For many urban areas, one of the penalties for living so close to the city is a compact apartment. It can mean that rooms such as the kitchen are barely bigger than 48 square feet big. Such a small area means that fitting in all the appliances and being able to use it effectively requires some ingenuity. Although many in such apartments only use their kitchen for reheating meals, there are ways that you can create more space, so you can use your kitchen as you should.
Remodeling
If you are new to your home, you will already know what the limitations you have in your kitchen. However, you might also have a plan and research kitchen remodeling costs to make the best use of the space you have. One such plan might be to consider having a kitchen remodeling so that you can add more storage. Companies such as Mid-Atlantic Tile Kitchen & Bath can help you to add extra cupboards and use all the available space as storage. The other benefit of having the kitchen remodeled is that you can have the layout as you need it.
Use Your Oven for Storage
If you are short of space, there can be a readily available area in your oven. Some oven and cooker combinations have a drawer under the oven to store racks, baking sheets, and other oven utensils. However, if you don’t have this drawer, then you can always store these things in the oven itself. When you need to use the oven, you can remove the trays and place the ones you don’t use on the work surface. If you leave them in the oven while it’s on, then this can affect the efficiency of the oven.
Install Hooks Where You Can
Hooks are a great way to add storage without having to take up extra space, portable storage containers are also a good idea. The best thing about them is that you can put them inside cupboard doors, or inside the cupboards themselves to hang additional equipment. You can also utilize hooks on your ceiling but hook a suspended shelf or rack that you can put utensils on. If you have a couple of these hanging from your ceiling, you can save a lot of space.
Place Your Sink Creatively
Your sink is a must in any kitchen, but, it can take up some valuable space. It means that to get the most space you can, you will need to think outside the box. Try thinking about a small sink, such as those sometimes placed in small bathrooms. They can be just enough for what you need but save a lot of space. If you need to have a full-sized sink, then why not place it in a way that can give you maximum space. Turn the sink so that it sits 45 degrees to its normal position. It means that the taps might be along the side instead of at the back, but it will give you additional space along the sides.
Reuse Old Furniture as a Pantry
If your kitchen doesn’t have a pantry, then why not use an old single wardrobe and convert it. It means you can add as many shelves as you wish and store anything you want in there. You can also add hooks to the inside and outside to hang other things such as pots and pans or towels. If you don’t have any old furniture, then your local used furniture store might have just the thing you need. You can even paint it so that it fits in with the décor of the kitchen.
Stack Things on Other things
When you are short of space, any surface becomes a fair game; this means that if you have a surface on the top of your refrigerator, then use it to place the microwave or the food processor. If you have some space on top of your kitchen units, then use it to store large pots or cake tins. These things you won’t use all the time, but they still need a place to live. If you are thinking of placing things high up, there are a couple of things to consider. Can you reach them if you needed them? Also, could they fall and hurt you? Having a small folding stool nearby can be a huge asset and gives you the license to put things higher.
Clean Up as You Go
When space is tight, you need to use it wisely, if you are making dinner, remember to wash things up as you use them. If you don’t, then you will find your valuable space is being taken up by dirty pots and pans. If you are busy, ask a family member to do the washing up and putting away for you, that will leave you free to cook.
Less is More
Because you don’t want too many things in the way, learn to cook your meals using only one or two pots instead of five. Not only will this minimize the washing up, but it will also mean you won’t have to get them down and restack them afterward. You might even get away with not needing so many pots and saving you even more space.
Reclaim Work Surfaces
Unfortunately, you need to have a cooker and a sink in your kitchen, but it means that these areas of your workspace will be lost. However, there are ways that you can reclaim them for the times you need additional space. Cut a piece of worksurface or wood to the size of the sink or cooker top. Then you can place the wood on top and use it as an additional work surface. You must remember to have the cooker off before using the wood on top though.
By just using some simple ideas, you can quickly start to utilize the space you have to give you additional storage. But if you’re in need of even more space, keep the clutter in your own storage unit instead. Any part of the kitchen can be used, so think about all those areas you never use and start to use them.
