9 Kitchen Storage Tricks to Make Your Small Space Easier to Cook In

When you’re short on cabinet space but have a little extra square footage to spare, go for a proper hutch or bookshelf to add storage. While many go for a wire shelving unit or something else that feels industrial-leaning, using a proper cabinet helps a space feel lived-in and mature; plus, it can offer closed storage that’s useful for kitchen gadgets or food storage you may not want on display at all times. In the West Village apartment of Alex Bass, a burl cabinet deftly divides the kitchen from the breakfast nook.

Use both sides of your island

“In terms of the spatial planning, the classic thing is to have a train track arrangement with your kitchen and an island and a dining table all parallel to the length of the house, which can often make it feel like this series of very narrow spaces , all running through to the garden,” says Daniel Goodacre, cofounder of DGN Studio. “We wanted to create this U-shaped kitchen in the center of the plan, so it’s a bit more like different episodes as you move through the space.”

Tim Crocker

If you have an island or you’re planning out a reconfiguration of your kitchen, consider putting both sides of the island to use for storage rather than only offering drawers on one side. This London kitchen by DGN Studio does exactly that, with dishes on display on the far side of its peninsula.

Add a tiny ledge for spices

Harry Josh stands in his European countryside-style kitchen.

Meghan Marina