4 Ways to Create More Space in a Small Kitchen
Contrary to popular belief, there is no one, tried and true method to organizing. This thought holds especially true in kitchens. Organizing a kitchen truly requires plenty of trial and error.
Being a professional organizer, I myself have even been stumped when helping clients organize their kitchens and even when it was time to put together my own kitchen after moving into our home.
Make the most of your kitchen you have - old and new!
Kitchens often pose issues because they can be designed in ways that at times don’t allow you to properly use the space you have to the best of your ability. This forces you to have to get creative when it comes to organizing your kitchen because unless you are remodeling, this is part of the make up of your home and you really have to work with what you’ve got!
Here are a couple of tips for organizing your kitchen when you’re short on space:
Use vertical space - this is space we have but are not using! Cupboards can hold so much more than what we can “fit” on the shelf itself. Add a shelf riser or can riser to place small food items or a second set of dinnerware on a shelf you created yourself!
Put awkward objects in awkward spaces - it is often that awkward spaces like lazy susans or cupboards above the refrigerator either feel like wasted space or we don’t know exactly what will best function in the space. Use your “good” spaces for items that fit properly and easily. Store your bulky, odd shaped objects in these spaces so that you don’t have them taking up your good real estate!
Find a new home for non-kitchen items - many people store things like candles, pet food, medicine, and junk drawers full of items in their kitchen. With the understanding that some of these items are useful in the area, try to minimize the amount of space these items take up by implementing just one small container in your kitchen for them. For example, instead of using up an entire drawer for junk drawer items, add a small plastic bin to a drawer where you will keep your pens and tools. This way, you aren’t giving up kitchen space for other things that truly don’t need to be there!
Declutter what you don’t use, need or love - you knew I had to include this one! Because our kitchens are the hub of our homes and where we spend so much of our time, this is a space that deserves only our most necessary items. Ditch the collectable drinkware you’ve accumulated over the years and the odd appliances that sounded like a good idea at the time but now collect dust.
Now maybe instead of that big kitchen remodel you wanted, you can settle for updating some design aspects like paint, appliances or your backspace since you have reorganized in a way that suits your current layout. You will love the kitchen you’re in in no time!