8 Clever Kitchen Storage Ideas to Fully Maximise Every Square Inch

It’s time to get creative.

Being the home of bulky items like appliances, cookware, and food items among other things, the kitchen is undoubtedly the one room in the house that requires the most storage space. But with how small homes (and kitchens) in Singapore are, how do you make sure there’s room for every single thing you need?

Well, that’s when you get creative. Here are some kitchens with nifty space-saving features to give you ideas!

1. Drawers (instead of cupboards) for maximum space efficiency

How many times have you wanted to take something out of your cupboard, only to find yourself needing to move the things at the front, or rummaging blindly in the depths to reach for something? All of these instances point to wasted storage potential – which is a shame, especially if your kitchen already lacks space to begin with.

As such, perhaps it’s time to consider using drawers. With an opening at the top, you not only have the ability to see what you have in one glance – you also can easily reach in to pick out what you need. Plus, they’re also much easier to organise with the help of racks and dividers, thus also helping you keep things neat.

2. Pull-out shelves for easier access to snacks and other items

Alternatively, you can also consider pull-out shelves. While they look like regular drawers, they’re essentially trays within a cabinet that can be rolled out whenever you need something stored within.

For such a simple feature, it has the potential to truly change the way you organise your kitchen. Pull out shelves have the accessibility and space efficiency you get from regular drawers, while also giving you a bird’s eye view over everything you’ve stored within that cabinet.

The only issue is that they may make your things a little too accessible – so if you’re thinking of keeping your snack stash there while you’re on a diet, you may want to reconsider!

3. Pull-out corner storage units for easy access and to utilise dead space

It’s tough to properly utilise a corner storage unit, as the combination of the sharp 90-degree angle and depth makes it harder to both store and access your things.

That’s where corner pull-out trays come in handy. These nifty features often include trays that are built on sliding trays, thus allowing homeowners to make full use of the depth while also allowing them to take what they need without squatting or needing to take multiple items out first.

Say goodbye to dead corners, hidden pots, and backaches!

4. Ceiling-mount shelves that take advantage of vertical space

Taking advantage of vertical space is a great way to fully maximise a space – and one way you can do that is to install ceiling-mount shelves over your kitchen island.

Not only does this add a stylish, contemporary touch to your home, it also makes the things way more accessible. Plus, its usage is also fairly flexible – you can use it as a storage/display area for alcohol, a suspended dish rack over your sink, and more.

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5. Sunken niches that create extra surfaces for spices and condiments

Aside from vertical space, you can also experiment with different depths to create extra storage space.

Take a look at this niche as an example. By carving out a space within the backsplash, the homeowners have essentially created an extra surface to place items like spices and condiments.

Bonus: they’re all within reach of anyone whipping up a meal, and are clearly visible in one glance. No more wasting time digging in disorganised drawers just to find the condiment you want!

6. Pull out table for extra countertop space and seating

Whether you find yourself cooking a meal that requires more food prep, or needing to whip up more food for guests, having a pull-out table can be extremely useful in a pinch.

Aside from giving you additional kitchen countertop space, it also functions well enough as an extra surface for you to serve refreshments.

7. Built-in cubbies to store appliances and free up countertop space

With kitchen appliances being as bulky as they are, there’s just no way to avoid cluttering the countertop with them… or is there?

Enter cubbies: built-in niches within your cabinets. As a dedicated space for your appliances, they a) grant you easy access to whatever you need, b) keeps your countertops clutter-free, and c) maintaining a sleek look.

Overall, that results in a neater-looking kitchen, and extra countertop space. Talk about space efficiency!

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8. Pull-down racks for better access to items stored in top-hung cabinets

Not everyone is blessed with the gift of height, so reaching for something in a top-hung cabinet can be especially troublesome when you need to boost yourself up with a stepping stool. And because of how troublesome it can be, some of the space ends up underutilised – again, wasted space potential.

If that’s something you constantly deal with, what you need is a pull-down rack. This practical feature allows you to reach for whatever you’ve stored within simply by pulling it down, which lets you access and organise your things with greater ease.

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