Design and decorating hacks and ideas to make a small kitchen live large
We’re not talking hiding your sweaters in it, a la Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw—but there’s no shame in keeping lesser-used pots and pans in the stove, and hauling them out only when you need to. Bonus: It’s storage space you already have (read: free!), rather than furniture you need to buy.
Put shelving above the door, above the fridge, above the window...If you stand in your kitchen and look hard enough for unused storage space, we bet you’ll spy plenty of it. Keep only your most-used tools, bowls, and dishware on these open shelves to avoid dust.
No room to slice and dice? No problem, if you have a cutting board meant for over-sink use, like these options from Wayfair. This set-up maximizes your counter space, and allows you to toss errant scraps right into the sink.
The company that tailor-makes storage solutions for a living surely has plenty for you, be it rolling shelves, glass food containers, or magnetic spice racks that stick to your fridge. Measure your kitchen before you go to get exactly what you need.
A hanging pot rack is a great way to reclaim space, while a simple bar attached to a cabinet can be a prime hangout spot for your whisks, tongs, strainers—you name it. Heavily-used items are within arm’s reach at all times, and the rack makes you look as efficient as Alice Waters to boot.
Turn even the tiniest kitchen into a jewel box space by painting the cabinets a saturated hue—purple, blue, green—then adding timeless brass cabinet pulls and handles. It’s a significant change that won’t take more than a weekend.
If you feel squished, sometimes the simplest solution is opening up your cabinets and providing the illusion of more space. Hate open cabinetry? Consider replacing a few of the doors with glass, to get dust-protection combined with an open feel.
Under-cabinet lights are both ambient and provide necessary task lighting when your dinner party menu was supposed to be on the table...an hour ago. We love the way they make even an inexpensive kitchen feel a little luxe.
No hideous, branded boxes should be seen anywhere in your kitchen, not when glamorous storage solutions exist that will make everything look minimalist-marvelous. Pop for some dishwasher-safe glass containers or translucent baskets that won’t go out of style, and you’ll never regret it.