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Storage solution for small kitchen


25 Best Small Kitchen Storage & Design Ideas

Kitchen

Small Space Living

Storage

Surprising Ideas

by Alyssa Longobucco

updated Dec 2, 2021

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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

How to organize storage in a small kitchen: 5 ideas

1.

Make the most of all the space under the headset

When we say “maximum”, this is exactly what we mean - use every centimeter to complete the task.

The first thing that comes to mind - make cabinets up to the ceiling . Yes, it will be more expensive than limited to standard wall cabinets, but you have to choose - austerity or increased storage space. We vote for the second! So, add another tier to the ceiling to the wall cabinets: here you can store dishes and appliances that you rarely use, but which you cannot do without. Maybe you're just whipping egg whites for Easter cake, or you're just pulling out your waffle iron to make breakfast for your husband's birthday. Or additional dishes are needed only for the New Year, when guests arrive. Even such “little things” must be taken into account when organizing storage.

Second - use corners . If you decide to make a corner kitchen, do not save on fittings and filling corner cabinets. It is convenient to place there not a bucket for household waste, but a roll-out storage system for pots and household chemicals. Believe me, you will thank yourself for such a decision.

Third - give preference to drawers, not hinged cabinets with shelves . Any hostess knows how inconvenient it is to get dishes or products that are located at the far wall of the cabinet - therefore, more often this space remains free or turns into chaos. Drawers make it easier to access contents, while trays and boxes help you sort all items by purpose and frequency of use.

Fourth, don't think that 15-20 cm is too little for storage. At this width, you can install a roll-out bottle for oils, spices or household chemicals. It is both convenient and functional.

2. Expand your workspace

Imagine organizing a small kitchen space is a game where you have to win. Take a piece of paper and draw all possible options for increasing the usable area. For example, you want to install a linear set and a standard dining table - how can you improve this arrangement? For example, replace a free-standing table with a countertop and connect them with another row of cabinets - they may be less deep than the main set. What do you get as a result? Additional storage space for groceries, cans, small household appliances. Plus, an increase in the area for cooking: on the one hand, you can lay out the products, on the other, put a board for cutting them.

3. Use hanging storage systems on the walls

When there is not enough space in the kitchen, pay attention to the surface of the walls - any free space can be turned into additional storage.

Roof rails
This is the most common option - they are conveniently located on the kitchen backsplash for storing cutlery, cooking utensils, scissors, potholders and towels.

Wall Mounted Knife Holder
Magnetic knife holder that attaches to the wall and saves precious countertop and drawer space.

Open shelves for dishes
They can be of different designs. We like models with special holes for attaching glasses - no need to take up space and constantly wipe the dust inside.

4.

Minimize the amount of furniture and appliances

When arranging a small kitchen, you often have to make compromises - choose more spacious storage systems instead of another item of household appliances. If the area allows, you can increase the capacity of the headset by replacing standard appliances with more compact ones: for example, install a small refrigerator under the countertop, buy a dishwasher with a width of not 60, but 45 cm, abandon the 4-burner hob in favor of a 2-burner model.

Pay attention to multifunctional appliances - ovens with a microwave function, a multicooker that will replace several appliances. Install a built-in hood instead of a separate hood - then you will have storage space in the cabinet above it.

5. Use modern filling systems for kitchens

Designers come up with new systems every year to increase the functionality of kitchen sets. We are talking about all kinds of roll-out nets and baskets of the “Magic Corner” type, which allow you to get everything you need from the farthest row. There are special drawer systems built into cabinets for storing vegetables and fruits or for sorting household waste. Roll-out drawers can be equipped with convenient stands for placing pots, pans and lids so that they take up less space. The space of upper cabinets with shelves can be optimized by fixing a metal basket shelf for storing small items or textiles. Believe me, it's convenient.

Ideas for storage in a small kitchen

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, then 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.

Special spice jars are best 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.

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.

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 to the wall and to the hanging shelf after attaching a metal bar to it.

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.

You can store cereals 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.

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 a lot of pot and pan lids is just as much of a hassle as the crockery 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 if the same lid will fit on several pots, or 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!

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.

Or you can use the ready-made lid holder.

Learn more