Making thoughtful decisions about what belongs in your culinary sanctuary and creating inventive solutions are crucial to getting the most out of your kitchen space. Nothing is worse than having a cluttered-feeling kitchen. It should feel less cluttered and messy—especially in smaller kitchens—and be a place to relax after a long day by cooking ourselves a satisfying meal or reheating takeout from the fridge.
Maximizing every square inch available in the kitchen is crucial when dealing with compact kitchen areas. Several techniques may be used to maximize a small kitchen’s use and effectiveness.
1. Declutter Bulky Storage and Packaging
Foods for snacking, such as cereals and chips, are frequently packaged in large, unwieldy boxes or inflated bags that occupy more room than the food they contain. Pour them into stackable, clear containers to make your snacks appear adorable and preserve critical shelf space.
2. Install Open Shelves
Installing open shelves can increase storage capacity beyond cabinets. With this easy project, you can turn a blank wall into a chic place to store dishware, recipes, pantry staples, and more. You may even put hooks at the bottom of a shelf to hang mugs or utensils for a more organized space.
Choose the location for the shelf installation. Consider both practicality and aesthetic appeal. Make sure they will allow other kitchen tasks.
3. Customize Your Shelf Heights
Use every square inch of the dead space above your plates and cups by installing shelves and positioning them to the ideal heights for every dish. The amount of excess space you’re wasting will surprise you. Opt for adjustable shelves. This allows you to customize the height between shelves based on the items you need to store.
4. Put Daily Things at Eye Level
It’s a good idea to arrange everyday goods at eye level to maximize kitchen functionality and offer quick access to commonly used products. Set those aside for seasonal merchandise and must-have entertainment like dishes and platters. Set aside the shelves with better access to products like bowls and dishes you use daily.
5. Place Food Containers in Drawers
Select drawers that are the right height to hold containers of various sizes. In this manner, every drawer may be tailored to your unique storage requirements. While it’s natural to want to arrange storage containers in a stack on a shelf, placing them in a deeper drawer allows you to see them more clearly and puts all the lids in one place, helping you avoid losing them.
7. Add Counter Area Above the Sink
An extremely clever idea that is affordable is to cover your sink to add a little extra area for preparation. You may install floating shelves or cabinets above the sink. This provides additional storage and counter space for dishes, utensils, or small kitchen appliances. Consider installing a folding or pull-out countertop extension above the sink for other kitchen space-saving hacks. This can be folded up to save room when not in use and unfurled to give you more workspace when needed.
8. Double Your Shelf Space
You may free up extra room inside cabinet doors by mounting organizers to hold tiny objects like cutting boards, measuring cups, and spices. This helps free up shelf space while maintaining easy access to these things. To organize your dishes, consider investing in reasonably priced in-cabinet shelving.
9. Maximize the Area Near Your Refrigerator
Place open shelves or cabinets above and next to the refrigerator to hold decorative objects, small kitchen appliances, and cookbooks. Next to the fridge, consider adding rolling shelves or a pull-out pantry. This can offer extra space for storing spices, canned products, and other necessities for the kitchen.
Also, invest in space-saving storage options between the refrigerator and the wall, such as narrow rolling carts or slide-out racks. You can store baking sheets, cleaning items, or spices in these.
10. Choose See-Through Containers
You can quickly view the contents of transparent containers, so there’s no need to open each one to find what you’re looking for. You’ll feel less frustrated and save time by doing this. Use clear containers and see-through wire or mesh baskets to make finding your favorite snacks easy.
11. Use Walls for Knife Storage
Replace your heavy knife block with a magnetic) that is attached to the wall for a more organized storage solution. This clever kitchen storage solution lets you store your most used knives close at hand without sacrificing helpful counter space. Install the knife holder close to where you’re preparing food so you can quickly reach for the knife you need to cut and slice things.
12. Divide Cabinet Spaces
Installing dividers to divide the area inside cabinets might help you keep your small kitchen organized. Spread baking sheets and narrow pans in your cabinets using a vertical or horizontal cabinet divider.
Rather than picking items out of a random stack, you can slide each one out of its designated slot. Customize cabinets and drawers with pull-out trays, shelves, and organizers to best use available space. Use dividers and inserts to keep items separated and easy to access.
13. Consider Folding Kitchen Tables
Prepare and enjoy food on a folding table without using any helpful floor space. Folding kitchen tables is a great way to save room in the kitchen, especially in apartments or smaller homes with fewer dining areas. It might also be an excellent concept for a desk you can fold up when you’re done. Now, that’s a bright kitchen space-saver idea!
14. Try an Over-the-Sink Cutting Board
Using a chopping board over the sink saves a lot of space in the kitchen. These cutting boards offer a sturdy surface for chopping, slicing, and prepping food since they are made to fit snugly over your sink. Thanks to the over-the-sink design, food scraps, peelings, and liquids can be readily guided into the sink. Cleaning becomes more effective because garbage can be washed or swept straight into the sink.
15. Customize Cookware Storage
Personalizing your cookware storage can significantly improve your kitchen looks and functions. Think about mounting a pot rack over your counter or kitchen island. In addition to saving cupboard space, this gives your kitchen a stylish touch. All cookware can be conveniently stored with a pot rack or a firm bar. To make pots and pans conveniently accessible, mount them on the wall adjacent to the prep area or over the cooktop.
16. Create a Pantry Using Mason Jars
Lacking a pantry? Not an issue. Mason jar pantries are a clever and helpful way to keep your supplies accessible and organized in your kitchen while conserving counter space. It can also construct the necessary storage on an empty wall. Kitchen experts know that goods like pasta, flour, and even dog treats packaged in various sizes can be stored in individual quart-sized mason jars.
Conclusion
Efficient use of space in a compact kitchen needs meticulous preparation and organization. Even the tiniest areas may have a practical and efficient kitchen thanks to decluttering, using vertical space, maximizing every available inch, and using different storage, such as mason jars. Anyone can create a small kitchen that is both functional and aesthetically beautiful by keeping these tips in mind.