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Don’t let a tiny kitchen cramp your style. Whether you’re in a studio apartment or a galley kitchen, the Moving Help® Marketplace has strategies to help you make the most of your tiny kitchen. Clear the countertops, use vertical space, and get creative to make your tiny kitchen work for you.
Clear the Countertops
Every inch counts in your tiny kitchen. Use these tips to clear countertop clutter and create more food-prep space.
Move Cooking Utensils to a Drawer
Kitchen utensil holders take up valuable space on your countertop. Try moving your kitchen utensils to a drawer with a drawer organizer.
Streamline With a Magnetic Knife Strip
Ditch your clunky knife block and display your knives on the wall with a magnetic knife strip. Knife strips come in metal and wood designs to fit any home decor style.
Keep in mind that magnetic knife strips may not be suitable for homes with small children or pets that jump and reach.
Tuck Away the Paper Towels
Paper towels can be easy to reach without creating countertop clutter. Attach a paper towel holder that hangs from underneath a cabinet.
For a renter-friendly option, hook a paper towel holder inside the cabinet door beneath your kitchen sink.
Use Vertical Space
Elevate your space with ceiling, wall, and door storage that doubles as kitchen decor.
Line up Spices on a Photo Ledge
Photo ledges are the perfect depth to hold spice jars. Unlike traditional spice racks where the spice labels can’t always face out, a photo ledge makes spices easy to identify and grab. Plus, your spices now double as wall decor in your tiny kitchen.
Hang Pots and Pans With Purpose
Clear your cabinets and hang your pots and pans on the wall using a rod with metal hooks. Tiny kitchens thrive with versatile organization systems. Use a pegboard with hooks, rods, and cups to hang pots, pans, and more.
Add Small Shelves for Stacking
Cabinets often have wasted space when the items inside are not inherently stackable. Add a tiered shelf to make use of your cabinet’s full height. You can even add shelves to make the most of your fridge.
Bring in Hanging Baskets
Hang a fruit basket from the ceiling or the underside of a tall cabinet. Not only will you save space, but you’ll also save money on fruit.
Increased ventilation through the holes in the wire basket will keep your fruit fresh for longer.
Baskets aren’t limited to fruit. Choose a tiered hanging basket and use each level for napkins, rags, plastic grocery bags, or other miscellaneous kitchen items.
Be Creative, Flexible, and Thoughtful
Experiment with different organization systems and repurpose kitchen items to tailor your tiny kitchen to your needs.
Choose Versatile Dishware
Ditch the duplicate dishes and choose multipurpose dishware that occupies less space. For example, choose glass containers with lids that you can use for food storage or baking.
Instead of buying sippy cups for children, buy small plastic cups and separate silicone sippy lids to transform any cup into a sippy cup. Once your children are too old for the lids, keep the cups, which grow with children of all ages.
Organize With an Over-the-Door Shoe Organizer
Not only do over-the-door shoe organizers make use of unused door space inside of closets, but they’re also efficient organization tools with divided sections and clear visibility. Use an over-the-door shoe organizer to store cleaning supplies or organize pantry items, such as cans and snacks.
You can even use an over-the-door shoe organizer to streamline your daily routine. Make a grab-and-go snack station for when you’re rushing out the door. In homes with children, allocate the bottom pouches for easy-to-reach, child-friendly snacks.
In a galley kitchen, the inside of closet doors is optimal for vertical storage that doesn’t add bulk to narrow passageways.
Opt for Open Shelving
Open shelving can sound intimidating, but it’s an opportunity to make your space feel lighter. Try open shelving in a galley kitchen where parallel walls of cabinets can feel crowded. When you’re unable to paint or replace your cabinets, simply remove the doors to beautify your kitchen!
Open shelving provides short- and long-term solutions to fighting kitchen clutter. Initially, you’ll need to declutter your cabinets and choose what is worth keeping. Ultimately, open shelving will encourage you to be mindful about your future purchases and keep your cabinets tidy.
Move Less-Used Items to a Rolling Cart or Island
Sometimes, making the most of a tiny kitchen means making tiny sacrifices to prioritize organization. Try storing your less-frequently-used appliances, dishware, or glassware on a rolling cart in a nearby dining room or living room. Bring the cart to the kitchen whenever it’s relevant. A rolling cart with a flat top can double as a portable kitchen island.
Let a Lazy Susan Do the Work
Don’t let crowded cabinets prevent you from having a functional kitchen. Organize your cooking oils, cans, cereal boxes, and more on a lazy Susan to keep them visible and accessible.
Rethink Your Refrigerator Drawers
Food waste and overconsumption can be a problem in any size of kitchen, but it’s particularly detrimental in tiny kitchens with limited storage space. If your veggie drawer is more of a forgotten-produce-graveyard, you’re likely not adapting your refrigerator to your needs.
Use your refrigerator’s veggie drawers for food or condiments you use daily or won’t forget about them. Save the fridge shelves for the produce and other food that you often forget about or repurchase.
Start Small to Organize Your Tiny Kitchen
Organizing a tiny kitchen often requires flexibility with unconventional strategies. At first, test one or two solutions to determine which approaches work best for your lifestyle and preferences. Progressively add more organization tricks until you have made the most of your tiny kitchen.
