Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Help organise my tiny kitchen please!!

75 replies

Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 20:23

I'm living in a tiny rented house with a tiny kitchen! Attached photos show how chaotic it is! Blush

Please help me organise it ...

Where would you put plates, mugs, bowls?
Where would you store pans/ baking trays?
Where would you keep cans of food/dry foods etc?

The cupboards are full but chaotic Blush

I can't decimate decorate or put any shelves up. I'm on a very low budget so no new appliances/ shelves etc. Hooks for mugs won't go in the - small amount of available - walls...

It's driving me mad. It's just for me and dd16 plus dp is here most evenings. I cook an evening meal and bake at least once a week.

At the moment plates mugs and bowls are in a base unit, cans and dried food too, spices herbs and sweets in one wall cupboard, pet food coffee tea and meds in another, pans on the hob ... it's chaos and I know it could be better but I can't see the wood for trees! It's got so bad, i don't know where to start Blush

Thanks!

Help organise my tiny kitchen please!!
Help organise my tiny kitchen please!!
OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Original poster
Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 20:27

decimate???? Not sure where that came from ....

OP posts:
allegretto · 11/09/2017 20:30

That's actually pretty big compare to my kitchen!

allegretto · 11/09/2017 20:31

I would work on getting back a bit of counter space as a priority.

Dawnedlightly · 11/09/2017 20:39

I'm delighted with my new kitchen and it's not bigger than that!

gingerbreadmam · 11/09/2017 20:39

ours is as small as that even less cupboard space and no drawers. In rented too.

Could you have some sort of hooks on the bottom off the cupboards for your utensils? Also you can get microwave riser shelf things that would give you some space under the microwave maybe for kettle and toaster? Fruit bowl can go somewhere else in house or bin and store fruit in fridge?

i have all plates bowls jugs sieve collinder in one single cupboard.

tins, pasta, crisps, packets in another single cupboard.

Baking stuff and some more tins in a single cupboard.

Tupperware and baking equipment such as whisk, scales, blender, foil in storage baskets in a base cupboard.

Pyrex, frying pans, baking trays in a base cupboard.

Cuttlery and cereal in a base cupboard.

Cleaning products and diy stuff under the sink.

Kettle is pushed into a corner alongside the tea / sugar / coffee jar and bread bin.

Oils, vinegars and herbs and spices in storage baskets on work top.

Pans hanging from rack on wall abover work top.

We have little storage cubes from argos for things like matches, fuses, little nick nacky bits like that.

Kitchen roll on hanger over cupboard door.

Original poster
Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 20:39

I know ... But I don't want to stuff it in the cupboards. I need to empty them and start from scratch ... just looking for clever ways to organise the inside of the cupboards so i can fit stuff in and still get at it all easily.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 20:40

I've no drawers either ... i miss that space for cutlery etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 20:43

Thanks ginger that's very helpful.

My previous kitchen was smaller too, but had at least 3 big drawers.

Do plates and other crockery have to go in a base unit or will a wall unit hold them?

I can't put up any racks for pans, there's no wall space and even if there was the walls are so hard I can't get anything in them and my drill doesn't work

OP posts:
gingerbreadmam · 11/09/2017 20:44

i have baskets like this in mine.

two for tupperware

one for foil, clingfilm, sandwich bags etc.

One for electric whisk, scales etc. Have managed to arrange them so the ones i used most are easiest to get at. As long as you don't over fill them it is easy enough to take lots out in one go and track stuff down.

NannyR · 11/09/2017 20:46

I agree, a clear counter top can make a tiny kitchen seem much more spacious.
I would start by emptying out all the cupboards and working out what you use regularly, what you hardly use at all, what you have duplicates of, what you actually need to cook and serve food. Put the stuff you don't think you need into a box and store it somewhere - if you don't need to go into that box in six months, you don't need that stuff full stop and can get rid of it.
For example, how many mugs, plates dishes etc. do you need - prob no more than 4-6 of each. How many cooking utensils - prob one wooden spoon, spatula and tongs. Four knives at the most.
If you are limited for storage only buy the food you are going to eat that week instead of storing lots of tins and bags of pasta.
Can you store your pans and baking tray in the oven, leaving the top clear.
Do you eat toast regularly enough to justify the space a toaster takes up - I don't, so just use the grill when I fancy toast.

gingerbreadmam · 11/09/2017 20:47

we have these similar to this

www.argos.co.uk/product/8335708

tbh i would have a nosey through betterware for ideas then look stuff up on amazon etc for cheaper.

allegretto · 11/09/2017 20:48

My plates are all in wall cupboards. They haven't fallen off yet - touch wood!

notthesortofmummyyouhopedfor · 11/09/2017 20:50

Kitchen trolley, with hooks for mugs added by you if it doesn't have any, and shelves for pans etc? Lot of plastic cupboard sized storage boxes/crates so you can pile higher and pull out to find things which would get lost at the backs? Over the door rack on the back of the kitchen door for packets and cans? Have a look at Lakeland it solves lots of storage problems!

KeiraTwiceKnightley · 11/09/2017 21:11

Is there space on top of the cupboards? Could you get some large baskets for the rarely used bits and store up there? Or alternatively under dining table/behind sofa so you can access when required but they don't take up cupboard space.

Plate racks are good and cheap. Dinner plates on bottom, side plates in middle, bowls on top.

Original poster
Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 21:24

I have lots of mugs plates cutlery etc because they disappear into dds room and then I'm left with none!

There's barely any room on top of the cupboards, about 10 cms, so I can't store pots there.

I have no storage for things I don't use, but that's another problem ....

I don't store a lot of food ... no room.

The baking trays are in the oven at the moment but if I'm baking they are all over the hob and work surfaces.

I don't have room for a kitchen trolley either Hmm

I might try putting hooks underneath the wall cupboards for mugs.

OP posts:
gingerbreadmam · 11/09/2017 21:28

oh i never thought of a plate rack i would benefit from one of those. thanks.

Calmanglass · 11/09/2017 21:30

How much stuff do you have?? Declutter... that's loads of cupboard space

Original poster
Justchillaxing · 11/09/2017 21:33

I have those plastic baskets from Wilkos to store spice jars etc in.

OP posts:
SwedishEdith · 11/09/2017 21:45

I bet you've got loads of out-of-date food. Honestly, I think you've got quite a lot of storage space for just 2-3 of you.

One double wall cupboard for food
The other for plates, bowls etc.

Double base unit for pans, serving dishes etc
Other for pet food, baking trays etc

Cupboard under sink for cleaning products.

On worktop - kettle, toaster, microwave, coffee machine (if you use it), pot for utensils (on window sill?), mug tree and cutlery "tree" if can't fit into cupboards.

And that is it. Store or ditch everything else.

allegretto · 11/09/2017 22:03

These are good for cupboard storage:
m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/60136623/