the big little kitchen | Think Small, Live Large
Every kitchen is different, with a unique layout, set of appliances, storage needs and amount of cabinet space. To keep yours truly tidy and free of clutter you need to be able to customize the way you store things and how you keep them organized in a manner that accounts for what you actually have and how you generally use it. In a small kitchen this can often be a challenge, but there are solutions. If you’re buying new cabinets you can order all sorts of built-in systems and custom add-ons that may help and that the cabinet company may or may not offer. Or, you can dive into the wonderful world of online retail, work your way through the hundreds of storage gizmos available, try hard not to get overwhelmed by the choices, cherry pick exactly what you need, and pay a small fraction of what it would cost you to have all of those, hopefully useful, cabinet upgrades pre-installed. You decide.
Shopping for the right combination of organizational goodies you need can also be done offline. There are lots of brick-and-mortar stores where you actually can see and examine most options. These two pre-selected assortments of handy storage aids from THE CONTAINER STORE, which has non-virtual retail outlets across the U.S., are a case in point.
1. Slide-Out Spice Storage
To keep spices and condiments close at hand use this slide-out storage system from HÄFELE, available in 14- or 19-inch widths, and never have to rummage around your cupboard again. And the square shape is more space-efficient than a round carousel.
2. Wicker Baskets
Replace inefficient shelves in a couple of your cabinets with this old-world solution, also from HÄFELE, slide-out wicker baskets mounted on wooden runners. They come in two sizes, for 15- or 18-inch cabinets.
3. Add-On Shelves
To optimize the storage in your cabinets pick up some of these handy clip-on shelves from THE CONTAINER STORE that let you fill in all those empty spaces where your neatly stacked crockery reaches only halfway to the shelf above.
4. More Add-On Shelves
Or, accomplish the same thing with mini shelves from BED, BATH & BEYOND that add extra storage by building upward from the shelf below.
5. Tray Dividers
Simple dividers for storing trays or baking sheets quickly create order out of chaos. From REV-A-SHELF.
6. Drawer Dividers
An organizing basic that never goes out of style, drawer dividers are essential. This wooden tray, shown with spice insert, is from REV-A-SHELF, but alternatives are available everywhere.
7. Door-Hung Spice Rack
Every shelf cabinet is a candidate for a door-mounted rack, like this one from THE KITCHEN SOURCE, which adds storage at little cost and places frequently used items where they can be found, grabbed and put away quickly.
8. Pull-Down Storage
Hard-to-reach shelves get under used. This slick solution, the iMove, from CLEVER STORAGE, is a swing-down rack that lets you store even heavy items up in those high places.
9. Recycling Bins
The onerous, but essential and eco-friendly task of sorting your recycling is easier with this bin system from RICHELIEU, with three colors for different materials. It can be retrofitted into most 24-inch base cabinets.
10. Drawer Organizer
An easily adjustable way to keep the large items in your drawers neat and safe is to install this peg-board system from REV-A-SHELF. In multiple sizes or it can be cut to fit most drawers.
11. Deep Drawer Dividers
Dividers in shallow drawers have long been a must-have in any kitchen. You can now also get your larger, deeper drawers organized with the eminently adaptable, European “Straight-Line” system from CLEVER STORAGE.
12. Pull-Out Pantry Systems
If you have a tall pantry cabinet that needs a major upgrade, consider one of several pull-out or swing-out storage systems like this one from HÄFELE, which come in various sizes and configurations for different size and style cabinets and can be installed in about an hour.
13. Pot Storage Racks
These slide-out systems will keep most of your pots, pans and lids in one easy-to-access location and can be adapted for use in most base shelf cabinets. This one is from REV-A-SHELF, and you can find various sizes and set ups from a variety of other vendors.
14. Slide-Out Storage
The bottom shelf in many base cabinets is a wasteland of hard-to-find gear that you avoid using because it is difficult to see and access. Solve the problem with a few easy-to-install wire pullouts like these from THE CONTAINER STORE.
15. Clear Canisters
Storing perishables in clear canisters like these from OXO, prolongs their shelf-life and makes it easy for you to see how much you have left. They can also be organized more efficiently than bags or cardboard boxes. Available at CRATE AND BARREL or other retailers.
16. Slide-Out Spice Racks
Elegant pull-out spice racks from
CLEVER STORAGE can be mounted on the side of a wall cabinet to bring your spices out to you for quicker selection.
17. Freezer Storage Storage
Just because it’s not as visible as your cabinets don’t neglect the freezer compartment of your refrigerator. Grab a few of these clear mini-bins from
18. Clip-On Storage
Just as in your cabinets, space between shelves is often wasted. Make up some of the difference with these clip-on baskets. Find them on AMAZON.
19. Magnetic Knife Strip
Elegant in its simplicity, a plain magnetic strip provides the perfect place to store knives and other utensils close to your prep area but out of the way when not in use. This 16-inch model from MODERN INNOVATIONS is one of many available.
20. Wall-Mounted Pot Rack
A classic solution, hanging your pots on a rack still makes sense and frees up valuable cabinet space. A wall-mounted one with a shelf for lids, like this one from AMAZON, is better than a ceiling hung rack which adds visual clutter to a small space.
Aside from the greatly reduced costs that come with this after-the-fact shopping and fitting scenario, the big benefit when compared to the pre-ordering option, is that, it allows you to make critical decisions with the actual installed cabinets and other storage areas you have in plain sight. Needless to say, this greatly improves your chances of coming up with the a storage plan that works best for you. Plan B also allows you to rework things as your needs change over time, as you shed old things and acquire new ones, and as you add kids and then send them off to live in their own kitchens. Having a bunch of seriously inexpensive, removable and adjustable gadgets, containers and storage systems to deal with makes this ever-changing process far, far easier to deal with. Who knows, you may even let one of the kids have your prized set of storage canisters when they move on to their first apartment and start them down their own long, life-fulfilling path of kitchen organization. Here are a few choice options from among the throngs of easily-installed products on offer online or, if you prefer, in actual stores.
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