If there is one thing that seems true for most homeowners, it’s that their kitchen can use more room for increased storage. Perhaps the countertop feels busy, or the pantry area is cramped, or you’re not sure where to conveniently keep cooking utensils. It’s all too common to feel like you need additional space.
While a remodel of your kitchen is obviously a dream solution, you may not be ready for that step just yet. That doesn’t mean you can’t get creative in the meantime. These clever storage tips and tricks will help you make the most of your existing space so you can more fully enjoy your kitchen.
9 Ways to Boost the Storage Space in Any Size Kitchen
1. Say Goodbye to Clutter
Often, the kitchen can feel disorganized or cluttered because we’re holding onto items we no longer need. So, begin your reorganization by removing anything that no longer serves you. Go through junk drawers and get rid of outdated manuals, broken tools, and other useless objects. Toss out old spices and stale chips, and make it a habit not to overstock your pantry and refrigerator. Consider digitizing your cookbooks instead of letting them take up precious space, especially if you rarely use them. Anything you’re not using, you can donate or sell.
2. Hang Everything You Can Hang
A clever space-saving trick for kitchens is to install hanging racks and hooks in creative locations, so that items are simple to sort and store. Open walls are a great choice for attractive objects such as copper frying pans and cute, colorful coffee mugs. Install a metallic strip for knife storage. Hooks can be placed on the outsides of cabinets, as well as on the insides of cabinet doors. You can even suspend items from hooks placed underneath your dish cabinets. Pegboard is a simple, adaptable way to create such spaces—the hooks can be rearranged anytime you want to reorganize!
3. Install Organizers Within Cabinets
Your shelves and drawers will become much more functional as you find ways to keep items within them well organized. Cabinet dividers are one option for keeping items in their proper place—they come in acrylic for easy cleaning, or a material like bamboo for added charm. For deep cabinets with hard-to-reach areas, install pull-out shelves that help you maximize space. Install racks for storing baking sheets, cutting boards, and storage lids.
4. Utilize Stackable Storage
Get more room out of existing space by adding in stackables. Storage risers can be used both in your pantry and cabinets, creating convenient additional shelving. And you can use these risers on your countertops too—simply buy attractive wooden ones and slide them beneath cabinets. For items you rarely use, such as seasonal dishes, place them in stackable storage boxes and put the boxes in your garage, attic, closet, or shed until you need them.
5. Rethink Your Spice Rack
Spices tend to quickly get out of hand in a kitchen—all those small containers can get jumbled, misplaced, or simply take up too much room because they’re hard to wrangle. Consider hanging a spice rack on the inside of your pantry doors. Or, install a movable spice rack that slides in and out, alongside the area between your refrigerator and the wall. It’s convenient and it remains hidden until you need to access your spices.
6. Maximize the Room Within Your Refrigerator
An overlooked area of the kitchen, your refrigerator can also be maximized for storage. Use insertable hanging racks that can be placed beneath or above your fridge’s built-in shelves. Stackable bins also work for keeping items of a certain type grouped together. Racks that hold rollable cans (like soda) are convenient.
7. Expand into Other Spaces
Movable kitchen racks and rolling carts offer a convenient way to add more room to your kitchen as needed. These handy items can be pushed into the kitchen when needed for extra cooking, prepping, or serving space—and then removed out of the way whenever desired. Simply roll them into a closet on another out-of-way spot when you’re done with them. This is an especially useful solution if you crave a kitchen island in a small space—you simply use one that has wheels, and push it in and out of your kitchen as needed.
8. Repurpose Sentimental Items
Can’t stand to part with grandma’s old-fashioned gravy boat, even though you never use it? Put mints in it, and place it near the front door as a warm welcome to guests. Have beloved mugs you don’t want to part with? Use them to hold pencils on your office desk, or for housing toothbrushes in your bathroom. That way, you don’t have to say goodbye to them—but they also don’t take up needed kitchen space.
9. Invest in Foldable Furniture
Tables, chairs, and stools all can take up precious room if they are permanent items. But these furnishings can be easily moved anytime if you choose lightweight, fold-up designs. Set them out when you need them, then collapse them and remove them to the garage or shed when not in use. Even some shelves could be foldable—a handy solution for when you have guests visiting. Unfold the shelf and place additional dishes and glassware there until you’re done entertaining.
Enjoy Your Home Lifestyle with Creative Remodeling Solutions from Local Pros
An attractive, functional kitchen design makes your world so much easier! With a fresh, spacious layout, you’ll enjoy even more the process of spending precious time with guests, entertaining, and cooking.
If your house is in need of a kitchen upgrade—or any other remodeling inside or outside—Iron River Construction is ready to serve you. See what your fellow greater Minneapolis and St. Paul area homeowners are saying about our team and our caring craftsmanship—and envision your remodeled home giving you the performance and beauty you deserve.
