tiny kitchen*Guest Post*-I don’t know about you, but I tend to do a lot more cooking in the winter months. It starts in October, actually. When the leaves start turning and the air becomes crisp, this generally signals that it’s time to dust off the old crock pot and start whipping up some hearty chili, soups and stews. Then comes Thanksgiving and Christmas with the cookie- baking, turkeys and mashed potatoes, not to mention January when the food focus turns to healthy meals to help shed the aforementioned cookies and mashed potatoes.

Although, I normally start “cooking season” with excitement, now that it is March and we are still in the midst of a particularly harsh winter, I am longing for the days of throwing steaks on the grill and chopping up veggies for a green salad. If I don’t eat stew again until next fall, I won’t be all that disappointed.

If there is one thing I have learned from all this cooking besides the fact that I do tire of crock pot fare after a few months, it’s that I have a very inefficient kitchen. My counter space is completely inadequate for the type of cooking I want to do. I get frustrated that my cramped quarters don’t allow me to open the refrigerator door all the way, which makes it difficult to reach the back of my veggie crisper. I have to close the dishwasher to scrape excess food from my plates as I’m loading it because my trash pullout can’t be opened at the same time as the dishwasher door. My tiny sink is barely big enough to hold my crockpot and my laminate countertop has gold flecks in it (yes, from the 60s).

I don’t hate my kitchen; in fact I love my turquoise distressed farmhouse cabinets that I finished myself. I just wish it worked more effectively for me. And I know I’m not the only one out there with this problem. If you need some help determining your own kitchen style, take this Good Housekeeping Quiz: Which Kitchen Style is Best for You? Then check out our kitchen portfolio for inspiration. If there is anything you particularly dislike about your own kitchen, leave us a comment below. Gold countertop flecks anyone?