For most families, the kitchen is the heart of the home. From feeding the family to supervising homework, from household chores to entertaining friends, it’s where everything happens. With such immense pressure on the space to be ever present and correct, it’s little wonder that effective kitchen storage and organisation has never been more important.
I’ve compiled 5 simple kitchen hacks that will help you maximise your kitchen storage. But that’s not all. If you’re a fan of traditional kitchen designs and want to channel more of the same vibe, these super useful tips will actually add to the appeal of your kitchen.
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A quirky memo board
If you have a bit of space on your kitchen wall, hang a memo board to remind you of the day’s jobs. But don’t just use any old boring whiteboard. Instead, repurpose an old, unused picture frame, preferably one with an ornate frame.
Place a plain or textured background under the glass and hang the frame up vertically. Now use a dry erase marker pen to write on the glass, memo board style, but with a lot more pizzazz.
Extra tip: Repaint the frame to fit in with your kitchen colour scheme – spray paint is easiest – and make a real feature out of it.
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Magnetise and utilise
If you have a cupboard full of herbs and spices, or a drawer full of kitchen knives, don’t underestimate the power of magnets.
Glue a magnet strip under your wall cabinets and decant your herbs and spices into jars with metal lids. Can you see where we’re going yet? Rather than having to rummage through kitchen units to find the right ingredients for your Thai Curry or Bolognese Sauce, have everything close to hand where you need it – freeing up vital cupboard space into the bargain.
The same idea can be used for knives – just make sure you use a strong enough magnet so it won’t rain knives when you least expect it!
Extra tip: Source handy magnetic spice tins and label each one carefully on the back, then stick them directly onto your fridge.
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Over-the-sink cutting board
Here’s a genius solution to solve the problem of insufficient worktop space. Measure the size of your sink and have a wooden cutting board cut from an attractive chunk of oak or beech that’s just a little bit bigger, so the chopping board fits snugly on top of the sink. Washing and chopping vegetables will become a doddle, with time saved and less mess on the floor.
As an added bonus, you can leave your cutting board in situ to hide dirty dishes when guests arrive unexpectedly!
Extra tip: To freshen up an often used wooden chopping board, sprinkle on some coarse salt and rub the surface with the cut side of half a lemon. Squeeze on some more lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before scraping the dirty liquid off and giving the board a good rinse.
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Victorian storage for pots and pans
When there’s no more room for cookware in the cupboard, look up to the ceiling for extra storage. With a little bit of left field thinking, you can repurpose a traditional Victorian clothes airer.
The pretty wooden rack is fixed to the ceiling and can be lowered by pulley action when needed. With the aid of a few butcher’s hooks, your saucepans and other kitchen utensils can be hoisted up high, showcasing your finest Le Creuset cookware for all to see.
Extra tip: You should never clean cast iron cookware with soap. Instead, use coarse salt sprinkled into the pan, then rub with scrunched up paper towels. To get rid of any extra moisture (which could lead to rust), heat the pan gently over a low heat.
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Fragrant solutions
Not so much an answer to kitchen storage, this kitchen hack will transform your kitchen’s appeal through the power of smell – handy when guests are imminent or you just want the place to have a welcoming fragrance.
Put 2 caps of vanilla extract into an oven proof dish and place it in the oven at 150 degrees centigrade for an hour. The wonderful aroma will fill your kitchen and the rest of your home for the whole day. Experiment with other essential oils (lemon, cinnamon, cloves) too.
Extra tip: To create a room spray, half fill a spray bottle with water, then add 10 drops each of orange, sandalwood and clove oil, or tea tree, eucalyptus and lemon). Mist around the house whenever needed.
Becky says
Oh I am loving the memo board idea!
Susan says
Wow. I love these useful tips and hacks. I am currently working on creating a room spray based on your tips. I will surely follow your tips going forward.
Thanks a lot.
wilson says
Wonderful tips for decorative kitchens. I really hope that traditional kitchens are so outdated and I will invest in a new modern looking kitchen.
Thanks for sharing.
Amelia Letcher says
You’re great blogger. really this post help for us. Thank you so much.
Nicholas says
Ha! I like the over the sink cutting board idea. What a way to save space in the kitchen!