21 Smart Storage Solutions To Maximize The Kitchen Space

Welcome back to my blog! Today I'm bringing for you smart ways to maximize kitchen storage space, especially if it's a small kitchen. This post is not an all-out constructing a new good sized kitchen or a full-fledged renovation. We don't build houses every other day. The most we can do is renovate kitchen in the budget where you feel the need for it. I would be talking about a few DIY solutions to kitchen organization, and a visit to a home improvement store for kitchen buys. You would be able to come up with clever storage and organization ideas to maximize kitchen floor space effectively while you're there, as you'd look up different things and get an understanding of them. This way you'd get to decide which ones you need most for kitchen organization. So you start out small, do a few changes, and incorporate kitchen floor square foot space saving tips, till you can think full-fledged renovation. Kitchen is a huge subject, and also the most challenging part of a house. A lot of thought process goes into kitchen design and storage. It closes or breaks your deal. I cannot under any circumstance cover it in one post but would in subsequent ones. So let's start out small and smart!

Photo by Євгенія Височина on Unsplash

The first few things you'd notice in a kitchen are kitchen lighting, a window, and colors.

1. Kitchen Window

A window should ideally be in a kitchen. But that doesn't mean you need a large window. If you don't have a window, the first thing you need to do is to install one, to make your kitchen bright with natural light. 

2. Kitchen Lighting

You need good lighting at night time. If the kitchen is big, light will fall from overhead lights on countertops, and almost all corners of kitchen. But if the kitchen is small, light would bounce more vertically, leaving the corners dark. Be it any case, consider installing under cabinet lighting. This is getting very popular recently. It would brighten up your kitchen countertops and corner spaces, and would help you during food preparations. Have at least one or two installed where you think you need light the most.

3. Kitchen Colors

Don't go for all white or all dark kitchen paint colors. White would easily get dirty, and dark absorbs heat. Think neutral mid tone colors, or combination of lights and darks. I would support mid tone wall colors. If your kitchen finishes are grey, then think same colored grey walls, for instance. Keep in mind that it should sit well with your overall home décor. Also, think matte enamel paint. This is my personal choice, but you can consider shiny or vinyl finishes if you like. You can also incorporate any amount of color or texture in your kitchen; you have a lot of discretion to play with.

4. Kitchen Ventilation

If you have a door that opens outdoor, it would help keep away smell of cooking food and gas. In hot regions, you might need more ventilation. Regardless, think exhaust fan, a chimney, regular or a ductless vent hood.

5. Kitchen Shelves

You can never have enough storage in the kitchen. But if you think that the storage is too less especially if the kitchen is small, think narrow and shallow open shelves. Have at least three shelves with narrow width as that of a medium sized plate.

6. Kitchen Cabinets

There are many kitchen cabinet options. If your kitchen cabinets are single units with no partition inside, build a shelf in a kitchen cabinet as a separator. Use baskets to store and group items so you can slide it out from unreachable corners of cabinets. Instead of building stationary slim open shelf, you can also consider a rolling shelf or two, with low sides inside the cabinets. Use cabinet doors insides as smart storage. Stem at least one hook in all if not more, so you can easily hang an item or two. Get more creative and maximize on space by converting a blank wall in kitchen into a storage cabinet wall.

Photo by Beazy on Unsplash

7. Space Above Cabinets

Use the top of your cabinets as storage. To organize the space above kitchen cabinets, get same textured kitchen baskets to stash your idle supplies. They would also look good and organized this way.

8. Kitchen Drawers

Drawers is a convenient way to storage, and adds chic to kitchen design. Build drawers around base cabinets to store cooking tools and pots, as it's easy to pull out items from the back. Make big and wide drawers to store bulk items. Further, get a cutlery organizer to be placed inside the drawer.

9. Pegboard

Shelving should be your first priority. If not, then go for a pegboard. If you do both, your kitchen might become a clutter with walls full of utensils; Not a peaceful vibe. However, both options would give you flexible storage for tea sets, dinnerware, cooking utensils, and cutlery. You can think up a double duty pegboard backsplash that would cover all your kitchen backsplash. A small pegboard is also convenient for a certain portion of wall or backsplash.

10. Kitchen Table

Think square shaped one to two seater kitchen table for small spaces parked beside the wall, and have a chair or two. Or, get a folding kitchen table and chairs, and pack it back when done. You can also build a multifunctional drop down countertop on the wall.

11. Kitchen Cart

Kitchen islands are very popular recently. They are multifunctional units for food preparation, informal dining, and storage. But they require good kitchen space. If you have a small kitchen, think kitchen carts and rolling islands. They are a convenient all-purpose storage for your kitchen and also give additional food prep space.

12. Kitchen Racks

Get easy to carry racks from kitchenware stores to organize essential cooking accessories. Build pull-down and pullout racks for canned goods, herb bottles, and small spice jars. A stationary spice rack also work. Have adjustable racks for utensils of different sizes.

You can convert one of the drawers into a slim spice rack. Instead of throwing spice jars in there and picking up each to know which is which, make tilted frames inside your drawer spice rack so you can read labels easily. You can make it for canned goods, or build an external one in one of the corner spaces.

Install a wall mounted dish rack, preferably a three tiered with different lengths for easy placement of washed dishes. Keep it an inch or two above to free up countertop space, making it easy to clean.

13. Kitchen Railings

Use kitchen backsplashes as creative and useful storage. Add railings to hang daily use utensils and mugs. Use hooks where needed. You can also add a hook straight away on the wall to hang small size cooking utensils. To stock empty bags in your kitchen, get a plastic bag holder to stash them in. You can put it out of sight, or hang it on any wall hook or wall railing.

You don't want nail holes all over your walls. Shelves and railings can be managed on plain walls but not on tiles. Keep that in mind. If it's on the wall, holes can be filled up later. Genius methods are out there to hold items without leaving holes in the walls for instance stick on holders, clips, and magnetic boxes to hold or hang utensil organizers.

14. Trash your Bin

Keeping trash bin in view is easy for cleaning purposes. But to maximize floor space and keep the kitchen space looking tidy, put it inside the cabinet door under the sink. Further, you can think of built in stacking bins separated for wet and dry wastes, depending on your preferences and budget.

15. Kitchen Canisters

Get sets of kitchen canisters to organize dry ingredients. Use rustic looking transparent bulk food storage containers to store spices and lentils so you can easily tell them apart. Plastic or better, glass jars would be eco-friendly storage options for kitchen.

16. Food Baskets

Mount three tiered food baskets on the wall and stock up vegetables and fruits in them. This would free up the floor space. You can also get rimmed containers for such bulk items and stack them up on one side of the cabinet or countertop.

17. Organize Countertop Space

Keep your counter clutter free. Storage solutions to organize kitchen counter are many. To manage countertop spaces, have small size baskets to clump items, thereby freeing space. Build a kitchen counter shelf for spices or a spice rack to free countertop space. Store bulk items elsewhere such as in base cabinets or pantry. Also, keep small appliances hidden behind cabinets such as a microwave and food factory.

In the corners of your countertop, place a cookware organizer, your coffee maker, or put small shelf risers to add layers of storage. Shelf risers are a good way to layer storage on countertops, a handy item you can buy from restaurant supply stores. You can put a small rotating turntable for items on the countertop or inside cabinets for handy storage. Further, get baskets and a cooking caddy from kitchenware stores to organize countertop space.

Store cleaning products under your sink, and buy an over the sink cutting board to further keep your countertop neat. On the corner base cabinet, build an extending countertop that is a dropdown as well, making it a shared kitchen space. With this addition of counter space to kitchen, you’re making it multifunctional by increasing countertop storage, as well as giving a table space. This would also free floor space for you.

18. Pantry

Build a pantry inside kitchen. But if you have a small kitchen, then make a pantry somewhere in the house, either a closet, recessed niche, or basement. A closet pantry is the most common. Build adjustable shelves inside. You’d find organization very helpful by building pantry shelves. A pantry is good for nonperishable food storage, canned goods, spices, and baking items. Build a herb rack in the pantry. You can use a curtain rod for that to hold small bottles.

19. Maximize Corner Spaces

Use every inch of corner space in kitchen strategically. Depending on kitchen layouts, these are corner spaces, untapped spaces, and idle spaces. Such leftover spaces often get overlooked. Personalize them according to your requirements. Use them for kitchen organizing, shelving, railing, racks, and mini pantries. Look for blind corners around your cooking space, fridge, drawers, and cabinets. Use them for foldouts, pullouts, and sliders for small items, and bottles. Build in there a sliding rack, pullout kitchen corner shelf, and small pantry options. Use particle board or plywood for such purposes.

Corner cabinet options with pullout shelves, cabinet drawers, and taking down a wall or door would be accessible means to reach for items deep in the inner corners of cabinets. Don't let dead space beside your ending cabinet go to waste. Build an open pantry with shelves. Pantry shelving would be very useful for organizing regular nonperishable food items in use.

20. Vertical Storage

Think vertical storage solutions to utilize every inch effectively; the smartest way to utilize blind corner points of any kitchen. Vertical storage system is handy around the fridge, cooking range, and corners of every base and top cabinets. Build vertical cabinets for chopping boards, baking sheets, and trays. You can also build a blind pullout pantry shelf in one of the blind corners next to cooking space or fridge. Consider vertical shelving for storing bottles in vertical format. Also, think vertical racking for displaying long vertical kitchen items where needed. Build vertical spice drawer which is an easy way to lay down plenty of spices in an organized way.

21. DIY Shelf Liners and Floor Stickers

If you want to dainty your kitchen space, think shelf liners and floor stickers, adhesive ones would be easy to put on and then forget about, till you'd want to change them for something else. These are great DIY options. You can add bursts of designs and patterns in the kitchen. The materials are fuss free, easy to clean, and don't leave water residue beneath the surface. Add clear cabinet liner where you don’t want color, but protection.

Note: When it comes to my home décor content, I always publish more images on my Pinterest. I don't put up more than two images to not weigh my  site down. If you're looking for inspiration and more visual context, keep an eye out for my home décor board.

That’s all for now! I hope you enjoyed it. If you do then don’t forget to sign up to my blog because upcoming content would only keep getting better! Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below and perhaps, share with on social media.

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