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Last updated on April 11th, 2023 at 02:50 am
I’ve seen a lot of questions about maximizing storage space in a tiny kitchen. Having lived in 3 different apartments within a year with varying kitchen sizes, I definitely have experience in this area.
Years ago, we lived in a tiny studio apartment in Hermosa Beach for about 3 months with a half-sized kitchen. Half-sized, meaning the kitchen was a 3-foot counter with upper cabinets, a sink, a minuscule oven, and a mini-fridge with no freezer.
A mini-fridge! And I was 6 months pregnant!
The ability to walk a block down to the beach every evening made up for the tiniest kitchen I’ve ever had to work in, but man, those were some tough months.
That was the worst kitchen I ever had. But I learned a lot that year about getting creative with storage and organization.
Here are 5 practicals tips on how to maximize storage space in a tiny kitchen.
01. Keep essentials within reach
My best friend helped me get my kitchen set up in the first apartment I had when I got married. We had to figure out how to get all those beautiful new wedding gifts to fit inside strangely shaped cabinets.
Anything I didn’t think I’d use very often was put further back in the deep cabinet. Everything I needed was stored in the cabinets within reach (no step stool needed) or in the front of the lower cabinets.
I still use this strategy today with a deep, hard-to-reach cabinet in my current kitchen. Most of my nice serve ware and china are in the back of the cabinet where it takes a little more effort to get out. This isn’t convenient, however, it’s better than burying my blender or hand mixer, which I use much more often.
02. Keep only the essentials on the counter
Only keep the items you use most often on the counter. For me, that means the only appliances on my counter are a coffeemaker and a toaster oven since we use those every single morning.
For a while, I had my stand mixer on the counter. But since I used it once every 2 months, I moved it off the counter to give other things space to breathe.
My most-used cooking utensils are stored in a crock on the counter, along with the oils and seasonings I use the most. This makes sense to keep on the counter because I don’t want to be rummaging through drawers and cabinets when I’m in the middle of cooking dinner.
I used to have a knife block that I kept on the counter but it was taking up too much valuable real estate. Instead, I bought a drawer knife block since I had extra drawer space. There are also magnetic strips for knives, but with little kids around, I don’t like that option.
When I got married, countertop spice racks were on everyone’s registry. But like the knife block, those take up too much precious counter space. Move them into a cabinet, into a wall-mounted rack, or in a drawer, if you have room.
03. Add extra storage space in a tiny kitchen
In our Hermosa Beach half-kitchen, I didn’t have any place to put my pots and pans. We ended up repurposing a bathroom towel shelf in the kitchen to store extra stuff. In another apartment (and currently), we bought a cabinet from IKEA to store more items.
Depending on your organizing style and the layout of your kitchen, you can add extra storage through closed cabinets or open shelves. If you have a more visual style, you could also add hooks to the wall or ceiling for extra storage.
Next, since the kitchen doesn’t always have space, let’s look at how to maximize other areas.
04. Maximize other storage areas
Although it’s not ideal, sometimes utilizing other storage areas in the house is necessary. While I like to store items in the area where it is most likely to be used, this can be impractical at times due to storage limitations. In that case, choose the next best place.
Here are some real-life examples I’ve seen:
- Keep small appliances and extra pantry items in the garage.
- Store extra serving dishes in a designated area of the cellar.
- Use an extra coat closet for small appliances or a spillover of a small pantry.
In a perfect world, we’d all store everything in the kitchen. But we have to work with what we have and get creative.
05. Maximize the pantry
If you’ve wondered about decanting food in the pantry, here’s where it comes in handy. In order to make items fit in the pantry, it helps to purchase permanent containers that fit the space.
When you bring food home from the store, decant foods into the containers. Rather than figuring out how to make odd-size boxes fit, everything will have a place.
While this sounds like extra work, it could potentially save you money. If done right, you’ll be able to see the items in the back of the pantry so they won’t be forgotten as easily. Less food goes stale and you’re less likely to repurchase things you already have.
Here’s an entire post on organizing a deep pantry >>>
How to maximize storage space in a tiny kitchen
There are many small kitchens in the world. Using these 5 tips, you can maximize storage space to make your tiny kitchen functional and workable:
- Keep essentials within reach
- Only the essentials are on the counter
- Add extra storage
- Maximize other storage areas
- Maximize the pantry
Do you need to declutter & organize your kitchen? Download the free Kitchen Organizing Action Plan here >>>
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