Small kitchens can be a nightmare for storage. There is so much you need to keep in the kitchen, from food to crockery, cutlery and appliances. When you’re short on space, it can make preparing meals more challenging. If you have a small kitchen that can’t be extended, some space saving ideas can help you optimise your storage and create more space.
Here are some space-saving ideas for tiny kitchens:
Create more space in your cupboard by using a pan stacker. These are cheap frames that sit inside cabinets and allow your pans to stack neatly when not in use. When you pile pans inside each other, things can get very messy, and you have to shuffle through them to get the one you want. A pan stacker keeps storage neat and makes picking a pan easy. It can also protect your pans by preventing their non-stick surfaces from scratching.
So much space can be found on your cabinet and cupboard doors. Hooks can be bought from any hardware store and mounted on walls – without any screws needed – for you to hang items like tea towels and pot lids. Free up space in your cupboards by utilising all the unused space on top.
If your cupboards are full, get yourself a trolley to stand in the kitchen. They work the same as ordinary shelves, but they are freestanding, and you can get ones with wheels to manoeuvre around the kitchen with ease. It can even double as a drinks trolley when you have friends over.
If you’re getting your kitchen renovated, you should consider having some sliding storage installed like pull-out pantries. These are narrow cupboards that take up very little room but can be used to store bulky items like bottles of oils and sauces.
The top of your cabinets is a gold mine for storage space. But it can get dusty up there, and things can fall over, making them difficult to get to. Utilise baskets lined up beside each other on top of your cabinets to give yourself more space in the kitchen.
They may be out of the way, but that space can be used for items that you don’t need that frequently, like cookbooks, extra tinfoil and appliances that are only used every so often, like plate warmers. You can add labels to your baskets, so you always know where everything is, but they won’t take up room in cupboards that are needed for everyday items.
The doors inside your cupboards can provide a lot of additional space with the easy addition of some hooks or racks. A rack could be used to store all your pan lids, chopping boards or other thin items that take up a surprising amount of room when piled in a cupboard.
Your ceiling has just as much floor space as the kitchen itself, so why not use all that space for storage? Ceiling mounted racks can be used to hang pots and pans to free up your cupboards from some of the bulkiest items. They can look great too, and you could even use them to hang herb planters, giving you an attractive and useful additional function to your kitchen.
If your kitchen has a window, you should be using the sill as storage. You may need to rejig what’s already there and think creatively to get the most out of the space. You could put some herbs there, or your favourite cookbooks or kitchen appliances. Find the bulky items taking up space and see if you can find room for it on your windowsill.
Pegboards make a great addition to a kitchen, allowing you to hang so many items onto the wall including pots, pans and utensils. It frees up your cupboards and drawers, offering you flexible storage and letting you see exactly where all your things are.
If your kitchen table is taking up far too much room, consider converting it into a fold-down table. These tables hang on the wall out of the way and can be pulled down when needed. It will give you lots more space to work with while you cook, and then you can tuck it away again once you’re finished eating.
Knife stands can take up a lot of room on a counter, and every inch of space is vital. Make some more room with a magnetic knife rack. It can be stuck onto the wall and used to hold your knives in place, freeing up your counter. It can also be used to hold up many other magnetic utensils and implements.
We hope that these ideas inspire you to create more space in your kitchen. If you’re looking to renovate your kitchen, at Panararmer, our expert kitchen fitters can plan the installation, and our team of contractors can complete the job. For kitchens in Carnforth, kitchens in Lancaster or kitchens in Kendal, contact us today to find out more.
