Working around a small kitchen can be frustrating, but remodeling can cost tens of thousands of dollars. That’s great if you have the money to burn, but even if not, you aren’t stuck with a small space. You can increase the size of your kitchen and get more room without remodeling.
1. Rearrange your kitchen
Never underestimate the power of rearranging your kitchen when you need more space. It’s possible that the way your appliances and gadgets are organized might not be an efficient arrangement. For example, if you have a toaster and coffee maker on separate counters, you’re probably sacrificing depth. If you put them on the same counter, you’ll have more depth available on the empty counter.
There’s no hard rule dictating how to arrange your kitchen, so the best way to see what works is to start playing around. Move the items in your kitchen until you feel like you’ve opened up some space. This won’t take long and it’s really easy to do.
2. Get an outdoor kitchen
Being short on space in the kitchen can be easily resolved by getting an outdoor kitchen. It’s a great way to extend your cooking and food prep space without having to remodel your home. In the warm months, you can cook outside and not even bother with your small kitchen inside. Or you can make use of both kitchens when you’re hosting a party and need a lot of space.
If you’re curious about what’s possible, check out these outdoor kitchen design ideas to see what others are doing. You can create any type of outdoor design you want, whether it’s modern, rustic, or makes you feel like you’re at a beach resort.
3. Find vertical storage supplies
Vertical storage makes life easier in every way. When it comes to your kitchen, vertical storage will be a blessing if you don’t have it already. For example, vertical spice racks with rotating shelves are a great way to make all of your spices easily accessible and free up cabinet space for things you don’t need to see to use.
4. Remove unused appliances
Unused appliances are a common space-waster. How long has it been since you’ve used your blender? The toaster? That random gadget you bought off Etsy? Take a good look around and note what you don’t currently use or plan to use anytime soon. Put those appliances into a box and stash them away somewhere in your house.
Even if you just remove one or two appliances, you’ll have a significant amount of space for things that matter, like chopping your vegetables or laying out dishes for people to come to the kitchen and make tacos.
5. Declutter
Kitchens are designed for preparing meals, but over time, they can become a catch-all for magazines, paperwork, old mail, and random things that don’t really have a home.
If your kitchen is cluttered, start there first. Get rid of everything you don’t actually use or need. If it’s paperwork, file it away in the proper space. While you’re at it, you may as well clean your junk drawer, too. You might have more room than you think.
6. Put large appliances in a cabinet
If you have any large appliances you don’t use often, like an electric mixer or a toaster oven, consider stashing these away in a cabinet. It’s not that hard to pull them out when needed, provided you store them close by and not in another room.
Just don’t do this with appliances you use at least once a week, or you might get frustrated.
7. Consider a mini-remodel
When a full remodel isn’t in the cards, consider getting a small remodel job done just to create the space you want. For example, you might just want to add a kitchen island or swap your refrigerator and pantry. Or, maybe you can make do with adding length to a counter or getting new cabinets that will help you store things more efficiently.
Most houses are built with specific areas cut out or pre-defined for standard appliances, like dishwashers, ovens, and refrigerators. Before you start moving anything around yourself, make sure each appliance will fit where you intend to move it, or look for another appliance that will fit. You don’t want to end up with more space, but a poor kitchen layout.
If you can’t remodel, get creative
Getting your kitchen fully remodeled sounds wonderful, but the price tag is another story. If a remodel isn’t in your budget, get creative and use these tips to create more space for better use of your kitchen.
