How to Make More Counter Space in a Small Kitchen

Making more space on the counter in a small kitchen is often a challenge.  It can be frustrating to cook in a small kitchen if your counters are cluttered.   You can sometimes find yourself misplacing things on the counter because you have laid it down in the tiny crevasse that is free space.  Or, you constantly drop things on the floor because it slides off the edge of the counter.  It is visually uncomfortable to come into a kitchen and see the counter completely covered.  Freeing up counter space immediately makes a small kitchen look bigger and function entirely better.  By using items such as knife storage, a dish rack above the sink or floating shelves, it is possible to free up the space!  Read on to find out how.

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Before we can make more counter space, let’s examine what is on our counter cluttering up our space to begin with.  We typically leave items out on the counter so that we can get to them quickly.  So, we don’t want to sacrifice that ease of access in an effort to free up counter space.  One can usually find knives, canisters, small appliances, dish racks and utensil holders out on the counter.  In a decent size kitchen, this may not be a problem, but in a small kitchen where counter space is limited having all the above items out on the counter leaves you with no room to work.  We will address each counter item to free up counter space without parting with functionality.

Knife Storage Off the Counter

The quintessential knife block is a regular on kitchen counters.  It has been around for ages and is often the star wedding gift.  Although knife blocks can be really attractive, in a small kitchen, every inch of counter space counts.  There are various ways that you can remove the knife block from your counter to gain some more counter space.  You can mount your knives to a magnetic strip on the wall.  This is a great option to keep them close at hand and also out of reach of kids if safety is a concern.  Magnetic knife strips are attractive and come in many different varieties that will go with your kitchen decor.  If you do not have a great space on your wall for a magnetic knife strip, there is another option for storage off the counter.  You can use an under the cabinet knife block.  It installs under your cabinet and they come in a variety of sizes to fit small places as well. This is a safe option for children as well and will not clutter your counter.  Lastly, you can use a drawer knife block.  A drawer knife block will de-clutter your counter, but in a small kitchen, this might not be the best option because drawer space is at a premium.  Removing the knife block from your counter in a small kitchen can add valuable space to your work area.

Flour and Sugar Storage Off the Counter

Flour and sugar canisters can be beautiful and add a little character to your kitchen, but in a small kitchen even our pretty canisters are in the way.  There are many ways that you can store your flour and sugar off your counter.  Floating shelves in the kitchen look wonderful and are so functional. Shelving would allow you to still display your canisters.  Along the same line, you can also find hanging baskets to store your canisters up and off the counter, but still within arms reach.  A corner counter shelf is also an option for the canister and of course, you can always rely on good old tupperware and store your staples up and out of the way.

Moving Small Appliances Off the Counter

Even in a large kitchen, a bunch of small appliances on the counter will make your kitchen look messy.  Storing them in an easily accessible cabinet is always an option.  If you can install sliders in your cabinets, it makes it easy to retrieve the heavier small appliances.  For the microwave, instead of on the counter, mount it high or low.  You can mount your microwave above your stove or in an island.  A great spot that is often overlooked for storage of heavier, infrequently used items is on top of the fridge.  It is a great spot for the ice cream or bread maker.  If small appliances are off the counter, when unexpected sprays and splatters occur in the kitchen, it just requires a quick wipe down of the counter, not a tedious appliance wipe down. The key is to clear the counter of all appliances that you don’t use everyday.  This will not only de-clutter your counter, but keep all of your appliances clean and looking new.  

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Removing Small Kitchen Items Off the Counter

After removing the small kitchen appliances and the major items that usually collect on the kitchen counter, we are left with the small items that are often left on the counter.  These items includes things like dish racks, cutting boards and utensils. There are a myriad of ways that you can store the smaller items away and still keep them at an arms reach.  For the dish rack, you can go with the old stand by sink dish rack, but if your sink it tiny, drying the dishes in the sink does not do you any good.  So, you can also install a dish rack above the sink or in the roll out trash cabinet, or in an upper cabinet with an open bottom.  You can also use a microfiber drying mat that you take out just when you need to dry dishes. As far as the cutting boards and utensils, there are a myriad of hanging options that you can choose from. Cutting boards can be placed on top of stoves for more work space.  You can hang them from the inside of a cabinet or underneath a cabinet.  You can also install a shelf to store the small items or tuck them away in a handy drawer.

Kitchen counter space in a small kitchen is at a premium.  Every inch of counter space counts.  Besides removing items from the counter, there are other ways to add more work space to your kitchen.  You can add a small stationary or rolling kitchen cart. You can install hanging fruit baskets for fruit and other misc counter items.  Adding a small table with a basket to collect things like mail and keys is a great addition and will keep those things off of your counter.  Try removing some items from your small kitchen counter or adding extra work space.  Making more counter space in a small kitchen can be tricky, but when you are finished, you will wonder why you did not do it sooner!

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