My kitchen was a tiny, budget-friendly challenge. Transforming this cramped space into something functional and stylish was no easy feat. While I’m proud of the creative solutions we came up with, I would definitely change some things given the chance. As a professional organizer, I’ve learned a thing or two about spatial efficiency, so let’s dive into what I would change with a wave of a magic wand.
Adding a Dishwasher
Cabinets are the bones of a kitchen. They are the framework that makes a kitchen and allows organizing. The first thing I'd want to change is to remove one of my lower cabinets and add a built-in slim dishwasher. Right now I have an on-the-counter dishwasher. While having a dishwasher is nice, it takes up a lot of valuable counter space. Having it actually where it should be would be a game changer.
Over the Sink Dish Drainer/Organizer
An over the sink dish drainer/organizer is another thing I would add to my tiny kitchen. This is another way to optimize kitchen space. Not only can you use it to air dry your dishes after you wash them, but you can also store your dishes on it as well! It'll not only save counter space but also cabinet space as well!
Blind Corner Cabinet Organizer
If you have a blind corner cabinet, a blind corner cabinet organizer is going to be your best friend. This is another upgrade I would make to my kitchen to better utilize my cabinet space. Unfortunately, my blind corner cabinet door is super narrow so finding the right organizer was difficult so we just scrapped the idea in the end.
Built-in Lazy Susan in Upper Corner Cabinet
Upper-corner cabinets are notorious for being underutilized. There is just so much vertical space, especially in those corner cabinets, that just doesn't always get used. My solution to this would be to add a built-in lazy susan to my upper corner cabinet.
My upper corner cabinet is my food storage cabinet. It's the dumping ground for pasta sauce jars and other canned goods. Having a multi-tier lazy susan in that cabinet would make the space so much more organized and would put the extra vertical space to better use.
Downsizing
Downsizing is always a must in a smaller kitchen. I am already pretty minimalist when it comes to things (I have one set of dishes per person) but there is always room for improvement. A couple of tips I like to follow are to only keep as much flatware and dishes as you need to have one meal before having to wash dishes, only buy enough groceries as you need for the week, and also plan meals that use similar ingredients to prevent waste. When you're downsizing other items, ask yourself, when was the last time I used that? or what is the possibility I'll use that again?
Wrapping Up!
While I’m thrilled with how my tiny kitchen turned out, it’s fun to dream big. With a little magic, I’d love to optimize my space even further. From swapping out lower cabinets for a dishwasher to maximizing upper cabinet storage with a lazy Susan, these changes would transform my kitchen into a culinary and organizational dream. Remember, even without a magic wand, downsizing and clever storage solutions can make a huge difference. Let’s keep the kitchen transformation conversation going! Share your small kitchen challenges and triumphs in the comments below.
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