Maximizing Kitchen Storage1

SEVEN QUICK DIY IDEAS TO SQUEEZE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SPACE

No matter what size your kitchen, the more storage space you have, the better organized you’ll be, whether you’re whipping up a gourmet dinner or simply making a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

And scoring extra storage space doesn’t mean you need a total kitchen re-do. You can implement one—or all seven—of the following hints in no time at all.

1. Hang up mugs. Hang hooks for mugs inside cabinet doors, on a wall, or underneath cabinets, to gain extra shelf space.
2. Hang up stemware, too. A stemware rack mounted underneath a cabinet is another way to gain shelf space. Plus, the easy accessibility comes in handy when entertaining.
3. Add a magnetic rack. Turn the outside of your refrigerator into usable storage space with magnetized shelf organizers, knife bars, paper towel holders and more.
4. Install a pot rack. Pots and pans take up a lot of cabinet real estate. A pot rack hanging from your ceiling or on a wall frees up that cabinet space.
5. Divide and conquer. Add cabinet dividers for lids, baking sheets and cutting boards instead of piling them on top of one other (or storing them in your oven when you aren’t using it).
6. Utilize the sides of cabinets. Like the side of your refrigerator, the exposed side of a cabinet is also a handy place to add storage. Add shallow space racks, for example, and you have a convenient spot for holding cookbooks.
7. Turn one shelf into two. Maximize the space you have, while making use of unused vertical space, by adding a shelf riser.