We live a beautiful little house that was built in 1929. There’s lots to love about it – glass doorknobs, archways, pretty patterned plaster walls. But it definitely comes with its challenges too – like the loud doors, the lack of closets, and, of course, our tiny kitchen.
It’s interesting, because there’s a door that would go from the kitchen to the hall outside, but you can’t go through it, because there’s an oven there. Obviously they were lacking some appliances back in the day.
So naturally, creativity was key in making the space work well in modern times. Luckily, the previous owner had left us with some fantastic ways of saving space. Here are some ways to maximize the space you do have in your little kitchen.
Get Creative with the Space You Have. We had a little breakfast nook off to one side of our kitchen, but the previous owner built cabinets to fill up part of that space. Sure, I love the idea of a breakfast nook, but what I love more is having storage – and pretty storage at that.
Wall Organizer. This rack is perfect for the overflow items that you need to have handy, but tend to get left any and everywhere, taking up valuable real estate. Those items include spices, potholders, paper towels, olive oil, etc. Pottery Barn has some great options (love the iPad dock).
Pot Rack. This rack is a lifesaver. It’s hung above the sink, so it’s not in the way of anything, and makes grabbing the right pan a snap (as opposed to making a clattering mess as I dig through my cabinet). Target sells this one that comes with an extra shelf!
Hanging Wine Glass Rack. You can see the theme, right? Hanging your wine glasses leaves extra space in the cupboard, and is actually pretty visually appealing too.
Utilize Above Cabinet Space. All shelf space is valuable shelf space.
Build Your Own Storage. We bought a cheap shelf and assembled it in the kitchen as a makeshift pantry. This leaves the cabinets we have available for plates, bowls, glasses, etc. You don’t get to see it…it’s messy.
Bonus: Chalkboard Wall. Okay, this doesn’t really save space (maybe instead of a notepad on your counter?), but it is super handy! You can even take a picture of it with your phone, and have your grocery list with you.
What tips do you have for saving space?
I do like the idea of hanging up most of my kitchen stuff to save space, but I could never do it with my wine glasses. I am too accident prone and am sure that I would knock half of them off at some point. One thing I would try is to get a nice cabinet to put stuff in in the dining room. This way the dishes are always close to the table.
It is definitely nerve-wracking. We haven’t lost any yet! And that is such a great tip! Keeps them handy 🙂