When it comes to space-saving kitchen ideas, we’re partial to a few hardworking concepts that’ll keep your kitchen in great working order from how to store baking sheets to organizing your utensil drawer, plus everything in between and beyond. Read on for our favorite tips on how to make your kitchen work for YOU.
Kitchen Space Saving Tips
Many kitchen space-saving ideas can be accomplished with the existing cabinetry in your home and our favorite space-saving tips. There are innumerable hacks for storing spices cleverly or making the best use of the space beneath your sink for things like cleaning supplies and garbage bags, but here are a few of our favorite space-saving kitchen ideas to help get you started even if you’re working with cabinets and drawers that weren’t built exactly to your specifications.
Go Marie Kondo on your kitchen and pantry. Toss the things that aren’t sparking joy or serving you regularly. This means food, utensils, gadgets, dishes, and even pots and pans. This way you’ll have the space you need for the stuff you utilize daily or at least be able to easily find things when you do need them on that rare occasion. Once everything is cleared out, find jars, canisters, or baskets that work for what you use and label them clearly for ease of use and eye-candy organization.
Image Source: Fashion Quarterly
Find clever organizers for inside drawers and cabinets. Now that you’ve cleared out stuff you don’t really need, get yourself some tools to keep even the hidden parts of your kitchen clean and organized. You simply can’t skip inside drawers and cupboards—even though they’re tucked away, you’ll be shocked at the difference a neatly organized junk or utensil drawer can make a person feel and the overall sense of ease it lends your entire kitchen. Now let that idea spread to spices, baking sheets, and cleaning supplies.
Don’t be afraid to add to or change what exists. Just because what’s already there “works,” doesn’t mean you can’t improve on it. Whether that means adding floating or open shelves, opening up an island to create easy access storage for things like cookbooks, or even adding a functional backsplash to really utilize every inch of your kitchen—it’s up to you and the specific needs of your household.
Space Saving Kitchen Ideas
While all those “after-market” organizational tools and ideas are awesome, we’re partial to custom kitchen cabinetry that utilizes your particular space most effectively from the get-go. This means designing upper cabinets, lower cabinets, kitchen islands, and other kitchen built-ins that maximize the functionality of your kitchen and still look amazing, no matter your home’s size or shape.
For instance, if your kitchen isn’t large and you’re concerned about losing counter space, consider having a vertical kitchen cabinet built close to the sink for storing dishes. This way, you not only draw the eye up in what may feel like a smaller kitchen, but you leave more room for food, food preparation, and appliances on your counters, in your kitchen island, or in a built-in buffet.
It seems like every kitchen has some small, seemingly impossible-to-reach nook that often goes to waste, storing “lost” and forgotten items and doing your kitchen a total disservice. But if you identify where that space would be in your upcoming kitchen, pinpoint it and force it into functional space. Like this one, perfect for storing cooking oils or wine bottles.
Now, if you’re working with a large kitchen, it doesn’t mean that you should just waste space either. Clever use of custom kitchen cabinetry is still key, even when you have room to spare, because space-saving kitchen ideas aren’t just about filling in every gap or leaving tons of “white space.” They’re about making every part of your kitchen work for you.
If you’ve got the room, this is when considering why something like a double kitchen island design could work perfectly for your home. Think of one island purely as a kitchen workhorse, while the other can be left open for in-kitchen dining, chatting with guests while you prepare a meal, or even a nice open study space for your kids. All while both kitchen islands provide plenty of hidden space for implementing other space-saving kitchen ideas (cookbooks, pots and pans, serving ware, etc.).
Having a large kitchen can also present a great opportunity for creating a walk-in pantry or custom built-in office desk, which, again, will maximize your kitchen space and keep things as organized as possible.
Kitchen Organization And Space Saving
The most important thing to think about when coming up with space-saving kitchen ideas and kitchen organization is what you believe your specific pain points and passions are, and then to design around those.
For instance, if you know upfront that you want to hide things like garbage and recycling bins, you’ll want a cabinet that can house a pullout drawer for both those things. You could also consider building your dishwasher right into the cabinetry with a false cabinet door to create a more seamless look in your kitchen.
If you have serving dishes or appliances that you want tucked away but still have easy access to, why not have a custom kitchen built in designed and created for exactly those things. You also open up more counter and workspace, which seemingly everyone needs in a kitchen.
While there are plenty of ways to cleverly store dishes and stemware so they stay pristine within kitchen cabinetry, why not try open shelving or a custom decorate plate rack that matches your cabinetry perfectly to save space in your kitchen and put your pretty things on display?
If you’re a chef-in-the-making, do not leave the space around your stove and ovens unchecked when it comes to space-saving kitchen ideas. Storing things like spices, baking sheets (think vertical drawers flanking the oven), and even pots and pans can be done beautifully and functionally with the right custom cabinetry design.
As with most quandaries, the ultimate space-saving kitchen ideas and solutions come down to the custom needs of each individual or family—which is where we’re more than happy to help. Our expert designers and cabinet-makers know what it means to maximize space, functionality, and beauty, all in one perfect cabinetry plan.
You can see more of my design projects—kitchens, bathrooms, built-ins, and furniture—on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest. Or check out the Christopher Scott Cabinetry and Design Portfolio.
Contact us to find out more about how we can help with your next built-in cabinetry project!
