Your dream apartment has everything on your list — except a spacious kitchen
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A small kitchen shouldn't be a deal-breaker. With a few hacks, you can have more than enough storage for your appliances and kitchenware.
While not everyone in your friend group will be able to fit in the kitchen during a dinner party, you'll be able to whip up a delicious dinner by having everything organized. And an upside of a small kitchen? It's hard to hoard multiples of the same spoon or old Tupperware.
Ready to tackle your small kitchen storage? Here are a few hacks that will make your space more organized and help you take advantage of every nook and cranny.
1. Hang a pegboard
Source: A Beautiful Mess
Free up your kitchen cabinets for your groceries and small plates and hang up a small pegboard for your pots and pans. It only takes a few small holes that you can easily patch up when your lease expires and everything will be at hand's reach.
You can pick up the pegboard from any home improvement store in the size you want and paint it. The determine the size of it, figure out what kitchenware you'll hang on it and where it will go. To hang the pegboard, you can follow these tips.
2. Use the bottom of your cabinets
Source: Buzzfeed
By adding easily removable hooks or magnetic strips, you can hang your mugs and spices to free up storage space elsewhere. IKEA sells rails and hooks for less than $10.
If you have a cabinet near your stove, add the spices there for easy access when cooking. You just need a few items to get it done.
3. Hang your trash bag rolls
Source: Martha Stewart
Get rid of the boxes the trash bag rolls are in and hang them off the cabinet door under the sink instead. You can DIY this storage hack or buy the paper towel-like racks at your local home improvement store.
Unexpected benefit? You'll always know when you're running low.
4. Magnetic knife rack
Source: The Everygirl/Kate Davison
Free up your drawer space and use your wall space instead to hang your most-used knives. Easily mount a magnetic rack on your wall and attach all of your knives. It's easy to do and it makes your kitchen look more put together. You can find them on Etsy.
5. Cutting board storage
Source: That's What Che Said
While chopping and cutting, easy access to a cutting board can be critical to your dish. To save space, use the inside of a cabinet door to hang them from. A couple of zip ties and a wire organizer and you have quick, new storage in your small kitchen.
6. Get rid of clutter
Source: Amazon
Get more storage by getting rid of clutter. Many times, we try to find new spaces to put more things without looking into what we can clear out. Think chipped mugs, one-task appliances, multiple measuring spoons and your silverware drawer.
If you end up with just six settings in your silverware drawers, think of moving them to the counter and placing them in mason jars for easy access. Plus, you get a free drawer.
7. Free-standing shelves
Source: How to Nest for Less
While this idea isn't groundbreaking, a wire free-standing shelf can add additional square footage to your small kitchen. When you've used every space in your cabinets, it may be time to add on.
Retailers sell them at different heights and widths. They can fit in an empty space between your fridge and stove or place it by the kitchen entrance. You can add baskets, serving platters, cooking books and appliances that you don't use often.
8. When in doubt, build up
Source: A Beautiful Mess
If you have space already, add wire baskets above your cabinet and place stackable shelves inside your cabinets to store more things at various levels. They come in a variety of configurations. You can also add undershelf baskets to the cabinets — see these from the Container Store. They hang off the existing shelves.
If your landlord will allow, add shelves above your stove or above your cabinets to gain more storage in your small kitchen.
9. Use mesh bags for your produce
Source: IKEA
Grab one of IKEA's rails, hooks and mesh bags for an off the counter solution for your produce. You can use them to grab the produce at the store (no plastic bags!) and hang them when you get home. No need to unpack and your fruits and vegetables will last a bit longer.
You can also use the hanging shelves available at IKEA to add to the rail for more storage.
10. Pull-out cabinet organizers
Source: Home Depot
Every time you try to find a lid for the pot you're using, it becomes a time-consuming nightmare. Grab an organizer that pulls out to organize your cabinet and have easy access to your pots, pans and their corresponding lids.
Face the storage challenge
Don't overlook that gem of an apartment due to the kitchen size. Your kitchen may only be able to hold one person and your cabinets may be shockingly small, but you can make it yours. These small kitchen storage ideas should help you make the most of the space and inspire you to cook some delicious meals.
The post 10 Clever Storage Hacks in a Small Kitchen appeared first on Apartment Living Tips - Apartment Tips from ApartmentGuide.com.
While not everyone in your friend group will be able to fit in the kitchen during a dinner party, you'll be able to whip up a delicious dinner by having everything organized. And an upside of a small kitchen? It's hard to hoard multiples of the same spoon or old Tupperware.
Ready to tackle your small kitchen storage? Here are a few hacks that will make your space more organized and help you take advantage of every nook and cranny.
1. Hang a pegboard
Source: A Beautiful Mess
Free up your kitchen cabinets for your groceries and small plates and hang up a small pegboard for your pots and pans. It only takes a few small holes that you can easily patch up when your lease expires and everything will be at hand's reach.
You can pick up the pegboard from any home improvement store in the size you want and paint it. The determine the size of it, figure out what kitchenware you'll hang on it and where it will go. To hang the pegboard, you can follow these tips.
2. Use the bottom of your cabinets
Source: Buzzfeed
By adding easily removable hooks or magnetic strips, you can hang your mugs and spices to free up storage space elsewhere. IKEA sells rails and hooks for less than $10.
If you have a cabinet near your stove, add the spices there for easy access when cooking. You just need a few items to get it done.
3. Hang your trash bag rolls
Source: Martha Stewart
Get rid of the boxes the trash bag rolls are in and hang them off the cabinet door under the sink instead. You can DIY this storage hack or buy the paper towel-like racks at your local home improvement store.
Unexpected benefit? You'll always know when you're running low.
4. Magnetic knife rack
Source: The Everygirl/Kate Davison
Free up your drawer space and use your wall space instead to hang your most-used knives. Easily mount a magnetic rack on your wall and attach all of your knives. It's easy to do and it makes your kitchen look more put together. You can find them on Etsy.
5. Cutting board storage
Source: That's What Che Said
While chopping and cutting, easy access to a cutting board can be critical to your dish. To save space, use the inside of a cabinet door to hang them from. A couple of zip ties and a wire organizer and you have quick, new storage in your small kitchen.
6. Get rid of clutter
Source: Amazon
Get more storage by getting rid of clutter. Many times, we try to find new spaces to put more things without looking into what we can clear out. Think chipped mugs, one-task appliances, multiple measuring spoons and your silverware drawer.
If you end up with just six settings in your silverware drawers, think of moving them to the counter and placing them in mason jars for easy access. Plus, you get a free drawer.
7. Free-standing shelves
Source: How to Nest for Less
While this idea isn't groundbreaking, a wire free-standing shelf can add additional square footage to your small kitchen. When you've used every space in your cabinets, it may be time to add on.
Retailers sell them at different heights and widths. They can fit in an empty space between your fridge and stove or place it by the kitchen entrance. You can add baskets, serving platters, cooking books and appliances that you don't use often.
8. When in doubt, build up
Source: A Beautiful Mess
If you have space already, add wire baskets above your cabinet and place stackable shelves inside your cabinets to store more things at various levels. They come in a variety of configurations. You can also add undershelf baskets to the cabinets — see these from the Container Store. They hang off the existing shelves.
If your landlord will allow, add shelves above your stove or above your cabinets to gain more storage in your small kitchen.
9. Use mesh bags for your produce
Source: IKEA
Grab one of IKEA's rails, hooks and mesh bags for an off the counter solution for your produce. You can use them to grab the produce at the store (no plastic bags!) and hang them when you get home. No need to unpack and your fruits and vegetables will last a bit longer.
You can also use the hanging shelves available at IKEA to add to the rail for more storage.
10. Pull-out cabinet organizers
Source: Home Depot
Every time you try to find a lid for the pot you're using, it becomes a time-consuming nightmare. Grab an organizer that pulls out to organize your cabinet and have easy access to your pots, pans and their corresponding lids.
Face the storage challenge
Don't overlook that gem of an apartment due to the kitchen size. Your kitchen may only be able to hold one person and your cabinets may be shockingly small, but you can make it yours. These small kitchen storage ideas should help you make the most of the space and inspire you to cook some delicious meals.
The post 10 Clever Storage Hacks in a Small Kitchen appeared first on Apartment Living Tips - Apartment Tips from ApartmentGuide.com.