15 Small kitchen storage ideas that will keep clutter at bay in even the tiniest of rooms

Keeping your kitchen tidy can be a struggle at the best of times, but it’s especially hard when you have a small space. These small kitchen storage ideas will transform and open up your kitchen with plenty of tips and tricks for how to make the room seem larger than it is.

This space is the heart of the home so keeping it ordered will allow you and your friends and family to enjoy it to its fullest and make your small kitchen ideas shine. When you have a limited space, small kitchen problems can continuously affect your enjoyment of your home, so these tips will keep clutter at bay.

Small kitchen storage ideas

1. Break up cabinetry with curtains

Too much cabinetry can make a small kitchen feel cramped, but equally, you need the storage space. A clever small kitchen storage idea is to break up cabinets with a door curtain, to add texture and dimension to the design.

The owners of this country-inspired new build home desperately wanted to inject some personality into the simple kitchen, and adding curtains injects a more traditional touch.

2. Swap cupboards for drawers

A combination of cupboards and drawers is essential for any practical kitchen, but in a small space, drawers offer much more flexibility.

In this small kitchen, the homeowners have incorporated deep drawers to house crockery, to make up for the absence of wall units. This makes it much easier to organise kitchenware without losing anything at the back of the cupboard.

3. Make the most of ceiling height

Pantries don't have to just be reserved for large kitchens - it's more than possible to include one in a more compact kitchen but you might have to get clever and work with the height of the room, rather than the width.

A tall, pantry-style cupboard is one of the small kitchen storage ideas that can help you if you’re struggling to know how to organise a small kitchen. Choose a glass door to open your space and make it appear larger.

4. Get hooked on wall storage

If you’re interested in budget kitchen ideas which will give you space but are kind to the purse strings and simple to do, hooks are a great addition to your small kitchen storage ideas.

You can opt for over the door hooks or wall hooks, but make sure you don’t overload the hooks especially if they are stuck on and not nailed on. They come in a range of styles and colours so can be matched to your kitchen decor and can be used to hang cookware or more decorative items. Hooks can also be placed on the backs of cabinet doors for items that you don’t want on show.

5. Utilise the edge of cabinets

Squeeze every inch of storage space out of your small kitchen layout by utilising the sides of your cupboards or kitchen island - if you've managed to squeeze one in. A simple wooden rail for hanging tea towels is great, or you could opt for a more contemporary metal design and add hooks for hanging spoons, spatulas, sieves – any cooking equipment. Just make sure they’re out of reach if you have pets or little ones in the household.

Ceiling racks are another great hidden small kitchen storage ideas opportunity – they can be used to hang pans and utensils. You could also save on cabinet space by leaving your prettiest cookware out on the stovetop. Assuming it's washed up, of course!

6. Make your storage a stylish display

Open shelving is a clever small kitchen storage idea that gives you a usable surface while also enhancing the sense of space. Wall cabinetry can sometimes overwhelm a compact room, so open shelving is a great way to combat that without losing valuable storage.

Chloe and Phil renovated this end-of-terrace family home in Warwickshire, turning the kitchen into a neutral, Scandi-inspired space with tonnes of light. The open shelving is styled simply but still houses essentials that are handy to keep within reach.

7. Maximise kitchen corners

There’s nothing more frustrating than rummaging around in the dark depths of an unorganised corner cupboard. The angle can make it hard to organise your items and prevent things from being in easy reach. The bottom shelves are also great for storing small appliances, like stand mixers and blenders.

‘They can be notoriously difficult to access and store items in, but there are solutions available’, says Graeme Smith from Life Kitchens. ‘Racks that slide along and out of the unit when you open the door make use of all available space in a user-friendly way.’

8. Invest in new wheels

Flexibility is your best friend when it comes to small kitchen storage ideas. A staple of freestanding kitchens, rolling drinks trollies, butchers blocks or small kitchen island ideas with wheels offer up extra counter and storage space and can be easily moved out of the way to create more floor space as and when you need.

If arranged artfully, they can make for a lovely feature. Or just tuck them away out of sight – messy cooks, we’re looking at you!

How to organise a small kitchen

9. Divide your cutlery

The cutlery drawer can feel like a dumping ground for both your regular utensils and miscellaneous items that appear out of nowhere, making it harder to find what you want. An easy way to organise your cutlery and ensure every item has its place so you know where to find it, is by using a cutlery divider a great option for a drawer organiser.

This will tidy up your cutlery drawer, saving you time and frustration and allow you to streamline your utensils and only keep the cutlery you need. Depending on the aesthetic you want and how much you want to split up your cutlery, there are a range of options available. From metal and wood, to plastic, all with a different number of different sections, it is easy to choose a divider that both looks good and suits your lifestyle.

10. Clean up your freezer

Keeping your freezer organised is a great way to ensure your kitchen stays in tip-top shape. Hugo Prado, UK senior marketing manager at Liebherr says, ‘Efficient freezer organisation is essential for ensuring you are maximising your space and minimising food waste.

'Whether you are storing frozen goods or transitioning food from the fridge to storing leftovers. If you have multiple freezer compartments, group your food into categories that work well for you and your household. One of the most efficient ways to organise this is by food groups; we’d recommend fruit with vegetables, meat with fish and fruit with ice cream in their own compartments.

‘Utilise containers or freezer bags, ensuring you are labelling them with the contents and date the produce was frozen. Divide items into usable portions and ensure you are selecting the right container for the job.'

11. Choose stackable kitchenware

Sometimes it isn't your storage that needs a revamp, but rather your kitchenware. In a small kitchen, even the best storage isn't good enough, so choosing kitchenware that neatly stacks or folds will make your cupboards and drawers work harder.

Nesting kitchenware is a complete gamechanger - from pans (like these Joseph Joseph pans) to storage containers and chopping boards, cleverly selecting your kitchenware will pay dividends.

12. Revamp a small pantry

A huge pantry might not be achievable in a small kitchen, but you can find little nooks within your space that work just as well for storing dried goods and baking supplies.

This freestanding bookcase is the perfect example of how you can get creative. The real organisation comes from how you store your ingredients, too - opting for Kilner jars means that your open pantry looks chic and food lasts longer.

How to organise small appliances

13. Create an appliance garage

Keeping small appliances on show in a small kitchen can make it look and feel cluttered, which is why building in clever storage is key.

Natalie, the homeowner of this sleek, Scandi-inspired oak kitchen, knew a pantry was her dream feature but had to work hard with the layout to achieve it. Pocket doors make this storage easily accessible and unobtrusive - it's the perfect place to store your coffee machine before hiding it away again.

14. Make the most of banquette seating

Banquette seating is the perfect dual-purpose design feature for a small kitchen. This built-in seating allows you to create a cosy dining nook, and it doubles up as handy storage for small appliances.

This expansive storage zone means you can leave more seasonal appliances, such as ice cream makers or slow cookers, inside, and free up storage space elsewhere.

15. Include a pull-out platform

Let's face it, small appliances can be a pain to move around, which makes finding storage for them tricky. While it might be a smart idea to keep a coffee machine within a cupboard, getting it out everyday causes a nuisance.

Adding caster wheels or a handy pull-out platform will instantly make it easier to hide away your appliances and also use them on a daily basis.

If it's situated below a worktop then including a rise and fall platform will bring an appliance up to the same level as your preparation area, making cooking simple. Alternatively, if you have a coffee station when you want to tuck a machine back into a cupboard then a platform that can be pulled-out will benefit a design.

FAQs

 How do I organise my kitchen with little space? 

Small kitchen layouts need to work extra hard to be both a cooking, eating and socialising space, so small kitchen storage ideas will allow you to make the most of every inch.

If you have a small kitchen then cabinet space may be limited and adding more cupboards will make your kitchen feel even smaller and more closed in. Kitchen shelving ideas can offer you more storage space but still feel open and prevent the feeling of being cramped. ‘Whether a studio flat or a compact galley kitchen, one of the greatest space-saving storage heroes has to be shelving,’ says Helena Davies, head of buying at Barker and Stonehouse.

‘Go for wall shelving if floorspace really is limited and use it to house anything from glassware, crockery stacks or even a mixture of cookbooks and trailing greenery to give your kitchen a more lived-in feel.'

'Or why not use wall shelving to create a statement mini bar? A feature that’s not just the reserve of bar trolleys, you can display intriguing bottles, vintage glassware and a metallic cocktail shaker, it’s proof that even small kitchens can still be the life and soul of the party. Ultimately, the golden rule for storage in a small kitchen is about giving each aspect of a clear purpose and a petite wall shelf is perfect for taking on whichever storage task you need most.’

How should pots and pans be stored in a small kitchen? 

Looeeze Grossmann, the founder and owner of The Used Kitchen Company recommends taking advantage of your cabinet doors.

‘The inside of your cabinet is not the only place where you can store your kitchen equipment. Try installing hooks on the cabinet doors for items such as lids, chopping boards, knives or even food scales. This will not only make more efficient use of the space but also make it more convenient to get hold of all your daily appliances.’

By placing your pots and pans inside the cabinet and the lids on the doors of the cabinet, you can store more items and make it easy to match the right pot or pan to the right lid.

‘Install pot racks,' advises Lily from Fantastic Services says. 'Some types hold only pots and pans, while others are designed to be shelves as well. You can hang your pans below and use the shelf for things like cookbooks. Whichever you choose, they’ll allow you to use the vertical space efficiently’

How do you declutter kitchen countertops?

Keeping your countertops as clear as possible is the best practical and aesthetic option. So although you may want to put your gadgets on show they are taking up valuable counter space. Only leave out the gadgets you use daily and stow the rest out of sight in your small kitchen storage ideas.

If you’re limited on kitchen cupboard space, consider using the tops of cabinets or storage spaces in other rooms. If you are still struggling to find enough counterspace, consider creating more placing a thick butcher’s block or cutting board over an unused hob or across the sink.

Which storage solutions are you going to incorporate into your small kitchen?