For city dwellers and those living in other well-compacted homes, a small kitchen is often a fact of life. In many ways, tiny kitchens, like any other small space in your home, can be both a challenge and a blessing. While managing to incorporate every element you need into an extremely confined area can present difficulties, it also makes it much easier to realize what you need and where you can cut the excess.
If arranged properly, a small kitchen is a great way to prevent clutter. Here are some helpful hints for making the most out of your petite cookery.
- Storage is your best friend. As you already know from living in a smaller home, it’s extremely important to create extra storage space wherever possible. While at first it may seem impossible, there are plenty of places for hidden compartments – such as toe-kick drawers and recessed shelving.
- Use wall space. Instead of taking up precious drawer space, hang knives and other cutlery on a magnetic strip on the wall. Make use of pot racks to free up cupboards and use as much of your vertical space as possible by storing baskets, mixing bowls and other items in the space between the cupboards and ceiling.
- Strip down. Get rid of everything you don’t need or rarely use. For example, if you live alone or with just one other person, then you probably don’t need ten different casserole dishes. You also don’t need twenty plates or thirty glasses. Select just what you need and sell or donate the rest.
- Take storage outside the kitchen. If you have larger items that you only use occasionally, such as a commercial mixer or crock pot, find other places to keep them. Unless your guests start rummaging through your things, no one will ever know that your linen closet also doubles as a secondary pantry. When it comes to small spaces, sometimes it takes a little creativity to get practical.
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