Organizing Ayla Brown’s Kitchen
We know Ayla as a former American Idol finalist, country music recording artist, and media personality. Now she’s onto an exciting new venture as co-host of the totally relatable podcast “The Hangout with Jonathan and Ayla”. As part of her fresh start, Ayla enlisted me to reset her kitchen. Together, we solved her cramped cabinets, allowing her to cook family dinners with ease.
Read what Ayla had to say about the organizing process…
How did you feel about your kitchen before we organized it?
My kitchen has always felt very small to me. I always felt a little stressed when trying to prepare meals for my family. Countertops never seemed to have enough room to cook and cabinets were overcrowded. I’d lose a can of tomato sauce in the mix, or even forget what I had. It was frustrating.
What surprised you the most about this process?
Before this project, I really thought I had too much stuff. But it turns out, that wasn’t the case. I just needed to find somewhere purposeful to put each item. Once I did that I had TONS of room left over for other things. It was really exciting!
What was it like having someone else organizing your kitchen?
I wasn’t sure what it would be like working with a professional organizer, but it was my favorite part of the whole process! Kaitlyn was so easy to work with. She was knowledgeable, patient and encouraging. I loved every minute of it.
Which space in your kitchen are you the most excited about?
It’s hard to pick just one, but if I absolutely had to I would say the front closet that holds the trash can. We were able to totally transform that area and add so many organizational items like the peg board, the hanging shelf, and a pot organizer.
Which organizational product is your favorite?
I like the hanging under shelf baskets. While we didn’t use a ton of them in my kitchen, I think it’s a great thing for all people to invest in. It can add some extra space.
Now that you’ve had some time to enjoy your freshly organized kitchen, what do you think about it?
I feel super energized!! My kitchen is working in my favor now. I know what I have and what I need. Nothing is lost anymore. There’s a system that makes sense for the way I cook and clean. The spices are all in one cabinet. And the cans are in another. The way that Kaitlyn helped organize my utensils is absolutely next level.
Would you do this again? If so, what space would you want to tackle next?
OH MY GOSH, YES! I would love to do this again. I would love to tackle our basement. I’ve tried to go through it at least 4 times over the years, but it still seems to get out of order. Downstairs is where I keep all of my sentimental items. I just don’t know what to do with them. HELP!
Ayla, what are your top 3 takeaways?
1. Organizing and decluttering can actually be fun!
2. You may think you can do it alone, but you really can’t. There’s no way I would have been able to reorganize my kitchen without Kaitlyn’s help.
3. You don’t have to get rid of things that you love. You just need to find a purposeful space for them.
Do you want to feel excited and rejuvenated in your home too? Reach out, I’d love to work with you!
Check out these After and Before photos. A highlight of this revamped kitchen is all the extra space we created in the cabinets for added flexibility and expansion. Then head over to the next blog post, where I walk you through exactly how I made this happen, starting with just a simple $6 product.
After
Before
