As an organization and space management consultant, I've run into too many discontent gals over the years, particularly when we're scoping out the kitchen. I suppose most women wish for a bigger kitchen, or more cupboards, or granite counter tops, or a new fridge, or double ovens, or... You get the idea. It's really rare (outside of high end custom home owners), to find someone that's happy with the space she has.

I remember being in that boat myself years ago. I raised 7 children in a kitchen the size of a phone booth. Thank heavens we had an eating space off to the side of this tiny work space. It was so small that there wasn't space for a dishwasher. And double ovens? Shoot, I was lucky to have one oven!

For about 15 of the 21 years we lived in this house I griped, whined, and sat on a pitty pot over this kitchen. Finally, when my good friend and I decided to write a book on clutter management (It's Here... Somewhere, Alice Fulton Osborne and Pauline Hatch), I started to see that in large part, it wasn't so much the space I had that was the problem. The problem was that I was mismanaging the space I had. You've heard the old saying, "It's not WHAT you have, it's WHAT YOU DO with what you have that makes the difference."

So I got aggressive about applying the principles in our book to my kitchen. I used our "8 Streamlining Steps" on this teensy space, and when I was done I hauled out 10 HUGE bags of things I didn't like, didn't use, didn't need, didn't want, and didn't have room for. (Can you see in your mind how much space that freed up?) I took a fresh look at my limited kitchen spaces to see if they could be put to better use, and I assigned my keepers to more appropriate places within this space.

I started to get good at thinking "outside the box" and coming up with creative answers to things that had been bugging me for years. For instance: We had a wall phone in the kitchen (on the wall under the upper cupboard but above the counter top), but no place to put a phone book, message pad, or place to post messages. At least that's what I'd thought for 15 years, until I changed my attitude and decided to make the best of the space I had.

First I hung a calendar on the inside of the cupboard door that sat just above the phone. Then I cut some cork board and attached it to the end of this upper cupboard to serve as a place to post messages. I attached a message pad to the cork board and a stringed pencil as well. And the phone book? I opened it to the middle and laid a long heavy shoe string down the spine which I tied into a loop. Then I screwed a cup hook into the underside of the end of our Formica countertop (there's wood under there, folks) which was just below the cupboard that held the calendar and just below the phone, and hung the phone book from it. Voila! We now had a message center!

For good work flow and kitchen management, it's important that things be stored as close to point of use as possible. But with minimal cupboards or drawers, this can be a challenge. Hanging things can be an answer to that challenge. Since the colander was used at the sink, I decided to hang it on the inside of the door of the cupboard underneath the sink. I also hung all my measuring cups and spoons on the inside of an upper cupboard door above the sliver of counter top I used as a baking spot.

And for maximum space usage inside cupboards, I used double-tiered plastic turn tables - one for things I cooked with (oils, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, cornstarch, herbs, etc.) and one for things I baked with (baking powder and soda, cocoa powder, spices, paper cupcake holders, flavorings, etc.).

I also rethought standard paradigms. Some things just don't need to sit in a drawer - pot holders can be kept in a pretty basket on the counter next to the stove, or hung from the inside cupboard door that's just above the stove.

Another example of rethinking things: If you have few drawers in your kitchen, then storing your flatware in an attractive container on the countertop may be an answer to freeing up precious drawer space.

And hanging pots and pans is an age-old answer to not only creating great convenience and efficiency in a kitchen, again, it also frees up prized cupboard space.

And finally, a buffet plate holder can be put to long term use holding your tableware on the counter top. Dishes don't necessarily HAVE to sit in a cupboard, do they? Can't you just see this with all three tiers holding your dinner plates, salad bowls, etc.?

My advice was always the same to these unhappy, discontented gals - instead of pining for new and improved, how about we "use it up, wear it out, make it do, and even do without?" And finally, bigger isn't better, it's just BIG, so let's figure out how to make the best use of the space we have. There's a lot of peace and contentment wrapped up in these approaches.