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25 Best Small Kitchen Storage & Design Ideas

Kitchen

Small Space Living

Storage

Surprising Ideas

Alyssa Longobucco

updated Dec 2, 2021

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

No one ever has enough kitchen storage or counter space. Literally, no one. So if your kitchen is relegated to, say, just a few cabinets in the corner of a room, you likely really feel the stress of figuring out how to make everything work. Luckily, this is something we specialize in, here at Kitchn. So we’ve rounded up the 25 very best ideas of all time to help you make the most of the space you do have.

These ideas — including smart cabinet solutions and sneaky little tricks — just might help you feel like you’ve doubled your kitchen’s square footage.

1. Add hooks all over the place!

We’re hooked on hooks! They can turn your apron collection or all your cutting boards into a focal point! And free up other space.

2. Store stuff out in the open.

No pantry? No problem! Put your most-used ingredients on a pretty dessert stand or lazy Susan and show them off! This will free up cabinet space and also make it easier for you to grab what you need while you’re working. While you’re at it, consider leaving your Dutch oven or prettiest cookware out on the stovetop.

3. Put little corners to good use.

Keep a vintage wooden crate in the corner of the kitchen to store jars and display plants. The point? Even teeny tiny spaces can be turned into storage.

4. Use windowsills as storage.

If you’re lucky enough to have a window in your kitchen, think about how you can use the sill as storage. Maybe you can put some plants on it? Or your favorite cookbooks?

5. Hang a pegboard.

Your walls can hold more than you think they can. (Think: pots, pans, and even canisters that can hold utensils.) Instead of hanging a couple of more limiting shelves, try a pegboard, which adds very flexible storage space that can be adjusted over time as your needs change.

Read more: 8 Ways to Use a Pegboard to Make Your Kitchen Better

6. Use the tops of your cabinets.

The tops of your cabinets offer prime real estate for storage. Way up there, you can stash special-occasion serving platters and even extra pantry supplies that you don’t need just yet. If you’re worried about how it will all look, consider using some pretty baskets to hide your stash.

7. Consider a fold-down table.

Don’t think you have room for a table? Think again! A fold-down table (on a wall, in front of a window, or hanging off a bookshelf) almost always works. This way, you can use it when you need and get it up and out of the way when you don’t.

8. Get cute folding chairs and hang them up.

Whether you end up going with that fold-down table or not, you can free up some floor space by hanging your dining chairs when you’re not using them. (In case you haven’t noticed yet, we’re huge fans of hanging as many things as possible!)

9.

Turn your backsplash into storage.

10. Turn cabinet and pantry shelves into drawers.

We love a shelf when it’s on the wall but when it’s in a cabinet or a pantry, it can be really hard to see what’s buried deep in the back. That’s why, especially in small kitchens (where there’s not a lot of room to get in there), we prefer drawers. If you can’t renovate, simply add baskets to these shelves so that you can pull them out to access what’s in the back.

11. And use (little!) shelves wherever you can!

Again, we’re not anti-shelves. We just prefer narrow ones over deep ones so that nothing gets lost. How narrow? Really narrow! Like, just deep enough for one row of bottles or jars. Stick to narrow shelves and you can also put them nearly anywhere.

Related: Why Shallow Pantry Shelves Are the Best Shelves

12. Use your windows as storage.

You might never dream of blocking any of that precious natural light, but this Chicago apartment may get you thinking differently. The designer who lives there made the bold decision to hang her collection of pots and pans in front of her kitchen window. Thanks to a uniform collection and pop-y orange handles, it ends up turning into a fun focal point that is smart storage, too.

Tour this space: Lauren’s Bold Chicago Apartment Bursting With DIY Projects at Apartment Therapy

13. Put your dishes on display.

If you lack enough cabinet space to store all your dishes, steal a page from this food stylist in California and put them on display somewhere else. Get a freestanding shelf or bookcase (ideally one that’s tall so that you don’t need to give up a lot of floor space for it) and load it up. No room in your kitchen area? Steal space from the living area instead.

14. Steal space from neighboring rooms.

And that bring us to our next point. So your kitchen is only five square feet? Try stealing a few extra inches from an adjacent room.

Tour the rest of the space: Danielle’s Bright & Multi-Functional Top Floor Apartment at Apartment Therapy

15.

Turn the top of your fridge into a pantry.

We’ve seen the top of the fridge used to store all sorts of stuff. Sadly, it often looks messy or wasteful, but a curated selection of your most-used pantry ingredients will look nice. And it’ll make things easy to grab in a pinch.

16. Hang a magnetic knife rack.

When countertop space is at a premium, every square inch counts. Squeeze out a bit more room by taking your cutlery to the walls with a magnetic knife strip. You can even use it to hang things that aren’t knives.

17. Seriously, hang everything you possibly can.

Pots, spoons, mugs … anything that can be hung should be hung. Hanging things up frees up cabinet and counter space. And it turns your stuff into decorations!

18. Use the sides of your cabinets.

If you have cabinets that don’t butt up against a wall, you’ve got a few square feet of bonus storage space. It’s true! You can hang a pot rail, add shelves, and more.

19. And the bottoms.

Just when you think your cabinets are totally full and they can’t possibly hold another thing, consider the undersides of them! You can add hooks to the bottoms to hold mugs and small tools. Or use magnetic strips to make a floating spice rack.

See the rest of this kitchen: A Baker’s “Hip Grandma” Small Studio Apartment in Chicago at Apartment Therapy

20. And the inside of all your doors.

21. Add a mirror.

A mirror (even a small one) does a lot to make a space feel bigger (thanks to all that reflected light!). Plus, you can check it out see what sorts of funny faces you make while you stir or chop.

22. Add shelf risers wherever you can.

Put shelf risers in your cabinets and add attractive shelf risers to your counter to double up on storage space where you can.

Tour this space: Melissa and Sonny’s Countryside Sanctuary Among the Rolling Hills at Apartment Therapy

23.

Put a small utility cart to work.

We like either IKEA’s Raskog cart or this round one from Target, which is actually the perfect for Instant Pot home base. They have a small footprint, but still have plenty of room for storage. And because they’re on wheels, they can be pushed into a closet or the corner of a room and pulled out to meet you at your workspace when you need it.

24. Turn your stovetop into extra counter space.

25. Ditto for your sink.

These tiny house owners put a gorgeous cutting board over half of their sink to add more counter space. By only covering half, you can still access the sink if you need to rinse anything.

Do you have any other tips and tricks? Share them in the comments below.

Small Kitchen DIY Organization Ideas - Cool Ideas for Small Kitchens

Home Projects

DIY

Kitchen

by Erin Johnson

updated May 7, 2022

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

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Just like with teeny bathrooms and small entryways, finding a spot for everything in your tiny kitchen can prove to be quite the challenge. After all, you’ve got to find designated spots for pots and pans, dishes, glasses, utensils, gadgets, appliances, and of course, food. Don’t forget food!

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Even the tiniest kitchen can be organized in a way that is both functional for your needs and packed with style. All you need is the right small kitchen organization ideas! Take some inspiration from these DIYers and organizers who took their 15 tiny kitchens and injected them with some seriously big organization solutions.

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1. Install a magnetic strip.

There’s no need for all that drawer space when you use a clever magnetic strip to corral your kitchen utensils. We love how this converted school bus uses this small kitchen organization idea.

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2. Make a multipurpose corner.

One of the most effective small kitchen organization ideas is to make use of every available inch of space. Kentucky homeowner @sweetiedeervintage makes full use of this space in her small kitchen. It’s a pantry/laundry/storage area that still manages to look somewhat organized with the use of a clever piece of furniture. 

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3. Use a cart instead of a pantry.

If you don’t have a pantry, you’ll definitely need some small kitchen organization ideas! We love how @joyful_single_mom used a pretty red cart to corral food items that would otherwise be hidden in a pantry. 

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4. DIY a custom pegboard for your space.

If you’re not using a pegboard in your tiny kitchen, you are seriously missing out.  These organizing staples can fit into even the weirdest nooks and crannies, as shown here in Jaclyn and Matt’s kitchen (@maclyn_go). Jaclyn says customizing this pegboard to their space was relatively simple — with the right supplies. “The pegboard was easy to cut using a circular saw, but would probably have been a pain without power tools,” Jaclyn says. 

To give the pegboard an extra personal touch, they painted it emerald green (Behr’s Fairy Queen).

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5. Create an over-the-door organization system.

Looking for small kitchen organization ideas? Don’t forget that doors can be used for vertical storage. Rebecca Gallop (@adailysomething) says she has used her pegboard station for organizing wrapping paper, winter accessories, and her most-used kitchen and utility items. See a full DIY tutorial here.

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6. Install a railing for your most-used kitchen items.

Short on cabinet storage but pegboards aren’t your style?  Em (@the.nordic.nest) used two rails to store her most-used kitchen items. “It was an easy project to do with the limited corner space next to the door frame,” she says. “I’m learning to use height in my home to store and showcase utensils and decor.”

Rails like these are especially handy installed beneath upper cabinets, but Em proves any spare wall space will do.

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7. DIY a pantry out of unused space.

Lea Kramer (@fiftyone.living) says this spot used to be just an unused door in their kitchen, so they kept the door frame and built a wall on one side of it.  After installing shelves, they now have a perfect space for pantry items.

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8. Use canisters and baskets to corral pantry items.

Louisa Roberts (@nycneat_louisa) and Corrin McCoy (@nycneat_corrin) organized this small pantry to perfection with smart placement of food items and canisters.

“We chose baskets to contain and separate each category of food,” says Louisa. “The groupings will help keep the space organized, and they allow you to see exactly what you have in the pantry.”

Plus, these small kitchen organization ideas allow you to easily take advantage of deep cabinet space that might otherwise be wasted, since you can pull whole baskets out to access everything inside.

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9. DIY a custom island with room for seating.

“Having just bought a 1,000 square foot home as a family of three, we’re figuring out ways to maximize every inch of space we can,” says Emma Shoemaker (@shoemakesnew). 

“Our kitchen had a pretty open space in front of the cabinets, so we figured we’d add some more storage with a DIY island (that was actually super easy to do!),” she adds. The totally custom-built island also features room for stools, so it serves as a dining spot, too. You can see Emma’s full tutorial here.

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10. Make use of every part of your cabinets.

Measuring cups are a necessary but hard-to-find-a-spot-for kitchen item, especially if you’re short on drawers.  Ashley (@nest.in.birdland) solved this problem by utilizing the inside of her cabinet door to hang her measuring cups. This way they have a designated, labeled spot complete with a conversion chart for cooking made simple. What a great small kitchen organization idea!

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11. Show off appliances on open shelves.

If you’re working with a small space, you likely don’t have a ton of cabinet storage to create an appliance garage (also known as hiding all your big appliances), so why not utilize this small kitchen organization idea and put them on display?

Stacy (@farmhousetofrills) says her open shelving unit is not only cute but super functional.  Having her appliances on display allows for easy access, and since they all have a uniform look, they seamlessly blend with her decor.

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12. Create multi-use storage and display pieces.

Kate (@ahousewren) showcases another small kitchen organization idea with these DIY plate ledges that allow her to store her platters and cutting boards in a way that also doubles as decor. See the full tutorial on this DIY process here.

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13. Hack a moveable island with cube shelving.

With another DIY kitchen island (this one on wheels), Aneth Parintosa (@anethparintosa) shows how functional and beautiful a mix of open shelving and cube storage can be.  Baskets can hide a multitude of items or appliances, while the open shelving allows an opportunity for you to showcase some of your more visually appealing items (like cute dishes or serving platters).

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14. Make use of drawers to store spices.

“Spices can be tricky in a small space and being able to view them clearly can be an art form of organization,” says Melanie Walker (@melaniewalkerxo). “For this project, a small pull-out shelf next to the stove fit the bill. Custom labels on top of the jars give you a clear view of what’s inside and easy access,” she says.

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15. Personalize your setup to your habits and tastes.

Your kitchen should work for you. For example, coffee gets top billing in this kitchen, where a mini coffee station sits atop cube shelving. A rail neatly holds coffee cups, while open shelves put tea — and higher up, cooking utensils and ingredients — on display. Antonia (@adailyplannerblog) also brought in a fun dose of color through her canister lids and kitchen utensils that make this whole assembly look cohesive.

Design of a very small kitchen (80+ real photos)

It's no secret that the most frequently visited place by the hostess is the kitchen. However, not all women are owners of a large kitchen. And so you want this room to be functional, comfortable, and most importantly, cozy.

Designers' advice will come to help in solving this problem, which you can use and turn the proposed ideas into reality.

Contents

Which floor plan to choose

Square kitchen

Corner sets are suitable for square kitchens. In them, you can conveniently distinguish between a working and dining area. With this solution, the refrigerator, sink and stove can be arranged in such a way that they form a working triangle. Everything you need will be within walking distance.

An oval dining table can be placed opposite the set. This table can accommodate a large number of people.

If the design of the kitchen is quite small, for example, 2 * 2 m, then a folding table will do.

Wide window can be used as a dining area.

Rectangular kitchen

Rectangular kitchens are best placed along the walls. Instead of a dining table, it is better to give preference to a bar counter.

To visually expand the room, you can hang a large mirror on the walls or install a mirror kitchen apron.

For this option, it is preferable to choose curtains with a large pattern.

Extra light needs to be considered as the work area needs to be well lit. If the window is small or located on one wall, lighting is indispensable.

Small kitchen doors can be sliding to save space.

Irregular kitchen

These rooms usually have niches, spaces or ledges. The built-in closet fits perfectly into the recesses of the walls. It can accommodate kitchen utensils, household appliances. nine0003

A refrigerator or an unusual built-in bar can also take a place in a niche. It is better to make a kitchen set for such a kitchen to order or choose an option in which the doors of the upper cabinets will rise vertically.

Rules for choosing furniture for a small kitchen

  1. You should be guided, first of all, by the issue of comfort and only then by your own taste preferences. For example, you should not buy a bulky sideboard made of solid wood that you like, which carries a minimum functional load, and at the same time clutters up an already small room. nine0068
  2. To begin with, it is necessary to consider all existing types of planning. A kitchen plan drawn on paper will help a lot with this. One of the options is sure to suit the arrangement of a small kitchen.
  3. Hanging cabinets, shelves and other pieces of furniture look much better in small spaces. And you should also choose the highest possible racks, literally resting on the ceiling - they will help save space in the room.
  4. It is recommended to rationally use all free corners by installing headset parts, household appliances and other important elements in them. nine0068

When choosing furniture for a small kitchen, one should take into account such parameters as volume and ergonomics. The headset should be as compact as possible externally, but at the same time roomy. You should not choose furniture that resembles a design of huge boxes. It should be quite light and pretty, and occupy all corners, niches and other useless spaces.

The visual perception of the kitchen set also plays a huge role. This means that the color of the furniture that will be installed in a small room is extremely important. Light glossy surfaces will help to visually increase the space. nine0003

However, it is not recommended to buy a set that matches the color of the walls exactly. It is also very important to correctly place bright accents that will enliven the room and give it a twist.

Some design tricks can help make your kitchen look bigger. Mirrored surfaces will add depth to the room, exactly the same function is performed by glass doors and shelves, chrome-plated metal handles, and so on. At the same time, it is important to maintain harmony so that the kitchen looks stylish and attractive. nine0003

Equally important is the arrangement of furniture in the kitchen. For small spaces, it is recommended to choose a linear or L-shaped layout, abandoning the island, U-shaped and two-line layout. And also for a very small kitchen, built-in furniture is ideal, helping to save space as much as possible.

Choice of household appliances

Every housewife wants to use household appliances that greatly facilitate the process of cooking, these include a food processor, blender, microwave oven, steamer, bread machine, multicooker. And there is also a coffee maker, electric kettle, ice cream maker, toaster. How to place all this in a room that has a very modest size? nine0003

Designers advise to use the highest cabinets with deep niches, in which you can easily hide some of these items, taking them out when needed. You can place an electric kettle and a coffee maker on the work surface, as the most commonly used devices.

Narrow cabinets with rolling doors, located between the lower and upper tiers of the headset, are also perfect for storing household appliances.

Narrow dishwashers and ovens save space in the bottom row. The cabinets themselves must be equipped with appropriate mechanisms that provide quick and free access to the necessary devices. nine0003

There is a wide choice of such mechanisms - zapachny, folding, with a rotating carousel, folding and so on. Properly organizing the space of a small kitchen is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.

Color and decor

Here are a few basic recommendations:

How to save space in a small kitchen

There are many ways to save space in a small kitchen: .

  • Install additional shelves in cabinets, and then their capacity will increase significantly. nine0068
  • Use every available corner wisely to install appliances or corner cabinets.
  • At the very top of the headset, you can install spacious boxes to store rarely used devices and items.
  • If the cabinet is not high enough, it is recommended to place an additional shelf above it, it will be an excellent place to store kitchen utensils.
  • All frying pans should be placed on the special railing mechanism, stacked with each other. nine0068
  • A special side rack attached to the door of the set can store baking paper, foil, cling film, garbage bags and other kitchen items.
  • Directly under the sink, place a tension rod, placing the household chemicals used in cleaning on it.
  • Books and magazines with favorite recipes are recommended to be stored on a separate shelf attached to a free space on one of the walls. This shelf can also be installed directly on the refrigerator. nine0068
  • Use a wall-mounted dish rack to save space on worktops and cabinets.
  • Cutting boards are conveniently hidden in side "pockets" attached to the inside of the lower cabinets.
  • A metal cornice can be attached to the side panel of the headset to store kitchen utensils.
  • To store knives and other small metal objects, use a special magnetic tape attached to the wall in the “apron” area. The same magnetic tape can be used to store small jars of spices. nine0068
  • All items with long handles should be collected and placed in one place.
  • Regular paper holders used in offices can be adapted to store thermoses and bottles.
  • Wall shelves help unload cabinets.
  • Additional shelves with high legs can be installed on the work surface.
  • The table in a small kitchen can be folded down by attaching the top to a wide window sill.
  • A hanging structure can be placed above the work area, using it to store ladles, ladles, pans and other similar utensils. nine0068
  • The cutting board can be operated simply on the surface by turning off all the burners.
  • You can dry dishes not in a bulky dryer, but on a soft microfiber rug that quickly absorbs moisture and does not take up any space in the kitchen.

    • Mistakes that are often made when arranging a small kitchen

    The owners of small and cramped kitchens often make planning mistakes that prevent them from using the room as functionally as possible, while not littering it with unnecessary interior items. How to equip a small kitchen? You can understand this issue using the example of the most common mistakes. nine0003

    There is not enough space in the kitchen to store the necessary utensils. To avoid this, you should learn how to effectively use the free vertical space. Small shelves and cabinets can be installed above the stove, refrigerator, or even directly under the ceiling.

    The work surface is too small. This is done in order to save space, but in fact, such a solution only contributes to more clutter in the kitchen. You can continue the work surface using a folding tabletop or a bar counter. nine0003

    Elimination of the hood to save space. Unfortunately, a lingering unpleasant smell will completely spoil the impression of even the most elegant kitchen. There is no way to do without a hood in a small room. Designers are advised to choose compact models. If necessary, the hood can be hidden behind the facade of the headset.

    As you can see, a small kitchen is not a reason to be upset. With a competent and rational approach to the design of this room, you can get a comfortable and functional kitchen as a result. nine0003

    Small kitchens (real photos)

    If you are the owner of a small kitchen, you will be interested to see our photo gallery with 320+ photos of small kitchen examples from professional designers.

    Small kitchen: 8 useful ideas and life hacks

    Tips for Rooms

    Is your kitchen full of crockery, kitchen appliances, pots, pans and other bulky utensils? Many owners of small kitchens have to face such a problem. Fortunately, there are little tricks that allow you to save space and properly organize storage even in small kitchens. Here is some of them. nine0003

    Apartment in St. Petersburg. Project by Tatyana Kazachenko.

    Photo
    Ivan Sorokin

    Furniture up to the ceiling

    Every square centimeter is valued in a small kitchen, and the main task is not to lose them. Therefore, use all the useful space of the wall by installing kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling. The height of the kitchen plinth can also be reduced to a minimum in order to increase the height of the lower modules. And be sure to carefully consider the filling of cabinets and lockers! nine0003

    Apartment in London. Designed by Beata Hoyman. The kitchen is made to order. Cabinets are painted with Woodland pearl 1, Dulux.

    Photo
    Beata Heumann

    Open shelves and niches

    To prevent blank facades from visually “eating up” the space, you can completely or partially replace bulky upper cabinets with open shelves. You can also equip small shelves with free "cubbyholes" and niches that are not usually used. nine0003

    Designed by BAAO Architects.

    Photo
    Getty Images

    Smart storage

    The key to a beautiful little kitchen is order. Therefore, storage in small spaces should be carefully considered. Inspect your kitchen utensils, arrange everything so that the essentials are always at hand, and feel free to send those that you get once a year on major holidays somewhere to the mezzanine or to a far corner. Put your drawers in order: compact jars for spices, containers, special delimiters - all this will help to organize the space beautifully and ergonomically. nine0003

    IKEA kitchen cupboard glass container.

    Functional furniture

    Furniture in a small kitchen should be as functional as possible. Instead of a large table, you can use a small round, folding or folding table. Complete the work surface with a pull-out worktop and, for example, acquire a compact and practical trolley on wheels. On its shelves you can store products and items that are always needed at hand. And if necessary, it can be used as a serving table or for growing herbs. nine0003

    Photo
    Anders Bergstedt

    Kitchen with additional pull-out worktop, Leroy Merlin.

    Accessory hooks and rods

    There are no small things in the design of a small kitchen, so special attention should be paid to storing accessories. Hang additional hooks or rods under the upper shelves or on a free wall: you can hang kitchen towels, aprons, ladles, pans, spatulas on them. For knives, you can install a magnetic holder on the wall. nine0003

    Photo
    @stiltje.se

    Corner cabinets

    Kitchen furniture corners are usually wasted. But modern manufacturers have smart solutions that allow you to use this space to good use: corner sinks, cabinets with a swivel mechanism or corner drawers - all this will help you save useful square centimeters. Don't neglect the corners to make your small kitchen as functional as possible!

    Window sill sink

    Window sill sink is a practical solution for a small kitchen that makes use of the free space under the window. The only thing you should think about in advance is the supply of water and the ability to open windows (so that the tap does not block the window). Sometimes it even makes sense to put a folding mixer, which can be removed if necessary.

    Project by Fateeva Design.

    Designer Victoria Egler's apartment in Stockholm. nine0003

    Photo
    Magnus Selander

    Compact household appliances

    Toaster, coffee maker, microwave oven, electric kettle, extractor hood are all essentials, without which it is impossible to imagine a modern kitchen. But where do you keep them all? Opt for compact models: a miniature toaster, a small microwave oven or a small kettle will be a good alternative to bulky models. And hoods in our time are retractable and telescopic, the design of which allows you to save free space without sacrificing functionality.

    Learn more