]

About 20 years ago, i sold Tupperware for awhile. I was able to outfit my kitchen with their Modular Mates for dry goods, cereals, etc. I like them because they fit together like Legos for adults and save space. Other than having to replace a couple seals, they've earned their keep. https://my.tupperware.com/shop1/ProductDetails?ID=10049000369_FRPUS0226