If you live in a small apartment, chances are, your kitchen is on the smaller side. Having enough space for all your dishes can be an issue and a source of daily frustration. Adding more cabinets that include drilling, screwing, and cutting surfaces may be difficult if your deposit depends on it. However, there are many kitchen cabinet solutions for small apartments that will not cause too much disruption to the original layout. A small kitchen can become manageable if you know how to make the most of the available space. There are many dead zones in small kitchens that can be utilized to your advantage. These include the refrigerator sides, the insides of cabinet doors, and many more.
An easy and efficient way to organize your pots and cutting boards is to hang them on walls. Set up a pegboard on the underused wall in your kitchen. The mounting does not require much drilling or extra space, and even a simple pegboard can immensely improve the functionality of your kitchen. You can hang pans, pot lids, and whatever utensils you frequently use. This is one of the best kitchen cabinet solutions for small apartments, and if you do not have enough cabinet space. You can even set up plate racks on the wall and save more cabinet space. In addition to that, it is a great way to display your favorite dishes.
One of the downsides of a small kitchen is not having enough counter space for food preparation. This is where a rolling island comes in as a great kitchen cabinet solution. You can keep the island against an available wall, and when you need to use it, you can roll it into the kitchen. The mobile islands typically have multi-level shelves to facilitate sufficient space. Arrange the most used items on the top and the ones you use less at the bottom. Due to its mobility, you can change locations according to your needs.
If your contract permits it, you might consider adding some floating shelves on the kitchen walls. They should not negatively impact the walls as they are typically designed for smaller, lighter items. Floating shelves are an excellent option for both décor and storage purposes in small apartments. Even though floating shelves are mostly intended for more lightweight objects, they can unclutter your counter space and crowded cabinets. They will save you space by accommodating your coffee mugs, plants, and utensil holders, which would clutter your counter space and cabinets otherwise.
Many lower cabinets have a significant amount of space, but it might be a hassle to access anything in them if they are too deep. Install slide-out drawers to avoid kneeling and entering the cabinet with your entire upper body. These drawers will make it very convenient to reach the inaccessible space inside your cabinets and give you more organization options.
Cabinet doors are sources of a lot of underused space in your kitchen. This is where you can get creative and experiment. For instance:
Your kitchen cabinets may be pretty tall but only accommodate a single row, which is not very practical. Instead of stacking mugs and glasses on top of each other, opt for cabinet inserts. They are an excellent solution for taller shelves and help you maximize the use of space. Another area that can be tricky is lower shelves. We typically keep cutting boards, pots, and pans in this area, which can get messy quickly. In the case of lower shelves, cabinet shelving and organization inserts are a superb solution. Add a few drawer inserts, and your silverware and small cooking utensils will be super organized and handy.
Many surfaces in your kitchen can be used as additional storage:
A great solution is to use adhesive hooks to hang your hot pads or kitchen towels on the outside of your upper cabinets. You can get to them easily, and they won't take up space in your kitchen drawers. In addition to that, these hooks are removable, so you will not permanently damage the cabinets.
So, if you are moving into a new apartment, you can quickly remove everything and leave the old place as it was. Pack your sharp objects like knives to ensure the safety of your kitchenware, wrap your delicate dishes, and save the adhesive hooks for later.
Another thing that you can hang is paper towels. Use a paper towel holder that can be set up under an upper cabinet instead of the one that sits on top of your counter. This will free up your counter space and make it much more practical. There are also options for magnetic paper towel holders that can be placed on your microwave oven or the fridge.
The cabinets in your rental apartment's kitchens may not have enough space. Your landlord may also have strict rules about adding anything to the walls or your cabinets. One of the kitchen cabinet solutions, in this case, is to store things on your countertop. If you have sufficient space on your kitchen countertop, use a part of that space to store frequently-used items. You can use inexpensive trays to keep everything organized. It will also make it easier for you to clean the counter and remove everything when you need the space.
Article written by Beatrice White of Moving Offices San Diego.
