Kitchen Guides
Kitchen Storage Hacks to Exploit Every Square Inch
Kitchen overflowing? Cupboards full? Try these clever solutions and original ideas for working lots of valuable storage into your cook space
As one of the hardest working rooms in the house, kitchens have to accommodate a great variety of “stuff”. From utensils, pans and china, to the food we eat and the appliances we use to cook it and clean up afterwards, all but the biggest kitchens are under pressure. As most of us don’t have banks of cupboards and acres of floor space in our kitchens, it can make fitting in that wine rack or finding a home for your new food processor tricky. Time to get creative, with storage solutions that won’t break the bank, but will make the most of any sized cooking space.
Source a Shaker solution
A Shaker-style peg rail can work beautifully in a kitchen, especially a galley space that’s too narrow to accommodate cupboards on both sides. Suspend additional shelves from it, as here, or simply use it to hang aprons, tea towels and even your dustpan and brush.
Explore beyond the kitchen in this Scandi-inspired Sydney flat
A Shaker-style peg rail can work beautifully in a kitchen, especially a galley space that’s too narrow to accommodate cupboards on both sides. Suspend additional shelves from it, as here, or simply use it to hang aprons, tea towels and even your dustpan and brush.
Explore beyond the kitchen in this Scandi-inspired Sydney flat
Exploit the sides
Make the most of the dead space at the side of a cabinet by using it for extra storage. Add a rail or hooks for for hanging dishtowels as above, and you could even use this space for storing bulky items such as chopping boards. Simply attach cord to create a simple loop then suspend them from sturdy hooks.
Make the most of the dead space at the side of a cabinet by using it for extra storage. Add a rail or hooks for for hanging dishtowels as above, and you could even use this space for storing bulky items such as chopping boards. Simply attach cord to create a simple loop then suspend them from sturdy hooks.
Make your window work harder
If your wall space is already groaning with shelves, racks and rails, look to the window. Fitting a couple of rails across it, with hooks for hanging pans, will create a huge amount of additional storage.
Of course, this solution will slightly reduce the amount of daylight flowing in, but if the window is big and your pan collection is modest, you probably won’t notice the difference. If your window is small, try fitting a shelf across to store glassware instead, so the light can still filter through.
If your wall space is already groaning with shelves, racks and rails, look to the window. Fitting a couple of rails across it, with hooks for hanging pans, will create a huge amount of additional storage.
Of course, this solution will slightly reduce the amount of daylight flowing in, but if the window is big and your pan collection is modest, you probably won’t notice the difference. If your window is small, try fitting a shelf across to store glassware instead, so the light can still filter through.
Pop up some pegboard
Pegboard is both fantastically versatile and inexpensive. Fit it with simple cup hooks to store pans, utensils or small baskets. You can even paint it to match your kitchen’s walls, so it neatly blends in.
Living on rent and on a budget? Read how to transform your unsightly kitchen
Pegboard is both fantastically versatile and inexpensive. Fit it with simple cup hooks to store pans, utensils or small baskets. You can even paint it to match your kitchen’s walls, so it neatly blends in.
Living on rent and on a budget? Read how to transform your unsightly kitchen
Knock in a nail
If fitting a hanging rail feels too arduous, take an easier route and simply hammer a few nails into your walls. Now you can hang up anything with a hole in it, from a wooden spoon to a pan or chopping board.
If fitting a hanging rail feels too arduous, take an easier route and simply hammer a few nails into your walls. Now you can hang up anything with a hole in it, from a wooden spoon to a pan or chopping board.
Think into the box
Old wooden boxes and crates become super useful when perched on a worksurface, operating as both storage space and shelves. Pick them up at car-boot sales or in vintage stores. Fitting hooks under the top edge and on the sides maximises them to the full.
Old wooden boxes and crates become super useful when perched on a worksurface, operating as both storage space and shelves. Pick them up at car-boot sales or in vintage stores. Fitting hooks under the top edge and on the sides maximises them to the full.
Try hooks, rails and jars
Using rails hung with S hooks and caddies is not a new idea, but it can really take the pressure off built-in storage, providing a place to hang cups or utensils or store spices. Try decanting dry food into storage jars and keeping them on the worktop, too, to leave cupboard space clear for less attractive tins and jars.
Using rails hung with S hooks and caddies is not a new idea, but it can really take the pressure off built-in storage, providing a place to hang cups or utensils or store spices. Try decanting dry food into storage jars and keeping them on the worktop, too, to leave cupboard space clear for less attractive tins and jars.
Create your own spice storage
Spice jars take up huge amounts of space in a cupboard, often because we have so many, but they are not large or heavy, so consider other ways to store them. By simply gluing or nailing the lids of screw-top jars to the underside of a kitchen cabinet, you can store spices neatly and prevent them cluttering a drawer, shelf or work surface.
Innovative ways to store spices
Read more:
Kitchen Storage: How to Pack a Punch
Kitchen Storage: 9 Ingenious Ways to Stash Those Bulky Utensils
Tell us:
Please share your ideas for maximising storage space in a kitchen in the Comments below.
Spice jars take up huge amounts of space in a cupboard, often because we have so many, but they are not large or heavy, so consider other ways to store them. By simply gluing or nailing the lids of screw-top jars to the underside of a kitchen cabinet, you can store spices neatly and prevent them cluttering a drawer, shelf or work surface.
Innovative ways to store spices
Read more:
Kitchen Storage: How to Pack a Punch
Kitchen Storage: 9 Ingenious Ways to Stash Those Bulky Utensils
Tell us:
Please share your ideas for maximising storage space in a kitchen in the Comments below.
We typically fit shelves and cabinets on our kitchen walls, but overlook the chunk of space above the door. This kitchen has storage recessed above the door, but an inexpensive alternative is simply to fit a shelf here.