The kitchen is the heart our home, and as such, it needs to be equipped with all the essentials. Appliances, pantry, storage, dining spaces, and a few necessities for entertaining as well. After all, kitchens are also normally used for gatherings
But if your kitchen is small, it can prove difficult to fit all of those elements into the space. You may not even be allowed to place a side-by-side fridge in it, let alone a built-in oven with a matching microwave. While smaller appliances don’t make your kitchen less appealing, they can be frustrating, because they might not be as high-tech as the bigger models.
And considering that an expansion isn’t always possible option, we might really have to accept the small space as it is. Fortunately, we can still make a few improvements, and maximize the efficiency of our kitchenettes in turn.
Storage Tricks
One of the most common issues in a small kitchen is the clutter. Pots and pans are piled in an awkward corner, and spice bottles are all over the place. If you open the cabinets, the stuff inside may be a mess as well.
A good trick to get rid of the clutter is to use your cabinets strategically. The day-to-day essentials should be stored in the cabinets closest to your reach. Use risers to make extra space, and so that you can store plates and pans vertically.
But don’t overfill your cabinets, either. Sort your items and snacks in categories to avoid overcrowding a single cabinet. And always leave at least one section of the shelves empty.
If you also keep your cleaning supplies in your kitchen, use the cabinet doors for extra storage. Install hooks on the inner side, and hang gloves, towels, and other lightweight items on it.
Spruce up the Cabinets
Sometimes, the inefficiency of a small kitchen can be blamed on the cabinets that are either too few, or too old that they’ve gone rickety. If your kitchen has one or both of those problems, contact your area’s most trusted cabinet maker. They’ll assess the space and decide which areas to install new cabinets on, or if your entire cabinetry needs to be replaced. Chances are they’ll find a workable space above your fridge, or in an empty nook nearby.
Another clever cabinet makeover idea is to make a slide-out prep area. This is ideal for kitchens with limited counter spaces. The slide-out prep can also store your trash can, so that it won’t be an eyesore to the space.
Organization Hacks
If your small kitchen’s functionality is pretty satisfactory, you might only need to improve your organization skills. Aside from using risers and sorting your items, you should also buy organizing tools, like a compact tea organizer, bins, plastic caddies, tiered organizers, and more. With those, you will no longer deal with messy cabinets, and finding what you need will be easier.
Make Some Areas Double-duty
Don’t have a kitchen island? Buy an over-the-sink cutting board, so your sink itself can also serve as a counter space. Give the backsplash an additional purpose as well by hanging your spatulas, ladles, and other cooking essentials on it. And don’t overlook the corners; they can accommodate open shelves, so see if you can make that happen with yours, too.
Remember that if cramped apartments can be perfectly habitable, then your small kitchen isn’t a hopeless case. There are definitely a couple of hidden gems in there, so keep improving your storage and organization skills to make the small space serve a big function.
