#DIY: Make The Most Of Your Apartment Kitchen

Organization Ideas for Small and/ or Narrow Spaces

For those living in an apartment building, kitchen sizes may vary.  Some, in studios and junior one bedrooms, may experience smaller kitchens.  Others may experience narrower, referred to as "galley," kitchens which are common in some apartment buildings.

No matter the size of the kitchen, residents can make simple, temporary, design changes to maximize the space:

1) Implement a peg board: Hanging a peg board or propping a peg broad behind the kitchen sink can open up a number of storage and organization possibilities.  Use a peg board to hang things like spatulas, ladles, and other large scale cutlery that may not fit inside drawers.  Peg boards are also a great place to hang pots, pans, mugs, and cutting boards.

2) Hang the recycling bin: In smaller kitchens, floor space is a desirable commodity.  It is best to not take up excess floor space by placing garbage or recycling bins.  Put up some nails and hang the bins on the wall.  Not only will this help with remembering to recycle, but it will free up some additional space.

3) Add tension rods to cabinets:  Tension rods can help divide up cabinets and provide a place to hang items like cleaning supplies that some prefer to tuck away from sight.  This is especially useful in kitchens with limited cabinet and/ or storage space.

4) Use shelves: Hanging shelves on the kitchen wall can provide additional space for keeping often used items like coasters, mugs, drink-ware, and more.  Shelves are also an ideal place to keep and store cookbooks. 

5) Utilize baskets of various sizes: Baskets are a great resource for any kitchen!  Baskets can be added inside cabinets to store canned and non perishable food items.  Similarly, baskets can be placed inside the fridge and freezer to create food categories.  Baskets can also be hung from the wall to hold fresh produce.

What are other ways to organize a kitchen?  Let us know in the comments?

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.