The kitchen is usually the smallest space in the house but houses many items, including food items, utensils, appliances, and other knickknacks. Sometimes, staying organized in a tiny kitchen can be a nightmare. But if you don’t do it right, a cluttered kitchen can even invite pests and insects inside the house.
So, how do you store things in the kitchen while living in a tiny house? One of the common ways to go about it is to install as many shelves as possible. You can also use German hanging hardware to hang pots and pans from the ceiling. Or consider using pegboard storage for hanging your knives.
In fact, a number of kitchen storage ideas can help you to keep things well stored and yet accessible in the small space. Check out these 17 tiny house kitchen storage ideas that you can implement right away:
1. Hang as Much as You Can
Hanging things is no doubt a proven way to get things out of your way and save space. There are many ways to hang things in your kitchen, including using wire baskets. You can also use German hanging hardware to hang pots and pans from the ceiling. Or consider using pegboard storage for hanging your knives. There are many things you can hang in the kitchen; just make sure you don’t overdo it.
2. Pegboard Hack
Pegboards are already the most used material for keeping things like knives, utensils, and pans organized in the kitchen. However, creative minds have found ways to make them even more useful by turning them into full-fledged hanging cabinets. It’s an easy hack with just basic tools. All you’ll need is a pegboard, hooks, and brackets to hang pots and pans, as well as things like cups and saucers.
3. Have a Convenient Compartment for Spices
Spices are tiny but many. If you don’t store them properly, you can easily lose them in the kitchen. A great way to keep the spices organized is by using jars or even milk bottles if you can find convenient ones that fit inside each other. In this way, you won’t need any label because you’ll be able to tell which spice is in which jar just by looking at their shapes and sizes.
4. A Pull-Out Pantry Will Do
A pull-out pantry works well for storing things such as cans of food, cereal boxes, and other things that you need to store but don’t go well with the rest of your kitchen. The pantry will get most things out of the way but still make it easy for you to access them.
5. Put Hooks on the Back of Your Door
The backside of kitchen doors is usually empty, so why not use it to hang things like aprons or dish towels? Just attach some hooks to the back of the door for easy access to your things.
6. A Tray Will Help You Store Your Spices Better
Don’t just toss all your spices in a drawer and expect them to stay there with everything else that you put in there with them. Group like spices together, maybe creating their own little rack on top of one another to give you easy access. Trays can also work well for keeping other small items together.
7. Less is More
Another way to keep your kitchen neat is to ditch those things you don’t need. You don’t need to buy two separate appliances when one can do both jobs. So consider ditching that pasta maker and that bread maker. You can also ditch those drawers or shelves that take up more room than you need them to.
8. Organization of Wire Racks
When considering wire racks, try stacking your pans on them vertically instead of horizontally, where the handles either get squished between each other or end up sticking out. Wire racks will help store your baking sheets and trays vertically without them getting lost in the mix. Plus, you can find them at a discounted price from time to time in stores like IKEA or The Container Store.
9. Storage in Drawers
You should never stuff your drawers with items that don’t fit because they will end up falling out when you try to access something. Drawers work well for kitchen storage but only if you do it right. If you have a drawer that doesn’t fit its specific contents, find another one to store it.
10. Cookie Sheets as Lids
If you’re in a pinch and need a lid for your pan or dish, try using a cookie sheet as a cover. They are ideally sized for most kitchen items, so you won’t have a difficult time using them to save space. Just be sure the lip on the cookie sheet is not bigger than your pan or dish; otherwise, it won’t work.
11. Utilize Your Walls
Your kitchen walls are a great space-saving opportunity. There are countless items you can hang on your walls that will free up more room in your cabinets. Put some thought into what you want to display and how you want to do it. Be creative with your wall items. For example, instead of having a paper towel holder on the counter, hang one next to your stove for easy access while cooking.
12. Utilize Your Sink
Most people have more cabinet space than they know what to do within their kitchen. So why not utilize all that available space and put it to good use? Think about utilizing your sink area. There are countless items you can place in your sink that will help organize the kitchen and free up room in cabinets. You can even take things a step further and make a small cabinet above or below your sink that is hidden from plain view. The possibilities are endless with this idea.
13. Go All the Way to the Ceiling
Consider stretching your storage space to the ceiling. There are so many different things you can do with your upper cabinets. Those items you don’t need to use often can go to the highest spaces in the cabinets. In addition, you can add a small table that will hold your most used items in your upper cabinets. This is a simple storage solution for those who really want to free up some room in their kitchen without having a complete makeover.
14. Cut Up Your Food Before Putting It in Bags or Containers
Before you put your food in those storage bags or containers, consider dividing it into meal-size portions. Then, put the cut-up food in its own bag or container and label it with the date you cut it up. This way, you won’t have to open all of those bags and containers later on when you’re ready to use your food. Putting your food in smaller portions will also save you money by making it more likely that you’ll use everything before it goes bad.
15. Use a Curtain to Hide Things That
If there’s something in your kitchen that you don’t want people to see when they walk in, use a simple curtain in front of it. A curtain or panel can be hung in front of the shelves where you store things like pots and pans, utensils, dishes, cookbooks, appliances, canned goods, and food. It will make your kitchen look more organized and hide any clutter.
16. Use all the Crevices
When you’re short of space, you want to use all the space you can get. Make sure you find a use for all the nooks and crevices in your kitchen. Make use of all the spaces that seem rather wasted to make the most of your kitchen cabinet space.
17. Use a Cupboard as an Oven
If you don’t have enough room for a wall oven in your kitchen, consider putting one inside a cupboard and adding some countertops around it to make it look like part of your countertop. It will sit flush with the cabinets, making it look like part of the cupboards, and you will have more room in your kitchen.
FAQs About Tiny House Kitchen Storage
Can you store kitchen items in other rooms in the house?
There are a few places where you can store kitchen items in other rooms, such as the entryway or dining room. You can keep your food bags there too, but make sure to arrange them neatly and close the bags properly. Whenever possible, put things back into the kitchen after using them.
Can I add more storage to the kitchen myself?
Absolutely! There are many alternatives and solutions for your tiny kitchen storage problems. If you have a small space but still want to include extra cabinets, you can simply add a cupboard or two above your countertops. You can also use the wall space on either side of your sink to hang cabinets.
Summary
There are countless ways to store things in your kitchen without feeling cramped or cluttered. Anyone who wishes to live with less and simplify their life can do so in a tiny house or small apartment kitchen, as long as you’re determined and creative. Try any of the above tiny house kitchen storage ideas to see what works for you.
