Home » Misc » Storage for tiny kitchens

Storage for tiny kitchens


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.

21 Small Kitchen Storage Ideas That Actually Work

By

Grace Gallagher

Grace Gallagher

Grace Gallagher is a lifestyle expert and writer with five years of experience covering home furnishings, storage, and organization.  She has also written for Greatist, Veracity Selfcare, Brit + Co, and others. Grace also taught creative writing workshops in Portland, Oregon.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 01/07/22

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

A small kitchen can be frustrating, especially if you love to cook or entertain. But even the tiniest spaces can be functional (and even fun to be in), and these clever storage solutions for small kitchens will inspire you to take your kitchen from cramped and cluttered to organized and airy.

From behind-the-door storage to lazy Susans and stackable bins, here are small, easy tweaks you can make so your space feels bigger and more organized. When you have a space for everything, you can spend more time cooking and eating and less time looking for a spice or gadget you know you have crammed deep in a drawer elsewhere in your home.

The Best Kitchen Cabinet Organizers for Every Storage Woe

15 witty ways to get the most out of a small kitchen - INMYROOM

It seems that you have tried everything possible, but there is still not enough space in a small kitchen? We have prepared for you 15 fresh life hacks that really help to make the space more free and comfortable.

Door storage

The back of kitchen cabinet doors is great for storing lids, cutting boards and other relatively flat items.

Hooks on cabinet sides

Cabinet sides can also be made to work! The same cutting boards, potholders and small kitchen appliances can perfectly fit there.

Organizing the space under the sink

The space under the sink is ideal for storing, for example, household chemicals, brushes, gloves. The main thing is to approach its organization wisely, hooks, shelves, organizers, roof rails will help you with this. nine0003

Compact appliances

Any housewife in the kitchen will need a stove, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, and other household helpers will not interfere. How to fit everything? Give preference to compact, narrow models.

In this case, proceed from your own needs: for example, a small refrigerator is still hardly suitable for a large family. And it is better to move it to an adjacent corridor or attach a loggia than to regularly suffer from a lack of space for food storage. nine0003

But you definitely shouldn't deny yourself the daily conveniences. For a narrow dishwasher, for example, you can find a place even in the tiniest kitchen: manufacturers offer both compact and even very miniature models.

By the way, the dishwasher saves not only your time and effort, but also water! At the same time, modern models consume electricity very, very economically.

Folding chairs and table

By replacing a bulky dining area with folding chairs and a table, you can gain a lot of extra space in a small kitchen. nine0003

Extension table

Another option is the extension table. There are, for example, models that "hide" in a headset, rack, utility closet.

Magnetic shelf

Not only magnets from trips, but also convenient magnetic mini-shelves can be hung on the refrigerator. Which are ideal for storing small and not too heavy items: say, jars of spices or containers with cookies, nuts and dried fruits.

Drawer dividers

The better organized the storage, the more kitchen utensils will fit in your drawers and shelves. Dividers will help you avoid clutter.

Drawer organizer

Pots, ladles and frying pans, of course, most often stack perfectly. However, finding the right item with such a storage system and returning it to its place after use can sometimes be very inconvenient. Please note: to save your time and shelf space, there are special drawer organizers. nine0003

Shelf hooks

Cups can be stylized and conveniently placed using hooks under the wall shelves. The idea is especially useful for those who like to keep their beautiful dishes in plain sight or want to show off a mini-collection of cups.

Corner drawers

It's no secret that drawers make storage much more efficient. And the corner option is a real find.

Microwave organizer

If the space above your freestanding microwave oven is empty, please note that there are special organizer shelves for this case.

Window storage

When you've squeezed everything you can out of your small kitchen, including the space above the door and window sills, but there is still not enough space ... The window opening will help out! Here you can place, for example, open shelves.

Of course, for a dark room, where every ray of sunshine counts, such advice is hardly suitable. But if there is an abundance of natural light in the kitchen - why not. nine0003

Hanging Shelves

Are you a fan of open storage and do you have a lot of hanging shelves in your small kitchen? With the help of special devices, they can be made even more functional and more spacious.

Removing the dining area from the kitchen

If even a compact folding table and folding chairs do not allow organizing a comfortable dining area in a tiny kitchen, it can be moved to other rooms: to the living room, to the insulated balcony or to the adjacent corridor. nine0003

See also:

Small kitchen storage ideas

Rational storage of things in the kitchen is the key to its comfortable operation. And for owners of small kitchens, compact storage in the kitchen is especially important, because every centimeter counts! In this article, we have collected useful tips and ideas for organizing storage in the kitchen. We will tell you how to organize the storage of pots, pans, spices, cereals and other kitchen stuff.

How to store spices in a small kitchen

If you love to cook, you probably have a lot of spices in your kitchen. So that seasonings and spices do not lose their aroma, they must be stored in a tightly sealed container, preferably glass. For convenient use, spices must be signed.

Spice jars are best used for storing spices. It is both comfortable and beautiful. But if you don’t want to spend money on special containers, you can make them yourself. For example, jars of baby food can be adapted for storing spices. nine0003

An interesting idea for storing spices in tick-tock boxes. Small bottles with screw caps are also suitable.

The second question that worries housewives is where to store spices, especially if the kitchen cannot boast of space. With the help of special fasteners, spices can be stored on the inside of the wall cabinet door.

If possible, the spices can be stored in a small drawer. nine0003

Special drawer systems are also compact and convenient. They can store not only spices, but also bottles with vegetable oil, vinegar, etc.

You can store spices compactly using special containers with magnets. Most often, spices on magnets are stored on the door, or side wall of the refrigerator.

But they can be attached both to the wall and to the hanging shelf by first attaching a metal bar to it. nine0003

Stores also offer a wide range of special spice stands. They are both beautiful and convenient, but these coasters take up space on the table or in the kitchen cabinet, so if you have a small kitchen, you might be better off choosing a more compact option.

You can also store spices on small hanging shelves.

How to store cereals in the kitchen

Like spices, cereals are best stored in glass or plastic containers. Containers should be tightly closed, this will protect the cereal from moisture, as well as the penetration of insects. You need to store cereals in a dry, dark and cool place. Therefore, it is better to choose a place to place cereals away from the stove, oven and sink. nine0003

Cereals can be stored in wall cabinets or drawers. Storage in a drawer is more convenient, since there is always free access to cereals, you don’t need to reach anywhere and you don’t even have to get them out of the drawer. It is better to choose transparent containers for storing cereals. So you will always see where which cereal is, as well as how much of it is left.

Cans of cereals can also be stored on open shelves. But in this case, it is better to choose small jars so that the cereals are more often updated and do not lose their taste. nine0003

How do you store pots and pans in a small kitchen?

For storage of pots and pans, see our separate article, which you can find HERE .

How to store lids in the kitchen?

Storing lots of pot and pan lids is just as much of a hassle as the cookware itself. Often, lids cannot be stacked, and if you cover pots with them, you will not be able to store dishes compactly. The first thing you can do is review the number of lids in your home. Get out all the pots and pans you have in the house. Sort them by size. Check, maybe the same lid will fit on several pots, and maybe for a frying pan? If you have, for example, 5-6 pans, you are unlikely to use them all at the same time. In this case, one lid is enough for several pots. If you do not like that the lid, for example, does not match the design of another pan, it does not matter - buy a universal lid with transparent glass - it will fit any cookware! nine0003

We have already shown some ways to store caps in the photo above. The lids can be stored in the crockery by separating them with a divider.

If you make furniture to order, you can provide a special drawer for the lids.

Lids can be stored on the kitchen cabinet door. You can easily make such fasteners yourself. All you need is a set of ordinary self-adhesive towel hooks. nine0003

Or you can use the ready-made lid holder.

They are also wall mounted.

If space permits, you can buy a special lid stand. They are available in different configurations and for a different number of covers.

Other small kitchen storage ideas You can store spices, cutting boards, paper towels, cups and glasses, etc. on it. Kitchen railing allows you to free the work surface from all sorts of little things that are often difficult to find a suitable place in the kitchen. Now in stores there is a large selection of canopies for railing and you can always choose a railing configuration that will be convenient for you.

Learn more