The only 5 things you’ll need to stock in a small kitchen
Keeping your living space small certainly has its advantages. It’s easy to clean, you avoid accumulating too much clutter, and relocating from one apartment to another doesn’t require too much manual labor. But one potential pitfall of sticking to a modest space is that your kitchen is also small, which can become an issue around mealtime. If you have these five space-saving items on hand, however, you probably won’t even notice the lack of floorspace.
- An over-the-stove cutting board. In a small kitchen, lack of counter space is usually the biggest hurdle. Where are you going to do all that dicing and chopping? Try a cutting board that sits right on top of your stove (after being carefully turned off, of course) or your sink. What was once wasted space is now a usable area. This over-the-sink cutting board will only cost you $19, and can you even put a price on increased counter space?
- A roll-up dish-drying mat. Something else that tends to eat up space on your countertop is the drying rack, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher. But there are alternatives to that bulky plastic rack. Opt for a mat instead, which you can stow away when there are no dishes to dry. There are even some drying mats that roll up, like this stainless steel version.
- A pint-sized Lazy Susan. A Lazy Susan doesn’t necessarily add counter space—or storage space, for that matter—but it does help with organization. And in a small kitchen, organization is a top priority. When you have dozens of spices or various baking ingredients to keep in check, this common kitchen contraption might be just the thing to help. Find a small Lazy Susan that’ll fit inside one of your cabinets—like this one from The Container Store—and requires no installation. Bonus points if you find one with two tiers.
- A magnetic knife strip. Instead of taking up your valuable counter space with a knife block, opt for a magnetic strip instead. You can mount it on the wall then simply slap your knives on the strip, where they’ll hang safely until you need them again. Don’t let the exposed knives make you nervous. These magnetic strips are extremely strong, so there’s no chance of a rogue blade. Consider something like this chic stainless steel knife strip. It’ll set you back less than $20 and add square footage to your countertops.
- A cabinet-door storage rack. If there’s one part of your kitchen that’s usually wasted space, it’s the area right behind the cabinet doors, especially underneath the sink. So make the most of this space by adding some storage here. There are several ways to do this, but one of the easiest is hooking a basket right over the cabinet door. This will add some storage space for cleaners, sponges, or even canned grocery items, depending on the cabinet placement. This over-the-cabinet basket from Amazon is less than $10 and transforms dead air into usable space.
23 Things Anyone With a Tiny Kitchen Needs [Buzzfeed]
12 Space-Saving Essentials for Small Kitchens [Apartment Therapy]
5 Things Every Small Kitchen Needs [ForRent.com]