It’s ironic that most homeowners still allocate their kitchens the smallest spaces, yet this room must harbor plenty of items to qualify as an all-inclusive cooking area.
However, thanks to plenty of kitchen storage ideas, even the smallest spaces can carry more than meets the eye at a glimpse.
When designing your cooking zone, storage is one of the crucial factors to consider. You need just enough of it, not too much, or insufficient space.
But how do you determine how much storage space you need for your kitchen? What are some of the factors to look at?
Kitchen Storage Ideas: What are Your Options
There are many ways to create storage spaces in a kitchen. You can use any of the following units or techniques:
- Storage ladder
- Open shelves
- Drawers
- Cabinets
- Overhead storage rods
- Wall storage hangers
- Kitchen island storages
- Refrigerators
This isn’t all. Homeowners use many other creative ways to make room for items based on their designs and layouts.
How to Determine the Storage Space for Your Kitchen
Though it’s not easy to determine the exact storage space for your home kitchen, one can make clever estimates to determine just how much room they require.
Follow these tips to make an informed decision:
1. How large is your family? What are your household’s needs?
Large families require plenty of utensils, cookware, and pretty much everything you need in an all-inclusive kitchen.
However, if you have only a few mouths to feed, go for reasonable storage space. Still, don’t forget to create a little room than you need in case your household expands, or you buy new equipment.
Answer these questions to determine how much storage you need for your household:
- How large is your family and what do you expect in a decade or so?
- How often do you cook and host guests?
- Are there any jammed units? How can you create more room for those?
- Is everything stored in a strategic location? Or do you struggle to get some of the basic items you use?
Understanding how your household uses your cooking area helps one determine their storage needs and which sections to modify.
2. Write a list of the items you need to store
Creating a checklist of the kitchenware you have or need to stock in your kitchen ensures you create a storage room that fits all your household’s needs.
If possible categorize the items based on where you wish to store them i.e., shelves, drawers, cabinets, overhead storage, etc.
Finally, revise your list. Double-check if it includes everything you have or need in your kitchen. That way, you can make more reasonable storage estimates.
3. Get rid of what you don’t need
Decluttering is an excellent way to reduce the amount of space you need at home. Rethink your kitchen’s arrangement and get rid of anything you no longer use.
Answer yourself these questions to declutter your cooking area:
- How often do I use this item?
- Should I buy this or not? If yes, why do I need it?
- Does this item simplify my work?
- Is this item extra?
Your cooking and shopping habits determine the supplies you need and what you don’t. Some best cooking and shopping practices include:
- Shop for items that multitask.
- Learn to repurpose items or use one item to accomplish multiple tasks.
- Do go on a shopping spree. Buy only what you need.
- Get rid of old kitchenware. Replace items, do not stock up!
Lastly, buy food items and utensils sparingly to save storage space.
4. Budget
Your budget determines how much storage you can install in your kitchen. Remember, building some of these units is a costly ordeal. Some of them involve complex renovation work because they are installed or built into the wall and may require a huge budget.
For that reason, always work within your budget when building storage units in your cooking zone. If you have plenty of items to store on a small budget, use creative storage methods or declutter.
5. Space
Space can be a stumbling block when determining the storage units to add to your home kitchen. Maybe you have plenty of utensils and items but there’s no room to bring in a free-standing shelf or install another cabinet.
On the flip side, those with large spaces may need plenty of storage units for aesthetic purposes. Instead of leaving a wall empty, you can have a shelf or racks to make it look livelier.
Final Words on Kitchen Storage Ideas
Because the key to impressive kitchen design is decluttering, you want to have as much storage as your household needs. That way, you can organize your cooking area and hide everything that isn’t part of your interior decor.
You also want to be creative when installing units, make sure all your storage blend into your interior design.
