Small Kitchen Organizing: Do's and Don'ts

Working with a small kitchen space? Try these organizing tricks to make the most of hidden space in your cooking zone—no matter how compact.

DO DOUBLE UP A counter can be used for eating, prep work or as a buffet; a microwave comes in handy as a second oven for parties. GE now manufactures a refrigerator with built-in Keurig.

DON’T BUY WHAT YOU DON’T NEED If you don’t have a big family or entertain frequently, leave that huge, hulking refrigerator at the store and go smaller. The same applies to double ovens. Think about it: Do you really need a dozen pots?

DO GET ORGANIZED These days there are so many drawer and cabinet inserts that create a place for all your kitchen necessities. Take advantage of smart devices like pullouts, lazy Susans, spice racks and cutlery dividers.

DON’T LET COUNTERS FILL UP Nothing makes a kitchen feel less useful than surfaces that are so laden with appliances or bottles or baskets that actual cooking is next to impossible.

PURGE EARLY AND OFTEN Keep only the utensils, gadgets, and small appliances you actually use. And get rid of duplicates—or at least store them somewhere other than the kitchen.

TAKE CABINETS TO THE CEILING Be strategic about what you stow where. Store within arm’s reach the items you use constantly. Reserve the highest shelves for items you seldom need.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER Help cabinets work more efficiently with organizers and drawer dividers. Consider pantry pullouts, lazy Susans, swing-out organizers for corner cabinets, stackable shelves, and the like. Corral the small stuff in bins and baskets. Labels are a plus.

PUT WALLS TO WORK Install floating shelves where cabinets won’t fit. Use wall-mounted racks, rails, and pegboards for utensils, spices, seasonings—even pots and pans.

LOOK BEYOND THE KITCHEN Store glassware and china in the dining room. Keep seldom-used appliances and seasonal serving pieces in the basement or attic. Steal inches from an adjoining room to create a pantry. And keep putting things back where they belong until the process becomes routine.