10 Ways to Make the Most Out of Any Tiny Kitchen

For anyone who loves to cook, a tiny kitchen can be their worst nightmare. It seems as though there is never enough counter space to cut, chop and mix foods and when it comes to reaching for just the right spice, somehow, it’s always tucked away just out of reach because of limited shelving.

Are you plagued with this problem? If so, you might be interested to know that with some reorganisation, a few minor renovations, and a bit of creativity, you can turn your worst nightmare into a dream come true. Here are just 10 ways to make the most of any tiny kitchen you might want to consider.

1. Rid the Room of Wasted Space

If you start by taking an honest look at your kitchen, you will probably find that even your tiny kitchen has lots of wasted space. How can that be when your cupboards and drawers are packed beyond capacity?

Start with your walls and ceiling. Instead of those cutesy little pictures you have hanging, why not use hanging clips to keep your utensils and cutting boards on? And, as for the ceiling, why not suspend a hanging rack upon which you can easily keep your pots and pans? It’s amazing just how much space you can free up in that cabinet just by finding new homes for the overflow.

2. Drawer and Cabinet Organisers

Let’s move on now to your cupboards and cabinets. Do you often find that there simply isn’t enough room to stack all your dishes and food staples? Perhaps you should consider hanging wire cabinet organisers which would literally add another shelf upon which to stack other items. This is, perhaps, the easiest way to make the most out of every square cm of space available to you.

3. Corner Shelves

Just take a look at your cupboards and you will see that those drawers and doors aren’t doing you much good when it comes to space. The traditional design leaves a lot of empty space not being used, so if you replace those corner doors and drawers with a rotating corner shelf, you’ve just gained more storage space than you knew was there waiting to be filled.

4. Multi-Purpose Kitchen Island

In an effort to plan an open-space living environment, many of the newer homes have simply left a tiny kitchen open to a living room area. There is no room for a conventional table and chairs and certainly no counter space as mentioned above, so why not transform that tiny kitchen area with a multi-purpose kitchen island? These can be used for prepping food and with the addition of a couple of stools, they also make for a lovely breakfast bar which does away with the need for that awkward table that just doesn’t fit – no matter where you place it.

5. Don’t Forget Your Fridge

Everyone has seen pictures of homes where there is everything taped to the fridge, from Johnnie’s first finger painting to this week’s calendar of family events. Those are always nice sentimental touches, but that space could be put to better use.

Perhaps one side could hold an adhesive paper towel holder and a few stick-on hooks for hot pads and dish cloths. By all means, keep those precious mementos of Johnnie’s junior years, but perhaps it would be better to scan them and use a digital picture frame you could easily sit on that kitchen island without taking up usable space for organising.

6. Carts and Moveable Islands

Whilst you may want to undergo a total home renovation to get the counter and storage space you need, there are other ways to make the most of what you have available to you. Many families with tiny kitchens use smaller rolling carts and/or movable butcher block islands they can tuck neatly into another area of the home. With so many homes being of an open-space design in recent times, simply roll it against a wall in the living area where it can also be used as a serving cart when entertaining.

7. Shelves Above the Upper Cabinets

This idea may require a step ladder approach, but have you looked lately at how much wasted space there is above your upper cabinets in the kitchen? Typically, you will find that there is ample room above those cupboards to add a shelf or two upon which you can store those items you don’t use often enough to take up space below. Why store them in the garage when there is still plenty of space above the cabinets?

8. Vertical Foil and Plastic Wrap Hangers

Lest we forget the inside of cabinet doors, what about all that space which is being wasted? Not only can you utilise vertical hangers for aluminum foil and plastic wrap, but you can add hanging shelves to hold your cleaning liquids and other items which never seem to find the right home. In fact, you can usually find some use for the inside of every door because most cabinetry is designed with plenty of space between the shelves and the inside of doors.

9. Expandable Rods Under the Sink

Speaking of cleaning liquids, an expandable rod is ideal for hanging all those sprays you use daily. Simply expand the rod with as much tension as you can muster and then hang the spray handles on the rod. This frees up more space on the bottom of the cabinet where other things can be neatly stacked.

10. Wall-Mounted Dish Drainers

This is an ideal way to keep the countertop free to use as a workspace. Have you thought of using a wall-mounted dish drainer instead of the traditional drainers with those unsightly draining boards? Of course, these wouldn’t work well for a family of six, but neither would a tiny kitchen unless you began your organisation from day one.

 

Where once homes were built to add tons of living space, there is a concerted effort going on in society now to make everything tiny. From tiny homes to tiny kitchens to tiny cars, in an effort to build an eco-friendly living environment, most designers are going small and even smaller. The point is, it is more energy-efficient to keep tiny spaces climate-controlled and this is why you may be faced with such a tiny kitchen. Nonetheless, with these 10 tips, you can make the most of even the tiniest of kitchens you never thought would be possible. Now then, isn’t that a dream come true?