Have you noticed how there's really never enough space in your kitchen? After all, most of us spend a ton of time in our kitchens. Even if you only cook once a day, you probably get home from work and spend at least an hour preparing a meal, plus cleanup time, and you're likely making coffee in the morning, oh and forget if this where your kids do home work. I for one, spend hours and hours in my kitchen every day, cooking, cleaning, doing projects with my toddler and working, so it tends to get cluttered pretty fast.
Read more ¿Qué más?: 5 New ways to use your everyday kitchen appliances
In the slideshow below you'll find some great space-saving techniques for small kitchens, but I'm betting that even those of you with kitchens that seem pretty big at a glance can utilize some of these ideas as well.
Image via IKEA
DIY Island
Thanks to their stellar funtionality, kitchen islands have surpassed the trendy phase and are now on the must-have list for many homeowners and even for renters, but they can be expensive and honestly, they take up a lot of space. Buy a dresser — even a thrifted one — and use as is or replace the top with a countertop material for an island that is budget friendly and adds storage space for pots and pans, linens, dishes and more, via its drawers.
Behind-the-Sink Storage
That strip of wall behind your kitchen sink does not have to sit by idly. Free up some cabinet and counter space by installing some narrow racks and shelves on the wall behind the sink to store things like bowls, coffee mugs, jars of dry goods, utensils and more. You can even install a folding dish rack. Lots of these space-saving items are available at stores like Home Depot, Ikea and Bed Bath and Beyond.
Breakfast Nook
Instead of squeezing a full set of table and chairs into your tiny kitchen, consider creating a breakfast nook with a small table, a bench and a couple of chairs. Round tables that can be nestled into a corner are great for this and the bench can also be used for storage. Many store bought versions have under-seat storage, but you can also use a long-and-low bookshelf topped with cushions as a bench for even more added storage space.
Hidden Pantry
If you're really handy or can pay someone to be handy for you, you can build a kitchen pantry without embarking on a major renovation. Even better, it won't take up any extra space in your kitchen. By using some fairly basic hardware store materials, you can build a rolling pantry that is housed in that little gap next to your fridge for about $100. That means you can free up your cupboards from all those cans, spices and boxes without stealing space from any other area. Check out the tutorial on classyclutter.net.
