10 Genius Storage Ideas To Maximize Space In Your Small Kitchen

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While some folks dream of an oversized kitchen complete with an island as big as anything you'd find in the Bahamas, not everyone is equipped with such a luxury. However, having a small kitchen doesn't mean you can't have room to work in. It just means you have to be tricky with your storage ideas.

The key here is to maximize your use of space. While larger kitchens have the luxury of maintaining empty room for a clean, airy feel, smaller ones have to maximize efficiency to work effectively in. However, just because a smaller kitchen may be a touch more crowded doesn't mean you have to sacrifice aesthetics. In fact, particularly clever cooks can arrange their storage options in a way that essentially turns them into decorations. Whether you're hanging pots and pans from the ceiling or purchasing particularly lovely oil storage bottles, you should take pride in your tools and show them off to visitors.

Fortunately, maximizing space in smaller kitchens doesn't require anything as dramatic as a complete redesign. You won't need to replace cabinets, rearrange appliances, or anything else time consuming. Instead, look for little areas prime for more storage like empty spots on the wall or others that may benefit from a cheap organizational tool like a silverware tray. You don't have to break the bank to keep a functional, stylish kitchen; you just need to be clever.

If you have a windowsill or particularly sunny patch in your kitchen not occupied with other items, a planter box is a great way to grow and store fresh herbs. Not only does this save you some room in your spice rack and cabinet, but it also grants you quick, easy access to any ingredients you frequently use while also adding a splash of color.

Cabinet space is prime real estate in a small kitchen, especially if you like to keep a variety of ingredients on hand. Since pots and pans take up so much room, why not try this country kitchen design trend to free up space and show off your favorite tools?

If you have an excess of cabinet space but a dearth of counter space, why not convert an unused cabinet into a dish rack? Setting a drying rack within an open cabinet keeps your counters open and possibly even gives you a new way of storing dishes, putting them away wet and letting them air dry until you need them again.

While stacking jars, pots, and other tools on top of each other right on your counter can cause you to accidentally knock them over, a double-layered shelf lets you effectively utilize any vertical space between your counter and cabinets. If you can, try to find a folding variety that you can stow away when you need extra space to work in.

If you're looking to expand counter space in tiny kitchens, take advantage of all that open space between your counter and cabinets with some open shelves. Not only are these cheap and easy to install, but since they're open, you have a little more flexibility on the size of items you store on them. Better still — floating shelves are an easy DIY you can get online.

Although knife blocks are a classic piece of kitchen decor and organization, it's hard to argue with how well a magnetic knife strip saves you on space. Cheap, effective, and able to be mounted on just about any reasonably solid surface, these are one of the best options for storing your tools when you need to keep your counters clear — get one online for under $20.

While pots and pans are heavy enough to need their own dedicated mounting surface, most any other item with a loop of fabric or a handle is light enough to simply hang from a hook thrown over a wooden dowel. This is especially good for cooks who have a variety of things they need to be able to quickly grab, from aprons to oven mitts to coffee mugs.

If your small kitchen is fortunate enough to have an island, don't waste all that empty space on the sides! While you won't want anything that sticks out too far and risks tripping you up, a squat rail drilled into the side of your island is perfect for keeping a tea towel (or a roll of paper towels) at the ready.

Installing a floating shelf over your stove and oven is a great way to keep certain ingredients readily available while saving room on your countertops and in your cabinets. While effective, you'll only want to store ingredients that don't react to heat, such as dried spices, and keep heat-sensitive items, like cooking oil, well clear of your new storage tool.

If you don't feel comfortable drilling into walls or mounting racks and rods onto cabinets, Command hooks are strong enough to support a ton of weight and are an absolute breeze to install. You'll want to thoroughly clean a surface before you attach a hook to it, but otherwise, these tiny tools are one of the easiest ways to improve your kitchen storage.