20 Top Tips for Maximising Your Kitchen Space
If your kitchen is cluttered, it’s time for some new kitchen organisation ideas. Here at Kit Kitchens we’ve been designing and creating new kitchens for decades – so we understand it’s less about the space you have, and more about how you use it!
Here are some top tips to reduce clutter, maximise your space, and get the best out of your kitchen.
Neat Benches
1. For a visually neat kitchen, keep those benches minimalistic and clean – but that doesn’t have to mean completely bare. Upgrade your storage solutions to make them part of your decorating, so your bench is both beautiful and ready for business.
2. Invest in some trays and stands that match your kitchen décor. You can use them to store and display different items on your countertop – cooking utensils, coffee items, fruit, dry good containers. Try to focus on just a few select items instead of loading up the bench.
3. Think upwards – a tiered tray looks cute, gives you more space, and is eminently functional. Bonus points if the tiered tray can twirl, as you can then use them in any awkward kitchen corner to organise and display your goods.
4. It’s easy to create more bench space with shelf risers. You can easily double the surface area of that section and it makes for a clean-looking display. These risers come in a massive variety of shapes and materials so you can get the look you want. Don’t just stop at the bench – risers can double your cupboard space or add another dimension to your drawers as well!
Uncluttered Cupboards
5. It’s all too easy for the under-sink storage to get a bit chaotic. Baskets and trays can help keep things together. You might want to attach a basket on the back of the cupboard door for all the small items like sponges and dishwasher tablets. Then, trays or baskets in the cupboard help keep the other products organised.
6. Sick of cramming your crockery into the cupboard? The higher you stack them, the more chance they’ll get broken. Shelf risers can come to the rescue again – maximising your cupboard space, and making it easier to organise the crockery that you have.
7. We’re so used to stacking items horizontally (and awkwardly) in cupboards, but for many items you might find your best option is vertical. Look outside the kitchen and enlist the help of a sturdy file organiser or get some specialised vertical cabinet dividers. Your baking pans, lids for plastic containers, cutting boards, and cooking pans will be safer, neater, and take up less space if you can turn them on their side instead of stacking.
8. File organisers and even magazine holders can be used in other areas as well. Choose wire holders for fresh produce, allowing lots of air flow. Or use a sturdier version to keep all those packets in place and organised. They’re easy to label, move, and replace as necessary.
Tidy Drawers
9. Drawers are perfect for kitchen organisation – they make the most of your space by allowing you to pull them out and instantly see all the way to the back. Resist the temptation to throw everything in – a bit of time spent sectioning your drawers will help you keep them neat and organised.
10. If you don’t have enough drawers, or you’d like to use your cupboards more efficiently, it’s easy to upgrade. You might want to install rolling racks that allow you to treat your cupboards as drawers. Or for a less permanent solution, consider adding some baskets that can be pulled out in the same way.
11. If you’re struggling to store all those kid-sized bowls and plates, you might find a wire dish rack is the answer. Place it in the bottom of the drawer or cabinet and start filing all those awkwardly shaped dishes away.
12. Check out the Marie Kondo folding method for some inspiration on how to store your dish towels. Spoiler alert – it’s vertical, which allows you to maximise the drawer space and easily see what you have on hand.
13. Create spaces in your drawers to give everything a home. Plastic lids can get stacked vertically in a file or rack. Drawer dividers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and will make it super simple to know exactly where to put that spatula.
Adding Storage
14. If your kitchen is on the smaller side, you have to get a bit creative when it comes to storage solutions. Look around you – with a bit of DIY, you might have more potential for maximising your space than you thought! Your walls, the back of your pantry or cupboard, the edge of your bench, the gap in between your fridge and the wall are all potential spaces for extra storage.
15. For extra space, bring in some reinforcements! A rolling cart for a coffee station, a skinny rack that fits a gap to store spices, or a moveable kitchen island lets you increase your storage potential without a fixed addition to your kitchen.
16. Utilise your wall surfaces. You could add hooks under overhead cabinets to hang mugs, a magnetic strip for knives, or pot racks to the back of the pantry. The edge of the kitchen island, the inside of the pantry door, or the splashboard are all potential candidates for hanging your kitchen tools.
17. Create a kitchen caddy with your most-used spices, oils, and condiments. You’ll have everything you need on hand, but it’s easy to tuck away out of sight when you’re done. They’re great to keep everything you need for a hot drink as well. If you buy caddies that match your décor, then they can earn a special place on the bench.
18. Where could you use some stacking drawers? The cupboard under the sink, the space at the bottom of your pantry, next to the fridge, or on top of the bench? The items you add are instantly filed away, but easily accessible when you need them.
19. Decanting your food items has many benefits – you can easily see what you have, they can stack neatly, and they look great! Do away with all those boxes and packets, and opt for attractive containers you love to use that fit perfectly with each other to maximise your space.
20. Our last kitchen organisation idea really needs to be first on your list – decluttering is a major step on your way to an organised kitchen. How long has it been since that pan was used? Have you done a really good pantry clean-out? If you have appliances that you need but aren’t in daily use, is there somewhere else in the house they can be stored more efficiently? It’s not glamorous to make sure all those plastic containers have their lids and to sort through your drawers, but it will make it so much easier when it comes time to find a space for each item.
Kitchen Organisation Ideas
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it can take just a few small hacks to make it a beautiful, functional space. Focus on getting all those kitchen tools and ingredients organised, creating extra space, and using the space you have in new and creative ways.
If your kitchen just isn’t cutting it, it’s time to talk to the experts. Kit Kitchens have decades of experience in designing and creating kitchens that perfectly fit your home and your life. You’ll be surprised at how easy and cost-effective it can be to upgrade your kitchen. Chat to us today, and we’ll help you achieve the best kitchen for your home. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
