When working with a modestly sized kitchen, lack of sufficient pantry space can be intensely frustrating. Between food staples, small appliances, and dinnerware, even the basics can quickly overrun the tight quarters of tiny kitchen pantries and cabinets.
But before you resign yourself to a disorganized mess or consider a major renovation, there are clever ways to stretch and maximize every inch of existing storage real estate. Read on for savvy tips that can help tiny kitchens function more efficiently.
Assess Your Current Pantry Situation
First, thoroughly evaluate how your small kitchen pantry is currently used. What works well now, and what causes headaches? Identify wasted areas ripe for better storage solutions.
Take Measurements
Carefully measure the pantry’s dimensions, including depth, width, and height. Note details like shelving depths, location of rods or hooks, and dead corner spaces. These measurements will allow you to identify any unused vertical storage space to better customize additions and organizers.
Analyze Layout and Ergonomics
Assess how the existing layout affects functionality. Are often-used items hard to access? Do doors and shelves interfere with workflow? Can items be accessed safely without stretching or climbing? The answers will help determine what changes make the space more user-friendly.
Evaluate Contents and Needs
Make a detailed inventory of current contents and daily usage needs. How many people cook in the kitchen? What staples and appliances are accessed most? Are there items like formal dinnerware or holiday serving dishes used infrequently that could be stored elsewhere? Understanding true needs will optimize space.
Pantry Organization Strategies for Small Kitchens
When ready to implement upgrades, focus first on making the most of vertical storage space from floor to ceiling.
Install Shelving to the Ceiling
Tall, narrow shelving units with adjustable shelves are ideal for small pantries. Customizing width and height to fit the exact footprint while reaching all the way to the ceiling instantly adds storage capacity. Go floor to ceiling, installing a shelving unit or building a custom pantry with partitions if possible.
Use Wall Racks and Mounted Storage
Take advantage of vertical wall space with mounted racks and organizers. Spice racks, knife blocks, pan lid racks and paper towel holders inside the door maximize space usage. Floating shelves or wall-mounted racks with S-hooks add storage above eye level.
Invest in Stackable Storage
Uniformly sized clear plastic bins are ideal for stacking and tetris-ing together to optimize space. Labels marking contents keep things easily identifiable at a glance. Bins corral similar items while preserving vertical capacity. Matching baskets are great for lightweight bulk items like potatoes or onions.
Get Strategic with Shelving
Angled shelves, adjustable shelves, and pull-out shelf hardware maximize footprint efficiency. Angle less-used back rows towards the front. Install pull-out shelves mounted on slides or tracks for full-extension access to items in the back without unsafely climbing in.
Creative Storage Accessories
Well-chosen accessories tailored to the unique small kitchen pantry layout can significantly multiply usable space.
Introduce Lazy Susans
Spinning “lazy susan” platforms provide easy access to items stored in hard-to-reach corners. Tiered round turntables organize spices and other small goods while saving precious real estate.
Add Custom Drawers and Pull-Out Trays
Drawers built into custom millwork utilize all those in-between gaps taller shelves can’t fill. Pull-out trays underneath bottom shelves effectively double the storage capacity.
Maximize Inside-the-Door Space
Make use of prime hidden real estate on interior door surfaces. Hanging racks, magazine files, paper towel mounts maximize vertical storage. Mounting a custom spice rack organizes essentials right inside the door.
Even the smallest kitchen pantry can be upgraded to fit all the needed contents. Use these savvy tips to start maximizing every inch of your small kitchen pantry storage capacity.
