9 Clever Ways to Organize A Small Kitchen

Small kitchen spaces can be a drag. It's hard enough to work with limited space without worrying about figuring out where to put everything.

The good news is you can turn your small kitchen into a neat and functional place. In this article, we'll share some tips to help you organize your tiny kitchen.

9 Clever Ways To Organize A Small Kitchen

1. Purge your heart out

Nothing is harder than trying to organize a small kitchen when it's already overflowing.

That's why you have to declutter before you do anything else. Start by clearing out all your cabinets and figure out what you're going to keep and what you need to lose.

When it comes to arranging small spaces - less is more. Plus, clutter makes it impossible to stay organized. Try and get rid of duplicate utensils. Ask yourself if you need all those things - 24 mugs? Really? 

2. Don't leave any spaces unused 

In a small kitchen, you have to make sure you don't waste the available limited space. Here are some ideas to help you optimize every inch.

Use Lazy Susans

What can you do with those pesky corner cabinets that you can never seem to get anything out of? Easy! Add a Lazy Susan, and they become efficient storage units.

Lazy Susans have a turntable that makes it easy for you to access what you've stored in the cabinet.

That way, you'll use every inch of space, and it'll give your more room to store what you need. 

Add pull out drawers

The worst part about the corner cabinet is that you can't see further than the first half; this makes it hard to use except to just throw stuff in you hardly use.

Pull-out drawers can help with that. They'll make it easier for you to store your kitchen tools or groceries.

All you have to do is pull it out to get what you need and slide it back in when you're done. 

Make the most of cabinet doors

The inside of the cabinet door is usually just wasted space. Turn it into usable storage space by simply using hooks or caddies.

You can hang some lighter utensils like serving spoons or pot lids. Better yet, turn it into a grocery board. You'll love how functional it is. 

Walls can work wonders

Don't let the wall go to waste either. Use it to hang your pots and pans and other items.

You can use hooks all the way up the wall and hang the less used items up higher.

The walls also make a functional storage space for your spice shelf and storage baskets. 

Looking for more than just the functionality? Why not make an attractive display on the wall with your large platters? It'll save you space and make your kitchen look chic.

3. Maximize island space

In a small kitchen, an island may take up lots of space. But you don't have to sacrifice your working area. Instead, think about using a hollow island.

Put several rows of shelf space or drawers on one side of the island, and you can store your kitchen towels or storage containers underneath.

Another neat trick is to integrate your appliances on the island.

You'll use the same working space, and it'll look classy. Throw in a couple of mirrors, and your room will look a lot bigger. 

4. Mount the trash can up

The trashcan can take up quite a bit of floor space. It would be a great idea to mount your trashcan on the side of a cabinet.

It helps create more usable room and gives the appearance of more space. 

go magnetic
Magnetic holders can be used for much more than just knives

5. Go magnetic

Small spaces can be hectic when it comes to figuring out where to store your knives.

You can't stack them, and the knife stand just takes up all the counter space.

That's where magnetic storage comes in. Only one strip on the wall can hold all your knives.

It's elegant, especially if hooks and such don't appeal to you. 

If you love to cook, you probably have tons of spice shakers in your house.

Turn to magnetic storage for a neat futuristic spice storage rack on the wall. It's classy and less messy.

6. Don't leave any dead space

The space between the refrigerator and the counter is mostly just dead space.

You can't store anything there, not until you put in a pull-out shelf anyway. A tall, slim rack can make a volume of difference to store cans and other small stuff.

9 Clever Ways to Organize A Small Kitchen

7. Maximize vertical space 

Vertical space is excellent real estate for organizing your kitchen. Here are a couple of ideas to make maximum use of it. 

Stack up 

Find creative ways of stacking up your utensils in the cabinets, for example, store food containers by shape and size.

Simply remove the lids and place the containers, one inside the other from big to small.

Or you can put your wine glasses or coffee mugs on top of each other, just have them facing the opposite direction, and they'll fit together perfectly.

It also helps to buy stackable utensils. From your pans, salad bowls, or measuring cups, they'll take up less space if they're stackable.

Tiered storage 

Think about using tiered storage containers and baskets. They'll make more effective use of the vertical space, plus they look great.

Even better, you can get a tiered storage cart on wheels. You can store all your stuff in the racks and use the top part as a working space or serving tray- two birds one stone. 

8. Pull-out all the stops

Pull-out tools and utensils will save you volumes of storage space. Think pull-out chopping boards, dish racks, tables.

Pull it out when you need it, and then push it back in when you're done. You won't even know it's there. 

9 Clever Ways to Organize A Small Kitchen

9. Lighting matters 

Part of the problem with small kitchens is the cramped feeling they give you. Change that with the lighting. More light gives the illusion of more space.

Go for skylights, bigger windows, lights in or underneath your cupboards. Add some reflective surfaces, and you won't feel so cramped anymore. 

Rounding Up

Organizing a small kitchen doesn't have to be an impossible task.

Try a few (or all) of these tips to turn your small space into the kitchen of your dreams. 

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