13 Space-Making Hacks for Small Kitchens

Look to IKEA for Space-Saving Solutions

When it comes to whipping up much-needed vertical storage, there's nothing like IKEA's kitchen organization products. The store has many budget-friendly systems on offer, and some are designed to hang on walls so you can make the most of your kitchen's untapped vertical space.

This hanging unit shown here allows some of your frequently used items to hang out above your counter space. This also makes navigating the kitchen easier by ​keeping cookware, dishes, and utensils within easy reach.

Add an In-Sink Drying Rack

Keep countertops clear by outfitting an undermount sink with a sleek stainless steel drying rack, like this space from Blanco Bungalow. This hack is particularly effective if you live in a small space without a dishwasher.

Make Use of the Space Around Your Fridge

If you have a sliver of space between the fridge and the wall in your small kitchen, consider making a hidden DIY rolling pantry like this one from Alan Chu. It's perfect for storing canned goods and other nonperishable kitchen essentials.

Create a Double-Duty Backsplash

A stainless steel pegboard backsplash is a great double-duty feature that protects kitchen walls from spills and splatters while keeping tools that you often use handy.

The dashing red backsplash shown here from Bunker Workshop is a one-of-a-kind design. However, you can make one yourself. You can find stainless steel pegboards at most home improvement stores.

Try Folding Kitchen Tables

A folding table can provide a spot to prepare and eat food without taking up valuable floor space. It can also be a perfect idea for a desk you can tuck away when you're finished working. Just look at this marvelous idea from the Toybox Tiny Home, designed by Frank Henderson and Paul Schultz.

Use Walls and Under-Cabinet Space

We love how this tiny cottage kitchen keeps the countertop clutter-free using several clever storage solutions. The three toe kick drawers under the kitchen's base cabinets put the space that traditionally goes to waste behind baseboards to good use. (You can retrofit most standard base cabinets for toe kick drawers.) A curtain rod creates a smidgen of vertical storage for utensils in front of the window, while a pot rack placed next to the oven keeps pans aloft.

Try an Over-the-Sink Cutting Board

A kitchen island can create additional counter space in a small kitchen but if you can’t spare the floor space, an over-the-sink cutting board is an ingenious quick fix. This one allows you to rinse before chopping.

Create Kitchen Storage in a Nearby Room

If there's not enough space in your tiny kitchen to create the storage you crave, consider using a nook or closet in a nearby room. Use a recessed niche to stash kitchen tools you occasionally use or nonperishable pantry items. A curtain, as shown here, keeps what you store out of sight.

Make the Most of Kitchen Corners

Corner space is usually underutilized in many homes. But when you're trying to make every square inch in your small kitchen count, corner shelving can give these awkward spots a purpose. Just take a look at this nifty kitchen from The Tiny Project.

Create a Pantry Using Mason Jars

Don't have a pantry? No problem. You can use Mason jars to create the storage you need displayed on a blank wall.

Products like flour, pasta, and even dog treats are notorious for coming in different-sized packages. This Minim Micro House brings order to storing dry foods like these by pouring each one into a separate quart-sized Mason jar.

Each jar is placed in one of the two kitchen racks shown above. Each rack can accommodate 25 quart-sized Mason jars.

Turn Your Kitchen Junk Drawer into a Spice Rack

Drawers can be powerful organizational tools. Designating one as a holding pen for random odds and ends is a tremendous waste of precious kitchen real estate. It also enables you to accumulate clutter.

Like to cook? Transforming your junk drawer into a spice drawer may be a better way to go. Not only can this idea free up cabinet space, but keeping your spices in a well-organized and easy-to-reach spot can make cooking easier.

Make a DIY Plate Rack

This DIY wall plate rack by Meg and Trevor at Oliver and Rust is an attractive storage solution for oversized items like platters and cutting boards.

Add Open Kitchen Shelving

Open shelving is a smart storage solution for small kitchens that do not have room for standard hanging cabinets. As a bonus, shelves like these make it easier to grab dishes, glasses, and mugs. The home design team, Charles and Hudson, installed the open shelves shown here.