These 9 kitchen organization ideas will maximize your storage space 

It’s not a task many of us get excited about, but it’s true: Organizing your kitchen can be easy, even incredibly rewarding. Particularly if, like many of us, you have so little counter or cabinet space you might wonder how it can possibly be organized. The key is to add a little bit of process and, if you can, some truly beautiful and innovative organization products. We asked a few experts how to maximize storage space in even the smallest kitchen, and their tips are purely gourmet. 

1. Edit, edit, edit

It’s an obvious tip, but begs the question: How exactly? Marie Kondo became a sensation because she gave a nation of closet clutterers an answer: Eliminate clothing items that don’t “spark joy.” But that’s an unreliable barometer for the utilitarian elements of the kitchen. “One of the biggest challenges when trying to get a smaller space organized is the editing process,” says Jamie Hord of Horderly, a professional organization service based in New York City. “We suggest clients start with a blank slate.”

To get started, “Pull out all items from your kitchen so that cabinets and drawers are completely bare,” says Jamie, pictured here. “As you pull items out, sort them into piles by category. Then, work pile by pile to touch on every single item to determine whether you want to keep it, toss it or donate it.”  

3. Create storage space “out of thin air”

One of the biggest organizational challenges for a small kitchen is spices; they’re short, bulky and can come in non-standard shapes. “Finding the right space for spices is difficult—that’s something we think about a lot,” says Alyssa Young of Yamazaki Home, which specializes in storage products for small kitchens.  

She recommends “creating storage space out of thin air” by adding magnetic shelving to your refrigerator or installing stackable spice stockers near the stove top. Additionally, hanging organizers—for everything from bananas on the counter to spices above the stove—can create storage options where they didn’t exist before.

4. Make your cabinet space efficient

Another major storage challenge: Cabinets. “That’s mostly because we don’t use them optimally,” says Alyssa. Tall and vertical, they’re packed mostly with dead space. Maximize storage by organizing upward. You can use risers to stack dishes horizontally and vertically in above-sink cabinets—”so you’re not playing Jenga with your dishes,” says Alyssa—while under-cabinet organizers can file cleaning supplies on multiple tiers.

5. Use gaps and crevices

Few spaces are too narrow to use as storage, provided you have the right equipment. Yamazaki has designed a five-inch-wide, multilevel wheeled cart that can be stowed between a refrigerator and cabinets, or between the stove and wall, providing easy-access storage to frequently used items like spices, cooking oils or cleaning products.

6. Try multifunctional organizers

Look for products that can pull double or even triple duty, advises Alyssa. For example: a washbasin that can also be used as a dish dryer, or a utensil stand that can also support a pot lid, cookbook or tablet while you’re cooking.

7. Don’t buy in bulk if you don’t have the storage space

The pandemic turned many of us into bargain hunters who often buy more than we can use or store. Jamie recommends buying only as you go. “Stock your kitchen with what you need, and keep tabs on if an item is running low,” she says. “As items run out, add them to a grocery list—we keep a list in our Reminders app on our iPhone—and grab those products next time you go to the store.”

8. Do a quarterly review

Jamie recommends checking your kitchen every three months for expired items. If you don’t schedule a regular look-through, lesser-used condiments and spices tend to languish and get stale. “Toss anything that is past its prime and replace, if needed, during your next grocery visit,” she says.

9. Invest in super-efficient organizers

Some of Jamie’s favorite organizing products include a lazy susan, which “allows you to set up items like spices or oils and vinegars in a mindful way, making grab-and-go so much easier,” a wine holder that can be repurposed to hold water bottles in cabinets, and an adjustable cookware rack to create “instant custom storage” for pots, skillets, cookie sheets, cutting boards or platters.