Secrets for Organizing a Small Kitchen

Little space in your kitchen? Fear not! Today I am excited to share my secrets for organizing a small kitchen. Together we’ll transform a cluttered space to an intentional and functional place you’ll love to be.

Getting motivated:

I cannot believe how fast January is flying by! I have really felt such a desire to organize spaces in my home to kick off this new year. In the past I have become overwhelmed by trying to work on too many spaces in my home at once. I have found that choosing just one room to focus on is best! Doing so helps me feel intentional about it from start to finish, motivates me and feels less daunting.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to tackle my pantry. We have lived in our home 3 years now. Sadly, I have never really given our pantry the attention it deserves! Especially considering it is a very high traffic area. I really had fun measuring and getting the right baskets and bins to complete the space. Completing this project has created a beautiful and functional pantry that makes me happy to look at!

“I have no pantry in my tiny kitchen!”

Many of you messaged me on Instagram after seeing the before and after of my pantry. Some of you let me know you do not have a pantry in your kitchen and that you feel overwhelmed. Some aren’t sure where to begin with organizing. Others feel they simply can’t make the best of their tiny kitchen.

Let me share my experience!

This actually excited me because before we built our home, we lived in a tiny kitchen for about 10 years! Yep! It’s true. A tiny kitchen with green counters and no pantry. During that time I learned how to really make do in a small space! We didn’t even have room for a dining table with all the chairs. BUT! This tiny kitchen is where I found my love of cooking. It’s where I rolled out dough on my table with my babies. You know the poem “Love grows best in little houses?” It’s true, friend.

Today I would love to share with you some of the things I learned about maximizing small-kitchen living! Let’s talk about utilizing cabinet space you DO have, de-cluttering drawers and letting go of what we don’t need.

Get ready to transform a once overwhelming small space into a functional and calming kitchen you love!

Getting started secrets to organizing a small kitchen:

Right off the bat I can offer you some really helpful and simple tips that can help you get started! You won’t even spend a dime, in fact, this will actually save you and possibly MAKE YOU money!

Stand in your kitchen and pinpoint if you think items in cabinets and drawers are in the most functional place. When we move into a kitchen we put things away based on a guess. We don’t really know how we will use our kitchen until we have lived in it! DO NOT be afraid to move things around!
Next step can be overwhelming. Trust me, this is important. Go through each cabinet and each drawer one at a time. Remove any extras or items you don’t use. It may surprise you that you have accumulated 9 coffee mugs and only need 2.
Don’t keep items you don’t use just because of guilt. You know, because “so and so” gave it to you years ago and you feel bad donating it. It is okay to lighten your load! If you don’t need it, donate it! Get a big box and start getting rid of clutter, lids that don’t match, extra spatulas and old containers. These items are taking up valuable real estate in your small kitchen!
If you have extra dinnerware, china, or bowls you think are worth selling, try listing them on Facebook market! Sell 10 things for $10 and suddenly you’ve made some money to go toward new baskets!
Want to keep it but only use it once a year? Try removing it from your kitchen and storing it in a bin or box somewhere else in your house. Even under your bed if you have to! This tip works well for seasonal dishes.
Do you have a small linen closet near your kitchen? I love suggesting to utilize a closet or hutch for small appliances, tablecloths, serving platters or items that are bulky. This will free up a lot of space for the everyday items you need and use.

Adding Airtight containers:

*2021 UPDATE: This year I added these incredible airtight containers to my kitchen baking drawer! Mine hold my baking powder, soda, cocoa powder, oats, brown sugar, kosher salt, chocolate chips and other items I use often for baking.

These containers ARE stackable and would be PERFECT for small kitchen or pantry organization!

Secrets for organizing a small kitchen after de-cluttering:

Removing bulky boxes and condensing pantry items can really maximize your space.
Create a map for success by measuring your shelves for baskets and bins. Is there open space above packages? Let’s use racks to take advantage of unused space higher up!
I love using cereal bins so I can get rid of junky and bulky boxes. It also gives the shelf an organized, cohesive look!
Fill baskets with similar items so you can easily pull them off of he shelf and onto the counter for cooking and baking. Here are some ideas for categories: Snacks, baking, drinks, breakfast items, rice and potato mixes, oils and nonstick sprays, bread, chips.

Shop my pantry organization items:

How I saved on organization costs:

Purchasing pretty items to organize your kitchen and pantry can add up QUICK! Skip the name brand and go for a collection of what works best for you. My baskets and bins were purchased from different stores and they work awesome for me! I found items that were on sale and affordable.

Here are a few more deals and favorites!

I hope you enjoyed this post with tips and secrets for organizing a small kitchen. I would love if you would save this pin!