Easy ways to expand your kitchen storage
These expert tips help make things feel less cluttered
Not all kitchens are created equal. Some are so small that they are barely usable.
Kate Fisher of The Neatist in Durham, North Carolina, and Tonia Tomlin of Sorted Out in Dallas, Texas, offer these easy kitchen storage ideas that can make things feel less cluttered and cramped — without having to tear down any walls.
Make use of magnets
The side of the fridge, which is usually magnetic, is a great surface to load up. Fisher particularly loves magnetic paper towel holders, and Tomlin suggests you consider a magnetic rack or magnetic hooks to hold anything from kitchen utensils to oven mitts and aprons to the lids for pots and pants. Magnetic knife racks mounted to the wall are also a great solution.
Put a shelf above the stove
Many ovens and stoves have a little ledge at the back, but they’re often sloped and under-utilized. Fisher finds that a simple magnetic over-the-stove shelf can turn these unused inches into a storage area for frequently used spices and oils.
Make your cabinet shelves work double
Both organizing experts are big fans of adjusting shelves to accommodate dishware, and in any cabinet, a shelf riser will help you use the full height of the cabinet. “These are my go-tos when I’m doing a kitchen,” Fisher says.
Take advantage of cabinet doors
Items like measuring
spoons or pot holders can easily hang from adhesive hooks, either along the outside of the cabinet or inside a cabinet door. Fisher says this can be very helpful, because it means you can free up space from a drawer, or another cluttered spot, and utilize unused space.
Store spices horizontally
Another product Fisher likes is a slide-out underthe-cupboard drawer, which is just deep enough for items like spice containers or pill bottles. Use it inside a cabinet or underneath the bottom-most shelf to make up for lacking cabinet space and make small items more easily accessible.
Corral miscellaneous items in bins
For hard-to-contain items like napkins, spice packets or cookie cutters, consider investing in clear stacking bins. They’re perfect for those smaller, oddly-shaped items because you can still see them. This method is also helpful for using up out-of-sight storage space. “Anytime you’re putting something in a cabinet that’s higher than eye level, it’s a good idea to put it in a container, preferably with a label — otherwise it will get lost,” Fisher says.
Use the ceiling, walls and door
If your layout (or landlord) permits it, a pot
hanging rack above an island or in a window nook can save loads of cabinet space. But even a smaller hanging solution, like a hanging fruit basket, can pull bulky but lightweight items, like napkins or drink koozies, out of a drawer. Or, consider an over-the-door rack (if you have a door to your kitchen) to hold spices, canned goods or smaller kitchen tools.
Measure your drawers
If you only have two or three kitchen drawers to work with, measure them before buying an interior organizer to make sure you use every square inch. “You really have to make sure things fit properly.” Measure the depth, too:
If your drawers are deep enough, you just may be able to incorporate two drawer organizers.
Clear the countertops
Give your counters a good assessment and determine what really needs to stick around, and what can find a home elsewhere. Anything that you can mount to the underside of your cabinets — like a paper towel holder or dish towel rack — clears space for small appliances or just room for food preparation.
Install easy-access systems
Consider installing a drawer-style cabinet organizer to help reach items in the way back and make it easier to locate your stuff. Tomlin particularly likes organizer drawers with compartments to help corral pot lids. “Lids are the biggest thing that people complain about,” she says. If you have blind corner cabinets in your kitchen, consider investing in a pullout drawer organization system to make it easier to access bulky pots and pans.
Add some wheels
Fisher is a big fan of storage solutions on wheels. “That’s my rule: For small spaces, put wheels on it,” she says. If you have space for a small rolling island in your kitchen, it works to both add storage and to create more surface area for cooking or entertaining wherever you need it. If you only have a few inches to spare, however, a narrow freestanding cabinet on wheels can slide right into wasted space between a cabinet and refrigerator.
Think outside the kitchen
You may think bar carts in the dining or living room are just a design trend — but they’re also a helpful idea for extending your storage, as they get your glassware, bar tools and bottles of liquor out of the kitchen. Similarly, an etagere, buffet or bookshelf in the dining area can be a statement piece, while housing lesser-used items like serving trays, small appliances or bakeware.
Organizing your kitchen is an ongoing process. Accept that your kitchen will evolve and try to reuse what you have before buying new.
And while there is no “right” amount of stuff to keep in your home, if you find that every cabinet is exploding, “it’s time to make some decisions,” Fisher says. “We all have to be able to say, enough is enough.”