How to Maximize Kitchen Cabinet Storage

Utilize The STorage Space in your Kitchen Cabinets

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When I was living in a tiny NYC apartment, maximizing kitchen cabinet storage meant focusing on what I would not be storing in my lone cabinet. I stored all food in my refrigerator; pots, pans and baking sheets went into the stove (when it was on, they sat on a stool and were immediately put back once the stove was off); and I only had one appliance, a blender, that took up half the space of my meager counter tops. Now, I'm working with a much bigger kitchen, but maximizing storage is still a goal. Here are my top tips.

Maximize Kitchen Cabinet Shelves

Martha Stewart Kitchen with Open Shelving

Photo / Martha Stewart Living

Working with the shelving you have can be challenging - especially if you live in an older home designed with less "stuff" to store in mind. You may be tempted to throw your hands up in frustration, run out and splurge on a new set of cabinets. Try the following techniques before going into any credit card debt:

Shelf Dividers:Double your shelf space with a shelf divider.
Turntables: Turntables will make smaller food items like spices and jars easier to reach.
Under Shelf Baskets: This is a great way to make use of that dead space at the top of the shelf.

Kitchen Cabinets 101

Stack to Maximize Storage

Photo / Solarnovo

It's not enough to just fit everything in your cabinets, you've go to make sure everything fits and makes sense, which means storing similar items together. Think of the following items that can be stacked:

Canned goods: soups, beans, vegetables, drinks.
Boxed goods: Cereals, tea, canned drinks left in their boxes, crackers, cookies and other assorted snack foods.
Jars: Similar shaped jars can be stacked atop one another.

Keep the heavier items on the bottom (common sense) and think about using food storage containers to maximize space.

Kitchen Cabinets 101

Declutter to Maximize Storage Space

Photo / Julian Wass

The easiest way to create more space is to purge the items that shouldn't be in your cabinets in the first place. Think about all of the "stuff" you may have piling up behind those doors that can be donated, stored in a more appropriate place, or trashed. Spend some time to root the following out of your cabinets:

Appliances You Don't Use: If you think you may use them some day, store them in one of your homes designated storage areas (Garage, Basement, Attic, etc.). Make sure to label the box for easy retrieval.

Appliances You Use Daily: Any appliance you use daily should be moved into your counter top.

Serving Trays, Decorations & Party Favors: Put them in storage and pull them out when entertaining.

Kitchen Cabinets 101