Maximize Small Kitchen Space with These Storage Hacks

You can get the most efficient and organized kitchen even if you have a small space with some small kitchen storage ideas. Having a small space can seem daunting, especially if you enjoy cooking or entertaining, but some strategic kitchen storage solutions and the right choices can help any kitchenette feel streamlined and welcoming. From making the most of every square inch of counter space and creating an organized pantry to getting creative with how you stow away food items, these ideas will change your tiny kitchen into a neat, fun room.

Whether it be behind-the-door storage, lazy Susans, or stackable bins, here are ideas that can help you maximize small kitchen space and stay organized.

Utilize the space under the sink

Space under the sink is often the most wasted. If you can stack bins together or use plastic drawers, store sponges, dishwasher pods, and cleaning rags. Select bins that are transparent to see what you have, so that what you have in the back is not forgotten.

Choose Drawers Over Cabinets

If you plan to remodel the kitchen but do not want to expand the layout, swap out lower cabinets for large drawers. Drawers give you better access and provide organized storage for pots, pans, and kitchen tools.

Use Fridge Real Estate Wisely

Small fridge does not have to mean disorder. Clear storage bins for clarity — Anytime food items are clear and in a bin, they are easy to see and keep organized. Plus, they can be easily stacked to utilize more vertical space, which makes your refrigerator feel neater and larger!

Choose a Specific Drawer for Kids-Storage

Kids’ plates, bowls, and utensils can nest together or be sorted neatly in deep drawers with dividers. By placing them in a low drawer, kids are able to reach what they need with little effort, fostering autonomous living while leaving the rest of your kitchen clean and uncluttered.

Add Drawer Dividers

Ditch the cluttered drawers and add handy dividers to keep everything organized. These easy additions provide a permanent home for everything, eliminate congestion, and allow drawers to open and close smoothly.

With these easy storage ideas, you will learn how to utilize your small kitchen space affordably while looking good doing it.

Keep Produce Off the Counter

dfh17may090-1-kitchen fruit storage rack kitchen organization ideas

How to organize fruits and vegetables can help you a lot in your kitchen. Creative and low-budget storage solutions, such as hanging baskets or a wall-mounted produce rack, can provide valuable counter space, and keep your kitchen looking tidy and fashionable.

All You Need To Do Is Use Your Kitchen Tools As Decor

Functional Décor for Small Kitchens

Those old-school rolling pins or wooden utensils, and rustic cutting boards you’ve held onto from your grandma can double as usable essentials and stylish décor. Show them on a blank wall and you will have the dual purpose of this unique piece of Grischun art. Magnetic hooks are also another very useful furniture option that can be used in the kitchen to hang tools in a way that they are easily accessible while also saving space.

Tension Rod Storage Hack

Tension Rod Storage Hack

Under-the-sink cleaning supplies storage is a cinch. Put a small tension rod between cabinets and hang spray bottles, with the labels right side up and easy to grab. You can keep a roll of paper towels close by by sliding a roll onto the rod. Or, use it to hang dish towels or cleaning gloves so that you get to keep your under-sink area organized and optimized.

Tea Bags in Cupboard Doors

Use the inner side of the doors of the cabinets for small-box items such as tea bags and spices. If you want to keep food and condiments organized inside your cabinet, consider adding organizers or small shelves to the door to leave the inside of the cabinet clear.

Create a Spice Storage Drawer

You could even set aside one drawer for your spices even in a small kitchen. You can see everything clearly and that means you won t accidentally buy things a second time around. It is an organized method of storing spices together.

Add in Woven Pantry Baskets

Instead, go for wired or woven baskets, which are chic yet functional to make your pantry organized. Organize your baskets with snacks, baking items or dry goods then label each basket for easy access while keeping your shelves from looking cluttered.

Add Risers for Storing Canned Goods

Use can risers to maximize vertical space in a pantry or cabinets. These nifty extras enable you to stack items neatly, so that you can see, in a snap, all that you have. Alternatively, if you want to get creative you could always use something you have and create your own risers.

Consider Adding Open Shelves for your Pots & Pans

Lacking room for kitchenware? Use a large bar with S-hooks, as you would for pots and pans, and hang it on the wall or backsplash. This not only saves up space in your drawers and pantry shelves but also gives an industrial look to your kitchens.

Add Stacking Shelves to Double Your Cabinet Space

Stacking shelves are a godsend if your cabinet feels cluttered and overstuffed. These handy tools will double your usable real estate in an instant, so you can put away your dishes, glassware, or cookware. They form layers that give your cabinet an organized and functional look.

Hang Chips with Pants Hangers

Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

We love snack food, but chip bags clutter your pantry and will be crushed. You can fix this by getting pants hangers with clips and hanging them onto the bags. They keep them off the shelf and also help preserve product freshness.

Homemade Container Lid Storage Solution

A person placing a container lid into a drying rack with other lids.
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Sick of sifting through a sea of disgusting old lids?! For a quick DIY organizer, use a cooling rack and a shallow, medium-sized plastic container. Insert lids between rungs to keep them upright and sorted. Keep the whole setup in a drawer or cabinet to pull out as needed.

Store Extra Trash Bags in the Trash Can

Trash bags at the bottom of a trashcan
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

To save yourself some time and hassle, you can stack a couple of additional garbage bags on your trash can prior to fitting in a new liner. When it’s time to toss the trash, you have a backup on deck for an easy cleanup.

How to Fold Dish Towels the Marie Kondo Way

Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Know how to organize your pile of dish towels with this folding method. Fold towels so they stand up in a drawer or basket. It keeps everything tidy, prevents tipping stacks, and allows you to see all your towels in one view.

Baskets to use in the pantry

Baskets and canisters in small pantries help maintain order. For greater efficiency, include a lazy Susan to store oil, vinegar, and/or other condiments that need easy access, while avoiding the mess of storing everything on the counter.

Hang Pots and Pans

Hang your pots and pans to free up counter and cabinet space. Use hooks or mount a rack on the wall for a functional yet chic storage solution. Use white canisters to corral smaller items, and a lazy Susan in the cabinet to make cooking essentials easily accessible.

Add Behind-the-Door Storage

Wire baskets can also be attached to the back of a pantry door or cabinet door to utilize space that is rarely used. Great for storing items like spices, snacks, or cleaning supplies, this is a great item that can be stored without taking up shelf space.

Use Clear Pantry Storage

Storage crates are chic and functional. Instead, you got fewer and none of that bulky, air-fluffed packaging that takes a bunch of extra room in your pantry. In addition, it will help you to have an overview of what exactly you have.

Turn Cabinets Into a Pantry

Your cabinets can be a substitute if you don’t have a pantry. Kitchen cabinet organizers — from pull-out shelves to stacking racks to door-mounted storage — upgrade your kitchen cabinets into the pantry-level organization.

Organize Corner Cabinets

Corner cabinets can be a devil to navigate, but with the proper organizational tools, you can fit the most in them. Maximize this space, which is often under-used by using pull-out shelves, turntables, and/or tiered organizers so you can easily access everything.

Create a Snack Drawer

small kitchen storage ideas snack drawer
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Organizing things makes it easier to find and eat snacks too — give your snacks their own drawer! Keep your drawer, bin, or basket separate from the mass!! Go ahead and use drawer dividers, bins, or baskets to hold different snack items and maintain neatness and accessibility, especially when you are pressed for time!

Store knives in narrow drawers

Chef knives and scissors are best stored in narrow drawers. Add a rack or other organizer made for that drawer to hold your sharp instruments.

Keep Household Helpers on the Back of the Pantry Door

Utilize Back of Pantry Door Maximize the use of the wasted space you have at the back of your pantries by adding storage for household essentials such as cleaning sprays, lint rollers, air fresheners, etc. If there is space behind your pantry door, install holders for a broom or dry mop so they remain out of your way while still accessible.

Mason Jars to Organize Your Drawers

Post Image
Credit: Ashley Poskin

Well for drawer organization, just repurpose the mason jar by putting them to their side. They can be nestled into most drawers and used for utensils, straws or small kitchen tools.

Hang Foil and Parchment Paper

Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Hang foil, parchment paper, and plastic wrap on the inside of a cabinet door or pantry wall to free up drawer space. This not only frees up space but also makes tearing off a sheet easy and convenient.

Use Egg Cartons For Condiments

Post Image
Credit: Lauren Volo

Keep those egg cartons and dont throw them out just yet! Cut the top and bottom away from one half and use that to line the bottom of your fridge door shelf. It is ideal for upside down condiments so you can make sure you get every last drop.

Using Command Hooks To Organize Stand Mixer Cords

Post Image
(Image credit: Melanie Rieders)

While we love a stand mixer, you can spot those cords a mile away. Attach a Command hook to the rear of your mixer, or use a cord bundler, and wrap the cable around it. This also applies to other appliances and it prevents your counter from being cluttered.

Reuse a Hanging Shoe Organizer

Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Hanging shoe organizer → multi-purpose kitchen storage Hanging it on a pantry door or any closet close by and using the pockets to hold a few water bottles, cleaning supplies, or a range of pantry essentials such as crisp snacks, spices, or even little kitchen devices.

Condiment Packet Storage in a Sponge Holder

Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Those packets from takeout you’ve been holding on to? A sponge holder is a good way to wrangle them all together. Stick one in your fridge or in a cabinet, and categorize packets by type so you can easily grab what you need. Because most condiments are shelf-stable, this is equally effective outside of the fridge.

Utilize the Sides of Cabinets

Post Image
(Image credit: Alexis Buryk)

Cabinet sides, when made available, are great opportunities for storage but are too often passed by. Add a rail and some hooks or mini shelves that will hold utensils or measuring cups or some vintage kitchen pieces, when used for storage in a space that is often left unused like this mini wall look great.

DIY a Pantry with Wall Space

Post Image
(Image credit: Devon Jarvis)

Even if you have no floor space for a literal walk-in pantry, consider creating your own horizontal space by making use of vertical wall space. Put up shelving or pegboards to keep your pantry staples, spices, or cooking staples. Shelves come in different sizes, so it is easy to get sizes that will suit your kitchen; space-wise and style-wise.

Convert Cabinets into Drawers

Drawers are installed in a cabinet
(Image credit: Ellie Arciaga Lillstrom)

Drawers are way easier to access than cabinets. Roll-out racks can be added to cabinets to create a pull-out drawer that allows easy access to items. In the same vein, as hardware changes not being a possibility, baskets create the exact same outcome while remaining streamlined.

Use Magnets for Extra Storage

Post Image
(Image credit: Julia Brenner)

The kitchen is one area where magnets can work magic. Put a magnetic strip in the cabinet to lay spices or knife tools. It keeps things you need most on hand without taking up precious counter and drawer space.

Make a Cleaning Station (Generator Plastic Bag Organizer)

Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

With a plastic bag dispenser, collecting cleaning supplies You can attach it horizontally to house spray bottles, cloths, or other items you may need when cleaning for a compact, easy cleaning station. This hack makes it all in one compact place.

Install Pull-Out Cutting Boards

Cutting boards can take up a lot of space in a kitchen, but many people find that they need more than one to accommodate different types of meal prepping. If you find that you have far too many cutting boards for your counter space, try pulling space-saving cutting boards into your kitchen cabinets instead.

Keep in mind that not too many small kitchens will have the luxury of counter space so a good and effective way to make up for this is to have pull-out cutting boards. Set up a chopping board that pulls out from a thin slot in your cupboards. And then when you are finished chopping you just slide it back in. Not only does this hack save some precious counter space, but it also gives your kitchen a clean, contemporary look.

Add Under-Shelf Baskets

Utilize the vertical room in your cupboards through the addition of under–shelf baskets. Perfect for lightweight items such as napkins, paper plates, or snacks, these wire baskets simply hook onto existing shelves. They are simple to install and remove and provide instant organization in your kitchen without the hassle of a renovation.

Clips on Cabinet Doors to Store Lids

It’s never easy to store pot and pan lids — adhesive hooks or a lid-specific organizer can help fix this problem. These hooks or clips can be attached to the inside of your cabinet doors to keep your lids there. It clears shelf space and can easily help you find the corresponding lid when you’re cooking.

Install a Magnetic Spice Rack Inside a Cupboard

Of course, magnetic spice racks are not just for the wall, if you use cabinet doors to store your spices then so can a magnetic rack! With magnet tape/rack for metal spice tins Hiding all your spices away from your view but very much still to hand is ideal if you want a clean look in your kitchen with all of your spices within reach.

Put a Dish Rack in the Cabinet

To save space, a dish rack within the cabinet can fit the plates, bowls as well as cutting boards vertically avoiding any slouching or scratches. This system also allows one to take things in and out easily without disturbing the whole stack, which is particularly useful in cabinets with adjustable shelves.

Attach Hooks to the Lower Section of the Upper Cabinets

This space that few think of is actually a great space for hanging items. Put hooks on the wall, then hang mugs, whisks, or lightweight kitchen tools. Not only does it save you some drawer space, but it also looks good on your counter.

Dry Goods Stackable Canisters

Stackable containers are a pantry-changing game. Put them to use holding rice, pasta, lentils, and other dry goods. It helps that they all have a clear design so you can tell exactly how much you have and that stacking them saves valuable shelf space. Give them a label, for ease of usage, for an organized appearance.

Add a Slim Cart Between Appliances

A narrow rolling cart is a great way to fill those little spaces between an appliance and the wall! They are great to keep inside the pantry for storing pantry staples, while spices or cooking oil can be stored in carts that can be pulled out easily when required. These make you a life savior when you have a small kitchen with every inch gets important.

Generate a Rail System for the Vessels

A rail system secured to your backsplash or kitchen wall can hold everything from kitchen utensils to small pots to hanging baskets filled with herbs. S-hooks can be adjusted to whatever you want to hang and whatever area you want to have it hang in, allowing you to have your cooking tools always available without using up drawer space.

Label Everything

This one really isn’t that aesthetic, but keeping your kitchen neat is more than an aesthetic—it is just plain smart. Label all the jars, baskets, and bins to denote where what is. This ensures that you save time and also do not repeat your grocery shopping. More importantly, it helps your kitchen to remain visually pleasant and practical.

Add a Folding Kitchen Table

If the size of your kitchen is small, then a folding table is used as a life-saver. Put up a foldable wall table that you can fold down to rest when you are not at the table. It gives you more space to work your meals or eat without committing to permanent real estate in your kitchen.

Install Corner Shelves

Kitchens often have unused corner spaces that are ideal for constructing small triangular shelves. Use to showcase cookbooks, jars, or even small plants to add some greenery too. Get a shelf — these beauties pull double duty as both decor and storage, a total win.

Second, Stackable Drawer Organizers

Deep drawers can get quite messy if not organized well. To add increasing levels of storage, utilize stackable drawer organizers. Even the deepest drawers can be divided for access and visibility, making them ideal for utensils, measuring cups, or baking tools.

Install a Hidden Trash Drawer

This pull-out trash bin will help keep your trash can from taking up valuable floor space in your kitchen, and instead, a lower cabinet. That hides your trash, minimizes odors, and frees up precious counter space, leaving your kitchen looking cleaner and more resourceful.

Add a Pegboard for Cookware

Pegboards are great in small kitchens too, and they aren’t just for the garage. Mount one on a wall to hang pots, pans, or cooking implements. Pegboards are also adjustable, allowing you to reposition the pegs as needed based on your storage requirements. They are a rustic, compact solution in your kitchen that does not burn a hole in your pocket.

Overwhelmed about where even to begin organizing your tiny kitchen? Whether you need lazy Susans, stackable bins, behind-the-door storage, or even more creative options—these clever kitchen storage solutions will help you utilize every inch of space in a functional yet stylish way. Whatever it is for you from taking the area under the sink to having a well-organized pantry, we have listed these small kitchen storage ideas for your kitchen to make it a tidy and efficient one.

Regardless of how small your cooking area is, you could have the ability to offer the greatest kitchen area free of clutter and inviting — perfect for making meals, amusement, or redundant — with a small amount of creative thinking and preparing.

Leave a Comment