Small Space? No Problem! Clever Cabinetry Ideas for Tiny Kitchens

Fitting a fully functional kitchen into a tiny house or apartment can seem next to impossible. With some creative cabinetry solutions, however, you can conquer clutter and maximize every inch of space.

When dealing with a tiny kitchen, storage space always tops the list of challenges. Traditional cabinet layouts simply won't cut it when you're working with a shoebox-sized footprint. You need to think outside the box to find places for dishes, cookware, food items, and everything else that belongs in a kitchen.

Take Inventory of Your Existing Storage

Before making any changes, take stock of your current kitchen layout. Look in all your cabinets, drawers, pantries, and shelves. Make notes on what's working and what's not in terms of organization and access.

Pay attention to the kitchen zones and items that frustrate you the most. Identify where you desperately need more storage capacity or better accessibility. This evaluation will point you toward solutions that address your specific needs.

Corner Cabinet Solutions

Corners often end up wasted in tiny kitchens. Yet they present prime real estate for squeezing in storage. Take advantage with specialized corner cabinets and racks.

Lazy susans or other spinning shelves are perfect for corner upper cabinets. Just spin the shelf to easily access items in the back. For lower corners, try vertical rollouts that pull out and down so you can use the full height.

Blind corner cabinets with pull-out shelves provide an excellent use of dead space in a corner. Install them to instantly double your storage capacity compared to regular cabinets.

Maximize Cabinet Height

In small kitchens, you need to utilize every inch of vertical space possible. Install a floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet or shelving unit to get the most out of awkward narrow spaces.

Also consider mounting wall cabinets as high as you can while leaving enough space to work underneath. You can potentially stack two rows of upper cabinets to double the storage.

Roll-Out Trays and Pull-Out Shelves

For base cabinets, roll-out trays allow you to access items pushed all the way to the back. Look for trays mounted on tracks or slides. Just give them a pull to neatly bring contents right to you.

Pull-out shelves serve a similar purpose for easy access. They essentially let you extend the depth of your existing cabinets. Use them for pots, pans, baking sheets, or food storage containers.

Take Advantage of Dead Space

Don't ignore the gaps and corners in your current layout. You can likely transform these dead spaces into storage solutions.

Install filler pull-outs designed specifically for narrow spaces between cabinets or appliances. Even just a few inches can hold utensils or spices.

Also look above the sink or stove. Cabinet tip-outs create storage space for oils, cleaning supplies, etc. Out-of-sight but still easily accessible.

Drawer Organizers

Inside those shallow drawers, divide space for optimal use. Look for slim organizers with adjustable compartments to customize.

Stackable cutlery trays allow using the drawer height fully. Tiered dividers also effectively separate contents while maximizing capacity.

Wall-Mounted Storage

Floating shelves or rail systems with hooks can provide supplementary storage on walls. Mount a rail under wall cabinets to hang utensils for quick access while cooking.

Wall-mounted spice racks also preserve precious countertop real estate. Consider corner mounted racks to take advantage of often underutilized space.

Optimize Drawer Capacity

Use every inch inside those drawers with specialized organizers made for kitchens.

Cutlery divider trays customize your utensil drawer, keeping items neatly organized. Tiered dividers help separate contents while maximizing vertical space.

In deeper drawers, make sure you're using the entire height. Adjustable dividers allow customizing sections to fit your needs.

With some clever cabinetry solutions, you really can conquer a tiny kitchen's storage challenges. Prioritize accessibility along with maximizing every inch of space available.

Corner cabinets, rollouts, pull-outs, mounted racks, drawer organizers and other specialized storage tools can transform your petite kitchen. Use these cabinetry ideas to create a kitchen that fits perfectly into even the tiniest home.