You’ve moved into your new apartment and started to unpack kitchen boxes. As you begin to put things away, you notice all the cabinets are a bit small or there just aren’t enough. Before you purge away half your items or store kitchen things elsewhere around the apartment, try these ten smart and savvy solutions to help you maximize every inch in your kitchen cabinets and fit it all in.
Kitchen cabinets not the only thing causing you trouble?
See our tips for falling in love with your kitchen!
Purge What You Can
If you don’t have the luxury of space, do a quick purge of your kitchen items. Don’t force yourself to get rid of things you love or use, but chances are you have duplicate, worn out, or unused pots, pans, utensils, and other items. By getting rid of (or storing) items you don’t need, you’ll carve out space for the items you do!
Match Items to the Cupboard’s Shape and Size
Consider the shapes of the cabinets and the items you need to store. Do you have some deep cabinets? Store entertaining or infrequently used appliances in the back and more often used items up front. Do you have some tall, skinny cabinets? These are ideal for cookie sheets, cookbooks, and cutting boards. Do you only have one cabinet with higher shelves? This is where taller appliances or pots should go. By matching your items to the cupboard size, you’ll reduce wasted space and ultimately get more in.
Adjust Shelves When Possible
Most cabinets have adjustable shelves. Although it can be a pain to deal with the pegs (especially in awkward corner cabinets), take the extra time to put the shelves at heights that allow you to maximize every vertical inch. Moving a shelf one inch can sometimes allow you to store an entire stack of plates (rather than having to make two stacks) or two rows of mugs (instead of needing a second shelf). In addition to moving shelves, don’t hesitate to remove a shelf (to make space for bulky items) or add more shelves (for smaller/flatter things).
Add Well-Fitting Organizers
Store-bought organizers can go a long way in creating more space in your cabinets. However, if they don’t fit quite right or hold what you need them to, they can also take up precious space. Make sure organizers match the size of your cabinets and add more space than they take away.
Stack versus Stand
Consider what can be stacked and what can be stood on end for optimum storage. Stacking items saves space but can sometimes make items more difficult to access, so try to only stack things that are commonly stacked (e.g., plates, bowls) or you use infrequently. By storing items on end (cookie sheets, cutting boards, pans), they become much easier to access because you can slide them right out!
Use Backs of Doors
Backs of cabinet doors are great places to hang small, light, and flat items in order to get them out of your cabinets. Cutting boards, measuring cups and spoons, attachments for small appliances, and even spices can be hung using Velcro, magnets, or peel-and-stick hooks!
Move Prettier Items Out
Do you have beautiful dishes? Are your pans worthy of display? Do your mixing bowls match your kitchen decor? Look around your kitchen and see if there are alternative ways to store and display these items. Utilize counters, backsplash areas, and open shelving to get these pretty things out of your cabinets to ultimately make space for more unsightly items!
Corral What You Can
Your cabinets can feel small and messy when there are lots of little or bulky things taking up a lot of space. Use baskets or bins to corral items such as plastic dishes and cups, spices, tupperwares and lids, and measuring/baking utensils. Like cabinet organizers, be sure you find baskets that fit perfectly to limit the amount of wasted space.
[tweetthis]Fall in love with your #kitchen again! Maximize your cabinet space for ultimate efficiency.[/tweetthis]
Remove Bulky Packaging
When possible, take small appliances and food items out of bulky packaging to free up extra space (store boxes flat if you’ll need them again for moving). Not only will this make some extra space in your cabinets, but it might also prompt you to use items more because they are easily accessible.
Create a Pantry If There Isn’t One
If your rental doesn’t have a pantry, you may feel forced to use one of your precious cabinets to store food. Unfortunately, kitchen cabinets can be less than ideal for food storage because of their size, shape, and height. Instead, consider if you can create a pantry elsewhere in the apartment and leave the cabinets for dishes, cookware and small appliances.
No closet or space available for a pantry? Check out how we created a pantry in an adjoining laundry room here!
Most people desire a big, spacious kitchen, but that can be hard to find in apartment living. If you’re in a rental with small cabinets and too many things to put in them, try these space-saving tips. Not only will they help you store things in smart and usable ways, but they will also enable you to maximize every inch you do have!