How I Set Up My Drink Station

Remember a few posts ago when I mentioned that Spring is coming?  Well, folks, Spring will be here in about 2 weeks!  You know what that means right?  It's time to do some Spring cleaning, or in my house, Spring clearing.

One of the most "done" and yet un-done areas in my home is my kitchen.  I completely remodeled it and everything is shiny and new, but my main focuses for my kitchen are optimal functionality, organization, and of course cleanliness.  As you can see in the picture below, my kitchen didn't look like it was organized, clean, or functional.

A part of the problem?  I lacked countertop space and if I had just put 1 or 2 items on my counter, the kitchen just looked cluttered.  I also had a wall on the other side of the kitchen that just wasn't being utilized.

I was using the area for my dogs' food and water, but realized it was such a big waste of valuable wall space.  Once I realized that the lack of countertop space was the main issue, I decided that if I moved my Keurig, Ninja blender, and microwave off the counter, I would be regaining a lot of that precious real estate.  So, this is how my drink/microwave/blender station was born.

The table is actually a console table from Cost Plus World Market that I used as my entryway table.  Because I built another console table for my entryway, I decided to reuse this one in the kitchen and it actually fit the length of the wall perfectly.  It was meant to be, you see?  The wall shelf was actually a DIY up-cycle project and works great with the space.  I need to work on decorating the shelf, but I just like knowing that it's there for extra storage if I ever need it.

I love that the table gives me so many storage options.  I use the drawers for my K-cups and boxes of tea bags.  The bottom shelf on the table also gives me a place to put my water bottles and I love how organized the bottles look!  Now, realistically, my blender won't be utilized on this table, but its a great place to store my blender out in the open so that I can easily reach for it when I need it. Personal fact:  I'm really short so anything lower to the ground is better than being higher on a second or third shelf!

This is a shot of my counters now!  Isn't there just so much more space to work with?  Yes, there is still a whole rack of mugs right over there in that little corner, but that's only because I have an unhealthy obsession with mugs and I like to display them!

Clearing up my counter made my kitchen way more functional and also gives me less anxiety.  Before I set up my drink station, I was constantly stressed out about cleaning and organizing my kitchen every time  I used it because I felt like I just didn't have enough space.  Now, I still clean and organize my kitchen every time I use it, but I don't feel as stressed about it and I can actually spread out my ingredients while I'm cooking or baking.  If you have space for a drink station or just a makeshift island in your kitchen, I would totally recommend putting one together!  This little project of mine was an eye-opener for how some spaces are/aren't being utilized optimally in my house.