I recently moved from a 3 bedroom house to a single wide mobile home. I found I have much less storage space in my kitchen so this is what I did. I don't use my oven regularly, so I store my pots and pans and lids in the oven. In order to cut costs on my electric and water bills, I do not use the dishwasher.
This puts everything in a place, out of sight, and everything is quickly reachable. This worked so well that I bought a small roll of that rubber mesh used for shelves and cut it to fit the top tray so the measuring spoons and other small items wouldn't fall through. Works great.
By Clynn Altemus from Inglis, FL
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My husband constructed two wooden cutting boards to fit my double sink to increase my counter space. The stove is to the left of the double sink; there is no space to the left of the stove for cooking preparation.
I adapted instructions for a vinyl molding spice rack to fit my space. I used the space just between the counter top and the cabinets.
My kitchen has lots of floor space, but hardly any cabinet or counter top space. I use a chest of drawers to give me extra counter and storage.
I had this handy dollar store over-the-door hook. I wanted to hang it over the top of my cupboard next to the stove for hot pads and towels. But, I have the kind of cupboards that are not square on top.
My passion is my kitchen and making it easier to work in, as it is small. I just try different things. I bought one of a set of square boxes from the hardware store, and put it on my upper counter to give me a space to slide things in.
I was about to lose it before a dinner party when I ran out of counter space. I opened my utensil drawer and laid my cutting board on top and it was the perfect fit.
I helped a friend move into her first house since a divorce. To say she downsized would be an understatement. Counter space is of a premium to be sure. So, to consolidate two things, I suggested these two options.
Cutting boards and pan lids were always particularly difficult to store, until I found that the upright manila file storage racks sold for office organization work great for upright kitchen storage.
To match my kitchen, I have a glass cutting board on a plate hanger right at my counter. Near my table is another with place mats, and two hot plates for the table in a multi-level plate hanger.
In addition to making a magnetic knife holder, I also purchased little magnetic spice canisters to hold the spices I use most often. Like the ones that I have recently dried from the garden, or that are "over flow" spices that I bought extra of, like exotic peppers or salts.
I use an oval metal planter that has a plastic lining by my kitchen sink for my hand soap container, dishwashing soap container, stoppers, and scrubbers. They are all in one place and in a decorative container.
I have a very small computer desk that didn't have enough surface space. It has one drawer. I had a small metal cookie sheet that I wasn't using, so I covered it with a piece of an old plastic tablecloth.
I live in a very small house and the kitchen is tiny. I do a lot of freezer cooking and holiday baking so I never have enough counter space for everything.
I was reorganizing my limited kitchen drawer space (5 in the entire kitchen). I needed to have a place for my plastic storage bags, waxed paper, plastic wrap, and what have you. So I bought a plastic shoe bag that hang in a closet at the thrift store.
If you run out of room on your kitchen counter, place your cutting board on top of your sink basin, or pull out a drawer and place the cutting board on top of it.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My kitchen in my apartment is very old and very small. More like tiny. I only have 1 drawer, 3 cabinets, and about 2 square feet of counter space. I don't know where to put anything.
By Ginn from Tuscaloosa, AL
You can get kitchen "utility carts" in many styles and sizes. They're on wheels, so you can move them where you need them. Some are open shelves, some are enclosed with drawers and doors. These can let you store small appliances, etc. and move them out of the way when you don't need them. Many come with a wood, cutting board top.
Keep stovetop utensils in a crock at the stove. Store large flat objects like cookie sheets in the stove drawer, if there is one. If you're allowed, install a hanging rack for pots/pans. Store cleaning products elsewhere, and use the under-sink space for kitchen storage. You may need to clean it thoroughly and line the bottom with shelf-liner. If you don't use items daily, or at least often, store them elsewhere in the apartment. Get some underbed boxes and keep stuff there easy access, but out of the way.
Scour the local thrift stores, you may find several utility carts. If they're not pretty, you can add a fabric "curtain" all around it.
Good luck.
I store my baking pans in the oven and my pots, kettles, and skillets in the drawer.
I feel your pain; if two of us are in the kitchen here, someone has to back up so the other can leave. We bought an inexpensive sideboard which lives in our entry way, and it's doubled the kitchen storage.
Apartment Therapy has posted oodles of articles on this subject:
www.apartmenttherapy.com/
They've done a lot of articles on organizing for any room in virtually any size and most recently they had a contest for "Small Cool" apartments that range from under 400 sq ft to 1000 sq ft (link is at the top right now). Those entries may help you as well. Lots of great ideas to pull from their site even if the decor (seems to be mostly mid-century modern) isn't your style.
Hope that helps.
I would store what you don't need daily and find creative ways to maybe hang your pots on the wall. There are cute copper pot hanging accessories in stores. Also, use shelving and other creative storage devices in the drawers and cabinets to maximize your space. Places like the Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond have space saving gadgets that may help you to extend your limited space. Good luck.
Thanks guys! Great ideas! I am definitely going to install some shelving, put pans in the oven drawer, and I am totally loving this apartment therapy website. Thanks to all!
You don't really need a lot of pots and pans. An electric skillet can be used to cook soup, rice, scrambled eggs, chicken, pancakes, fritters, a roast, steak...almost anything! All you need is a plastic spatula and a fork, spoon and knife. Use disposable aluminum pans from the dollar store for baking, too. Use a small bowl (for eating out of) stored inside a larger mixing bowl for baking. Most often used utensils can be hung by nails from the cabinet doors if they are wood. All the best!
That is so true! I never really thought about that! Heck, maybe I should just rid myself of the awful stove too! Thanks Cathy S!
I am moving to a new place and unfortunately the kitchen has little storage space, no kitchen cabinets and little counter space. Does anyone have solutions or ideas for what to do in place of cabinets or how to go about putting in some?
Thanks so much.
By Laurie C.
Make a pot hanger: you need two heavy-duty screw eyes, one piece of rebar, and some large S-hooks. Choose a location for pot rack so dangling pots will not get in your way. Screw the eyes into your ceiling, about one yard apart. Thread the rebar through, crimp on the S-hooks (or purchase potrack hooks, pricey), and hang up your pots. For kitchen utensils, get a strip of wood about 5" across and 2' long; screw it to the wall at a good height. Hammer in some finishing nails (you can do this beforehand), staggering them in three rows, not too close together. If you have floor space, get some benches or bricks and plywood as a base, and put some cabinets on them; the surface top of these cabinets will be your new counter space. Cover it with anything until something better comes along. You can put boxes under the cabinet, and things inside (table cloth, bowls, cutting boards). Leave a space between two cabinets for your cookie sheets. If your kitchen is really small, you might not have that extra floor space. You can get a fold-out ironing board as an extra counter. A small kitchen is nice and saves steps! If you have any cabinets at all, consider taking off a door or two for an open cabinet and shelf look. I am describing my kitchen, of course! LOL.
If you want wall cabinets, check with a construction salvage place, your County dump recycling department, and check with a cabinet shop to see if they have discarded cabinets. If you buy at Home Depot, there are a million tiny screws, it's a huge pain in the somewhere to assemble cabinets, so get someone to help you. For the time being, you can use a shelf system using boards from the lumbar yard and brackets which are screwed in, several types of systems for this.
One place, long ago that I moved into, had a stove, refrigerator, tiny table and no cabinets. I paid 2.00 for an open bookcase and hung it on the wall closest to the table. For the pans I had one of those cheap metal filing cabinets and all my pots in one and pans in the other. If you have wall space take a board and put it across a blank part of the wall. It has to be long enough to reach from stud to stud (what the sheet rock is nailed to) and in your case I suspect they are 18 inches on center. Put up the board (just screw or nail it to the wall) I painted mine white and then I went to the store and bought large fish hooks. Broke off the very end of the barb and screwed them through the eye of the fish hook to the board I put up. If you need a diagram and you'd like to try it, I will be glad to furnish you one even if you don't understand. It is the cheapest way to go and I now live in a brick home but still use the fishhooks to hold my iron frying pans.
I've had a wall mount plate rack for years and would never give it up! It stores all my plates, some mugs and some bowls. They can be a few hundred dollars but if you shop around and get one used you could get lucky, try ebay or craiglist.org.
www.infobarrel.com/
I found a used buffet (sometimes called a sideboard). It has larger openings at either end with doors on them and a shelf inside. Down the center are drawers. I had a piece of glass cut to fit the top (cost maybe $25) and placed a pretty pice of fabric between the glass and wood. You woundn't have to have the glass, but this is a really pretty piece of furniture and I don't want to scratch the top since I use it like a counter top.
I have a very small kitchen and do not have any space for a dinette table and 4 chairs. I only have 2 adults in my family, and was wondering if there anything else I could use for a table. I thought about a small portable card table, but wanted to get your suggestions first.
By K. Cooper
By Patty Zion
By Marian
By Greta
Hello,
I have a large magnet I keep my recipes clipped to on top of my stove fan. Works great. I keep several there at a time.
I also keep a typed list of recipes I use often.. (also listing the c-book they can be found in.) taped inside my cupboard door.
One c-board door is painted with chaulk paint for my groc . list.
I just started a recipe cllection for my 10 yr old daughter. I write the recipe cards out and simply insert into the album. Easily kept clean by the wipe off sheet.
Lisa , Ia.
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I am learning to cook and have bought several spices and have a small kitchen. I need to know the best way to organize them without them looking cluttered.
I would also like storage ideas for the kitchen in my new flat, as it is very small. Many thanks.
I have very limited space in my kitchen for storage, and no counter space. I have two bakers racks for my microwave, small appliances and other kitchen items. It feels so cluttered to me. Any ideas how I can organize?
