Are you thinking about updating your kitchen in an effort to reclaim some much-needed workspace? This quick guide can help! We’ll take you through a tour of the kitchen, suggesting helpful ways to increase space as we go. Working in a tiny kitchen is an adventure and organization is just part of it!
Counter and Cabinets
Clearing off the countertops is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of ways to increase the amount of workspace in a small kitchen, so that’s where this guide will start. Think big first: it’s amazing how much space we give up to coffee makers, cookie jars, and general decorations. You might decide to replace your bulky coffee maker with a streamlined French press, or trade in the toaster oven for smart cookware to recreate the same effect with your ordinary oven.
Reclaiming cabinet space is just as important as clearing the countertops. After all, where are you going put all that stuff after you finish the de-cluttering process? Organizing the cabinets is actually kind of fun and very inexpensive. Look for pullout lid organizers for your lids and organizing racks for your cutting boards and baking pans (you save much more usable space this way than by laying them flat).
Most home accessory stores have tons of unique storage options but homeowners rarely want to mess with the sizing – that’s why we always suggest checking a store’s online selection to see the full range of options or to check for custom sizing availability. If you haven’t been organizer shopping for a while, it might be time to see the most current technologies because you’d be surprised how many foldout, pull-down, and adjustable organizers are on the market these days.
Creating a Multi-Purpose Sink Space
Most people see the sink as a necessity and don’t necessarily consider it as a candidate for space reclamation but it’s actually a great place to begin! While it is always preferable to choose the smallest possible sink for your purposes, sometimes there isn’t an option to replace the one you have. Never fear! You can make even the most space-wasting sink more useful with just a few steps.
Placing a specially fit chopping board over sink basin is a great way to increase the overall workspace in your kitchen. Covering the sink reclaims feet of space, not inches! Look for something that is easy to store but still sturdy and heavy enough to stay in place while you chop and dice or arrange food for serving.
While the chopping block sink cover will make a huge difference, there are several other ways to improve the versatility of your sink as a workspace: starting with reducing the clutter of sink-related tools. Those sponges, cleaning liquids, drain stoppers, and other miscellanea can start to encroach on other areas of the kitchen. Try a cleaning caddy for ultimate portability and organization.
Storage Units
Storage is so much fun! Shopping for storage accessories is an adventure but with good measurements and a good idea of what you need to store, you should be able to pick out some awesome organizing accessories. Look into shelves, hanging racks, hooks – whatever you can find! As with the under-counter organizers, it’s impossible to anticipate the possibilities until you get out there to look. We suggest starting with the corner of the room.
Consider replacing an ordinary prep table with a rolling cart topped by a chopping block. Make sure that it has plenty of shelves for storage underneath. Use this as a portable workstation (assuming you have a space to use it). It can serve as ordinary storage when you don’t need the extra workspace. This is where you can keep all the best kitchen gadgets you use every day.
Use ordinary baskets on the shelves to give more depth to your storage area. Instead of lining things up and suffering with the loss of vertical storage space that goes with it, you can neatly arrange your everyday goods in the baskets while making the shelves look neater by virtue of stylistic coordination.
Are you getting excited? Your newly organized kitchen is sure to provide hours of culinary enjoyment, so the weekend you invest in arranging it is sure to provide a good return on investment.