Photo Source: Lowes.ca
Are you storing cookies in the microwave? Do you wonder where your sink went? Don’t worry, there are a lot of strategies for finding storage space in even the tiniest kitchen.
The trick to having enough kitchen storage, and making the kitchen look great, is to maximize the space that’s available. So the first thing you might want to ask is, do I really need everything that’s in this kitchen? Make a general sweep of the whole room, looking in every cabinet, drawer, and other storage area. You’ll probably find a lot of items you could throw out, like the three-year old molasses from when you were going to make gingerbread men. Some people have heirloom dinnerware in the kitchen that they only use once a year. That could be stored in a closet somewhere in the house where there’s more room.
Why not Hang Utensils
Another great way to make space available is to hang things on the wall. Kitchens often have a lot of unused wall space. Knives sometimes come in a nice holder you can hang up, and you can hang big kitchen utensils in a basket or on a pegboard. Kitchen towels can also hang up in a basket; you can get nice-looking baskets. If you have a lot of spices in a drawer, you can put them in a wall-mounted spice rack.
Use of Shelves
You can free up a lot of space by putting up shelves. Shelves can hold a multitude of small, light items that quickly fill cabinets and drawers. They can be conveniently located near prep areas; don’t put them over the stove, though. You can even put your microwave on a shelf if it’s sturdy enough, and if it’s easily reachable.
If you have a kitchen island, it’s probably bigger than you really need for food preparation, so it can take on some storage jobs. You can put large items like bread, onions or potatoes in baskets on the island. That way they’re handy for cooking, too. Don’t overload the island, though, or pretty soon it’ll look cluttered.
Now that a lot of cabinet and drawer space is cleared out, you can think about using these areas more efficiently. One way to do this is by taking advantage of vertical space, for example by stacking. Fit smaller items into bigger ones whenever possible, like your saucepans, frying pans and baking sheets. Also you can get plastic cabinet shelves to put in your cabinets for short items, so you can have two or three levels of them. One problem people often have in the glass cabinet is with wine glasses that bow out and take up room. A trick for that is to turn every other glass upside down, so that they almost fit together.
Dual cabinets and cabinet dividers are a great way to optimize your kitchen space and help with creating a luxury kitchen design to your home. You can also get cabinet dividers in a range of sizes and shapes.
It’s important to keep the kitchen organized and clutter-free, as you realize when you can’t find the cinnamon anywhere. The best way to do that is to use your storage space efficiently. That way the kitchen looks better, and it’s easier to keep clean, which actually makes it safer. And you won’t wonder how long you’ve had that box of animal crackers in the back of the cabinet.
Susan Quinn is a freelance blogger and writes in such topics as home improvements and interior design
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