Today I’m sharing some of my favorite tips for organizing a small kitchen, creating an aesthetically pleasing and functional space.  Follow along as I share all the details about how I organized our small kitchen space!

Minimalist Living | Tips for Organizing a Small Kitchen

I’ll begin with the most important tip for a small kitchen, Do you own duplicate items or have old gadgets that you’re holding on to and don’t know why? (I am guilty of this one!)

If you’re ready, it’s time to toss what you don’t need!  If you haven’t used the item over the past year or so, get rid of it or ask around.  Maybe there is a friend or college student that needs extra kitchen supplies. Today I’m sharing simple tips for organizing a small kitchen.

Having a small and minimalist kitchen design means easy upkeep too. Let’s talk about strategies to get started today!

Most of these ideas can be accomplished in less than an hour. After organizing your kitchen you could be on your way to a clean, organized kitchen! I also wrote a blog post on top kitchen essentials for a minimalist kitchen, here in case you missed it. 

• Remove Clutter: Get rid of duplicate and infrequently used items.  Use it or loose it is key. Excess weighs you down so lighten the load by editing.

Minimalist Kitchen | Tips for Organizing a Small Kitchen

One of my most important tips for a small, minimalist kitchen is to reduce clutter on the counter.  Want to streamline your kitchen? Avoid counter clutter.

• Clean: I shared my favorite non-toxic kitchen cleaning products and how I care for my marble counters in this blog post. Do a quick wipe down of surfaces and vacuum where needed.  It’s easy for crumbs to fall into drawers. Have your vacuum nearby for easy drawer cleaning.

• Easy Access:  Another one of my favorite tips for organizing a small kitchen, make sure to have your most used items handy. For example, have your hot pot pads in a drawer that is near the oven and a crock filled with stirring spoons near your range. We added a cabinet and pull out spice wrack on either side of the range.  You can read more about that in my blog post how I organize my kitchen in three easy steps.
• Assess: What needs to be on the counter? With limited working space, leave only the items you use daily on the counter.  For our kitchen, we keep the Moccamater coffee maker , a ceramic container for coffee grounds, and Smeg toaster on the counter top.  My husband pulls out the Vitamix blender every morning for smoothies.  It’s large and I just don’t have space for it on the counter.  After the smoothies, I wash it and put it back in the pantry for the next day.  Other items that might be used every few days should be easily accessible but don’t necessarily need to be on the counter at all times.

• Cutting boards:  I leave our maple wood cutting block on the counter as it’s used frequently throughout the day to for meal prep and also to protect the marble counter top. I’ve also got a collection of vintage or reclaimed boards that I like to display. I grab these for quick entertaining. They come in handy for cheese and crackers.

• Utensil crock: Source kitchen storage ideas that are in line with your aesthetic. To go with my small ceramic collection, I added a Farm house pottery crock to our counter.

• Simple kitchen island: If I could re-do the kitchen I’d have a small island. It would have been great to have more space on the other side of the kitchen near the refrigerator, sink, and stove .. anyway I still like the space and try to keep it free of clutter.  A potted plant or vase with flowers, a ceramic or wooden bowl with fruit, and sometimes a candle.  That’s it. Usually by the end of the day there’s miscellaneous items from our day scattered about.

• Contain pretty things:  I have a few items that I keep on a ceramic plate near the range.  These are pretty ceramic containers for homemade salad dressing, olive oil for drizzling, one of my favorite candles, and a salt container and pepper mill.
• Cookbooks: I have a few at easy reach but most are on book shelves.

Minimalist Kitchen | additional tips for organizing a small kitchen

Wood looks pretty in the kitchen or you can also use a ceramic tray to hold soap, dish soap, sponge, etc.  Open shelves aren’t just for decoration! I use mine to display cookbooks, my favorite ceramic dishes, and vases.

Storage with purpose: tips for organizing a small kitchen

Whether you are storing measuring cups or dried beans, create a useful and aesthetically pleasing system that works for you and your family.  This concept can be utilized throughout your home and is important to a minimalist life and home.

Use baskets and closed canisters or jars to hold pantry items.  Storing cereal in clear containers allows me to see what needs to be replenished and is helpful to family members when serving breakfast in the morning. Baskets also keep items from falling or spilling out.

Where you can use baskets:

• Under the sink
• In the pantry
• In your refrigerator
• In drawers

How to maximize your storage space:

Using a lazy susan is a simple way to utilize a small space.  I use my lazy susan in the back corner of my pantry, a very tight, small space in the back of my pantry.

Don’t forget to keep things cohesive, even your dishtowels! I keep mine neatly folded in a drawer next to the sink.  A linen towel is draped over the sink and then I use bar mops for drying dishes and counter tops. I can’t live without these!!

So did I cover everything? Have you been trying to live with less and create a calm, and serene home?  Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.  I’d love to hear your ideas!