To save on cupboard space hang your pots and pans on a rack.
Gone are the days when we lived in homes with opulent reception rooms and kitchens large enough to cater for a small army. Nowadays, it’s all about open-plan entertainment areas or cramped modern living. So what do we do if we still want to have a functioning kitchen but don’t have the space to do it? We get creative of course.
1. Maximise your wall spaceby installing ceiling-high shelves. These might not be useful for everyday items or groceries, but they will take care of all the vases, platters and pretty things you seldom use but love.
2. Nothing blocks your creativity in the kitchen like that cramped feeling and being unable to prep properly. Reclaim your counter space by using rails with hooks, which will allow you to hang your utensils on the wall, making them easily accessible.
3. Make the most of your cupboard space by using the inside of your cabinet doors where you can. A small rail or a few strategically placed nails can accommodate the pot lids. Spice racks can also be
Tame your Tupperware cupboard by limiting the amount you buy and by going through your stock every six months.
used on cupboard doors to hold soup packets or Ziploc bags.
4. Invest in some space-saving gadgets such as racks for wine glasses that hang under the top cupboards; over-door rails to hold your potholders and dishcloths; plate stackers and spice racks to name a few.
5. Another cupboard space-saver involves hanging your pots on a rack above the stove. In years gone by, gorgeous copper pots would often hang above the stove. Make it a feature in your kitchen and you’ll free up lots of space in your cupboard.
6. The use of a moveable butcher block (or island) will give you storage space and additional counter space. If you make or buy one, make sure that it has shelving underneath for prep bowls and appliances.
7. Storage for large platters and items you only take out once a year could be stored in cupboards elsewhere in the home (space permitting). These will still be accessible if you keep them in the dining
If your kitchen is cramped, carefully consider how your groceries will be stored as well as what they will be stored in. Shop for food containers
room sideboards or even in the hallway cupboard.
8. Tame your Tupperware cupboard by limiting the amount you buy and by going through your stock every six months. Ditch any cracked lids and bottoms that don’t have lids.
When organising these, stack similar containers together and keep large storage Tupperware separate from your smaller, everyday containers.
Keep the lids separate too. There might not be consensus on this point as everyone has their own take on taming this cupboard, but I find that this works for me.
9. We all need groceries but they do tend to take up lots of space. If your kitchen is cramped, carefully consider how your groceries will be stored as well as what they will be stored in. Get containers that stack up well and consider the depth and the height of the cupboard in which they will be stored. Then arrange these items by group, not by size and remember to keep the groceries you use most regularly in the front and at eye-level.
10. Finally,use lighting and colour to make your small space seem larger. Our eyes often play tricks on us, and the change of wall colour and additional lighting will make your cramped kitchen feel light and spacious.
Happy cooking! – Isabelle de Grandpre, NEAT FREAK.
Print
