17 Easy Ways to Expand Your Kitchen Storage

When my husband and I moved in together, our house had what my mother called a “one-butt kitchen.” just It's big enough for one person, but definitely not for two. It was enough for everyday meals, but we love to entertain, and we soon found ourselves with crockery and extra wine glasses in odd places around the apartment.

My kitchen is bigger these days, but as my family grows, so does the storage space I need. Kids' plates, water bottles, and lunch dishes now take up more room than finer tableware, and I'm always looking for ways to make the most of the space. So I asked Kate Fisher of The Neatist in Durham, North Carolina, and Tonia Tomlin of Sorted Out in Dallas, Texas, for some easy kitchen storage ideas that will make your kitchen feel less cluttered and cramped without knocking down walls.

Use magnets

The sides of your fridge are often magnetic, making them a great place to store things. Fisher is particularly fond of magnetic paper-towel holders, while Tomlin suggests considering magnetic racks or hooks for everything from utensils to oven mitts, aprons, and pot and pan lids (which can be hard to store). A magnetic wall-mounted knife rack is also a great way to free up valuable counter space. (In fact, the only magnetic items Fisher has had trouble with are spice shakers. “They seem like the best idea, but in my experience, they always end up dirty and broken after a year,” she says.)

Place a shelf over the stove

Many ovens and stoves have small ledges on the back that are often angled and underutilized, and Fisher realized that with a simple shelf that attaches magnetically above the stove, he could transform this unused space into storage for frequently used spices and oils.

Make double use of your cabinet shelves

As organizational experts, the pair are big fans of positioning shelves to accommodate their dishes, and a shelf platform can help you make the most of the height of any cabinet. “It's my go-to when organizing the kitchen,” says Fisher.

Make use of cabinet doors

Items like measuring spoons and potholders can be easily hung with adhesive hooks on the outside of a cabinet or on the inside of a cabinet door, and Fisher says this is extremely helpful because it frees up space in drawers and other cluttered areas and allows you to take advantage of unused space.

Store spices horizontally

Another product Fisher likes is a pull-out under-cabinet drawer, which is just the right depth for items like spice containers and apothecary jars. Use it within a cabinet or under the bottom shelf to make up for lack of space in your cabinet and keep small items easy to access. Similarly, Tomline likes drawer systems for spices, like this drawer system from Youcopia, which allows you to stack spices vertically in your cabinet and keep them easy to access.

Pack miscellaneous items into a box

For hard-to-store items like napkins, spice packets, and cookie cutters, consider investing in clear stacking containers. They're great for small, oddly shaped items because they remain visible and don't end up haphazardly stuffed into empty spaces in drawers and cabinets. This method also helps you take advantage of hidden storage space. “Any time you put something in a cabinet that's higher than eye level, I recommend putting it in a labeled container if possible, or it's going to get lost,” says Fisher. Also, consider using something like OXO's fridge organization line to keep all your food neatly organized.

Make use of ceilings, walls and doors

If your layout (or homeowner) allows, installing a pot-hanging rack over an island or in a corner by a window can save you a lot of cabinet space. But even a small hanging solution like hanging fruit baskets can keep bulky but lightweight items like napkins and drink koozies out of drawers. If you have the space, you could also consider mounting a pot-hanging system on the wall, restaurant-kitchen style, suggests Tomlin. Or consider an over-the-door rack (if your kitchen has a door) to store spices, canned goods, or small kitchen tools.

Measure the size of the drawer

If your kitchen only has two or three drawers, measure them before buying interior organizers to make sure you don't waste every square inch. “A lot of organizers are curved or have a little bit of wasted space on the sides if you don't pick the right size,” says Tomlin. “You really need to make sure your stuff will fit.” Measure the depth, too: If your drawer is deep enough, you might be able to fit two drawer organizers in it.

Clear the countertops

Take the time to evaluate your countertops and decide what really needs to stay and what can be moved elsewhere. Items that can be mounted to the bottom of your cabinets, such as paper towel holders or dish towel racks, can free up space for small appliances and food prep.

Install an easy access system

To make hard-to-reach items easier to reach and easier to find your belongings, consider installing a pull-out cabinet organizer. Tomlin especially likes organizer drawers with compartments for storing pot lids. “Lids are the thing people complain about the most,” she says.

If you have a hard-to-see corner cabinet in your kitchen that you struggle to organize, consider investing in a pull-out organization system to make your bulky pots and pans easily accessible.

Adding wheels

Fisher is a big fan of storage solutions on wheels. “My rule for small spaces is to put wheels on them,” she says. If you have the space for a small mobile island in your kitchen, it not only adds storage space but also frees up the area you need for cooking and entertaining. But if you only have a few inches of space, you can slip a narrow freestanding cabinet on wheels into the wasted space between the cabinets and the refrigerator.

Upgrade your cutting board

Stacking cutting and serving boards on your backsplash looks great, but that look tends to take up valuable counter space. Attaching shelves with hooks to the bottom of your cabinets provides extra shelving for cutting boards, cookbooks, and even extra utensils. They're easily removable, so you can rotate the shelves when you want to change up your kitchen a bit.

Utilize the sink area

Ready to get creative? Your sink area takes up a ton of space. Sure, it's convenient, but you can use it for more than just drainage by layering a few of these handy products on top. The bottom mat simply rolls over your sink and instantly becomes a drying rack. You can also add a caddy to store dish detergent and hand soap, or a smaller edge mat to keep sponges dry when not in use.

Replacing bulky packaging materials

Food packaging takes up a ton of space, so experts recommend transferring pantry ingredients into clear containers. The same rule applies to other kitchen items like parchment paper, freezer paper, food storage bags, etc. This nifty organizer helps you keep it all in one place without the bulky boxes.

Invest in stackable and nestable items

You probably already know that you can get nesting bowls and food storage containers, but that's not all: There are plenty of great options for baking supplies, cookware, and even kitchen utensils that can fit into small spaces. After all, it's the little things that matter.

Don't forget the corners

It's easy to overlook those tight corners of your kitchen counter, but don't underestimate them: They can actually hold a fair amount of stuff if you know how to use them properly. Invest in a tiered corner shelf to store cooking oils, pinch bowls, spices, and other items that you need to keep close at hand.

Think outside the kitchen

While you might think that a bar cart in your dining room or living room is just a design trend, it can also help extend storage space by moving glasses, bar stools, and liquor bottles out of the kitchen. Similarly, an ettagère, buffet, or bookshelf in your dining area can make a statement while also housing less-used items like serving trays, small appliances, and baking dishes. “Storage furniture can be a great addition to a small kitchen if you don't have cabinets,” says Tomlin.

And remember…

Kitchen organization is an ongoing process. Accept that your kitchen will evolve, and try to reuse what you have before buying new. “If you have boxes or hooks, you can always repurpose them,” says Tomlin. (Yes, today's bar storage could become tomorrow's baby storage.) And while there's no “right” amount of stuff to store in your home, if all your cabinets are bursting at the seams, “it's time to make a decision,” says Fisher. “We all need to be able to say, 'I'm going to take this and do it again.'” Stop messing around. ”