6 ways to create more space in a small kitchen • Seldom Random

No matter how little I cook, I keep growing my collection of all kinds of culinary bits and bobs. Although, it is technically not small, I have limited storage in my kitchen. Even the cabinets are not as deep as I think they should be. I knew from early on that I would need to find ways to stretch out the available real estate. So here are my 6 easy ways to create more space in a small kitchen.

1. Plate stands to create more space for kitchen necessities

This may be a no-brainer, but these platforms are an absolute must for every small kitchen! There is no better way to safely organize your dishes. In my case I use them to separate entree from salad plates on one side and organize various bowls and small dishes on the other. Even the space between them is great for storing smaller vessels. And, the shelves look a little bare, because I was in the middle of a dishwasher load when this photo was taken.

I found my stands at ALDI of all places and they were very well priced at $4.99. I liked the light gray color, but what really sold them for me was that the top panels are made out of a strong mesh instead of widely-spaced bars that I kept seeing in all home design places.

2. Under-the-sink organization

Interestingly enough, I organized this space over a year ago and it is such a functional solution that I never changed anything about it. Since I consider myself an expert mess maker, keeping this space under control is a feat in its own right.

I like to call this method Organized Chaos, and that is because the goal is not to align items perfectly, but to group them in a container. This way, when I take something out, I just need to put it back where I got it. No additional work is needed, because the item is back in its designated location.

Not for the super organized!

Basically, this solution is for people like me, who are very good at making a mess, and need an easy way to keep their cleaning supplies organized. It is NOT for people who like to use their labeler or organize items by size and purpose. Nothing wrong with that (and I am a little jealous of those who do it in such detail), but that is just not me.

First, I used foam liner to protect the cabinet from any potential leaks. My cabinets are new, so I used Clorox Mold & Mildew Protection. It may have been overkill, but that is ok.

Then, I used IKEA Torkis basket and placed all of my cleaning supplies in it. The beauty of this method is that I did not need to arrange bottles in any specific way. This makes things so much easier for me as all of the cleaning supplies are contained in one space. I take something out of the basket and put it back in the basket without needing to put it in a predetermined space or arrange anything.

Most of the time, I bring reusable bags when grocery shopping. But sometimes I forget. I always ask for paper at checkout and use the bags for recycling. To keep those contained, I fold them and stuff them in the smallest paper bag to keep them all together.

Then in the leftover space, I store garbage bags, Lenny’s bath tub, and one paper bag for actual recyclables. In the very back, I usually have a bag of soil and charcoal for my plants.

3. Adding Furniture to add storage space

Adding functional furniture to add storage in a kitchen may not be a solution for everyone. However, if you can get away with even a small cabinet, go for it.

Luckily, I had plenty of space on the far end of my kitchen that was meant for a breakfast nook. Because of the open concept of my home, I did not need another table. What I did need was somewhere to store all of my kitchen gadgets.

I have featured my navy blue buffet in a lot of my posts, most recently in my Coffee Station Reveal. But I never actually showed how much of my “cooking arsenal” I am able to hide in this one piece. This buffet is not huge by any means, but surprisingly has enough space to hold a lot of my sizable machinery.

Hopefully soon, some of these will be replaced with multi function gadgets, so I can free up some real estate to keep organizing.

4. Mug Racks and Wall shelves

Can someone really have too many mugs? Recently, I gave away some of my glassware to make room for mugs. Yes, that is how serious I am about my hot goodness vessels.

So when I was organizing my Coffee and Tea Station, I knew I had to incorporate my mugs somehow. And after entertaining a few ideas, I ended up getting a mug rack that added some flare to the space, but even more importantly freed up some room in my cupboard. In essence, I found a simple, yet cute way to add more space in a small kitchen. For more mugs? Perhaps!

However, I understand that mugs are not everyone’s obsession. All you bowl lovers and cookbook collectors with even the smallest free wall space can use wall shelves to store your favorite goodies. Here is just one example, but truly when it comes to choosing shelves – sky’s the limit.

Need a basket for your shelf? You want a shelf made of baskets? Go for it. Use your imagination and make your organization dreams run wild.

5. Kitchen Items that double as decor

Having a smaller kitchen and/or limited counter and space is challenging. A lot of items, even the ones you use daily can make the space look cluttered and in constant state of disarray.

There are two things to keep in mind to have the space under control (unlike my magnet collection on the fridge):

Keep things on the counter at the very minimum
Use items that are functional, but can double as decor

So what do my kitchen counters look like?

Overcrowding the counters will make the space look cluttered in a jiffy, not to mention that it would limit already scarce work surfaces.

For example, I keep my toaster in the pantry and bring it out only when I need to use it. I just don’t have the space to keep it permanently on the counter.

Then, after three years, I decided to get rid of my knife block. It was taking up way too much real estate, and I had plenty of room in my utensil drawer. So knives joined the rest of the cutlery and the chunky wooden block got put away out of sight. With this simple change, I freed up so much of the counter space. I only wish I had done it sooner.

Like so many open concept homes, I have a galley kitchen. This means that I have cabinets on two opposite walls with four main countertop spaces divided by a stove one one side and the kitchen sink on the other. This simple design also cuts up the work surfaces and doesn’t allow me to spread out too much when trying more complex recipes.

Taming the paper

To the left of the stove, I placed a simple gold wire basket that, if left unmanaged, tends to overflow with mail and random papers. I used a “see-through” wire basket specifically to stay on top of the mail and avoid creating a pileup. I am not sure if I can say I succeeded in taming the infinite influx of junk, but I try.

Cooking Essentials

Right next to it I created a pretty little vignette I love so much. And I made sure that each piece had the looks AND function – from the resin salt and pepper shakers, oil and vinegar bottles to cookbooks. They all sit on a marble cheese board, that serves to define the vignette area, but can also be used to serve cheese when the occasion arises.

Squeaky Clean

On the other side, by the sink, I kept only the basics. I thrifted a Target Threshold trey that looked good in my kitchen (black on the outside and teal/blue on the inside). Obviously, soap is a must in the kitchen, so I placed a hand soap bottle closest to the faucet. Next, I added a reed diffuser, and finished off with a sponge, a scrubber and the garlic-shaped stainless steel odor absorber. My dish soap for hand washing is under the sink, because I mostly use my dishwasher and doesn’t

Extra tip

Instead of buying a soap bottle and soap separately, I find liquid soaps in high quality vessels and keep the container for future use. You’re welcome! 🙂 I found this soap at Home Goods for $4.99. It smelled great, but more importantly it came in a frosted glass bottle with a metal pump. I like this container so much better than any of the ones I saw in the bath section, and I saved cash on buying a bottle and soap separately.

And, five years later, I still love my clear acrylic paper towel holder.

Vitamin corner

My fruit bowl is massive, and it may go against the whole idea of having bigger work surfaces. However, I managed to tuck it into a corner that is not truly accessible or usable. And that bowl is just so cool, I had to make room for it.

And for some fun, I added a succulent and a Buddha on the window sill. Buddha is actually a cocktail vessel that I use as a vase. Bur when I don’t have flowers, it just sits there looking pretty.

6. Don’t forget the top of the cabinets

My cabinets do not go up to the ceiling, making my small kitchen cabinet space even smaller and in need of more creative solutions. At first, I was not a fan of it. I even looked into extending them a bit. But, being horizontally challenged, I figured I’d never use those top cabinets anyway, so I decided to hold off. And then, when I got my favorite vase, I was facing the challenge of storing it. And this is when I got the idea to put my glass treasure on top of the cabinet and display it like in a gallery. I just needed a platform of some kind to add height, so the whole vase would be visible. My MacBook Air box was just what I needed and – VOILA!

Final Thought on trying to make more space in a small kitchen

There really is no mathematical formula that will solve every kitchen’s space issues. The best thing to do is evaluate your own needs and how they can best be met in the space and go from there.