You may be able to do just fine with a tiny bedroom or even a cramped bathroom, but a small kitchen? Depending on how much kitchen stuff you have to store and how often you like to cook, learning to live with limited kitchen space can be a serious challenge.
While you can’t magically create more space, you certainly can learn to work with it. With just a few clever tweaks to the way you accessorize your kitchen, you can make the shift toward a much more organized (and overall nicer-looking) space to cook and entertain in.
Here are just five useful solutions you may want to incorporate into your own small kitchen.
Easy Access to the Essentials
Chances are you may have very little countertop space on which to store stuff, but even if you do, using it wisely can make all the difference in keeping your kitchen as functional as possible. Take note of all the things you use multiple times a day and dedicate a small area of your countertop (or even a nearby table if necessary) to those items so you can grab them easily.
In my case, I make fruit smoothies almost every day, so I keep my enormous blender right out in plain sight rather than storing it away. I also keep a bowl of fresh fruit right beside it.
A paper towel holder, a radio, and the salt and pepper shakers are a few other things I like to have out all the time. You could also use baskets or trays to keep things like books, utensils and other accessories or gadgets neat and tidy on your countertop.
An Area Where You Can Do All Your Cutting and Chopping
If you enjoy cooking, then homemade meal prep can be a tricky task when you can’t find a place to chop your veggies and cut up your meats. Try to look for a small area of countertop space where you can keep a clean cutting board out.
Try keeping your collection of knives right there with it. This way, you’ll never have to move a bunch of stuff around to clear off enough countertop space for your meal prepping.
A Lazy Susan for All Those Little Things
Small kitchens hardly ever offer enough cabinet space. And then, of course, it’s far too tempting to cram as much as you can in the few cabinets you do have, which only makes it frustratingly difficult to find what you’re looking for when you need it.
Use a Lazy Susan for tall bottles or canisters, and get a tiered one for smaller items like spices, small packages and canned foods. It’ll be especially helpful if you’re not tall enough to see very far into the cabinets!
A Cushy Mat to Stand On When You Have to Do the Dishes
If you have a dishwasher in your kitchen, count yourself lucky. A lot of small kitchens don’t have them, forcing renters to spend some quality time with their dishes at the sink.
You may want to invest in a gel-like cushioned mat to make it easier on your feet when you’re standing in front of the sink. These types of mats don’t get stained and are easy enough to wipe down if any water or crumbs fall onto them.
A Nice-Looking Garbage Bin to Save Cabinet Space
It’s common practice to hide the garbage bin directly under the sink, but if you’re serious about maximizing cabinet space, you may want to consider investing in a bin that’s not as much of an eyesore so you can keep it out and use that extra cabinet space for other stuff.
You can get nice-looking garbage bins for pretty cheap and then store them beside your counter or in any other space where they fit. Make sure yours comes with a lid too!
A massive kitchen sure would be nice, but a small kitchen can be just as functional. If you’d like to find out how you can dress up your small kitchen even more, be sure to check out these 25 decorating ideas for almost every part of the kitchen.