***Kitchen Storage for the Apartment Dweller

Living in an apartment can be an experiment in efficiency and organization, since many apartment dwellers have almost as many belongings as those who live in houses but have significantly less space in which to store it all. This is often most evident in the kitchen, which tends to be one of the smaller parts of the apartment in order to give more room to the living room and bedrooms. Many landlords will also limit the amount of customization that you can do to the apartment itself, meaning that you are not likely to get new cabinets in place any time soon. This does not mean that you are without options for kitchen storage, of course; the more efficient your use of kitchen storage is, the more use you will be able to get out of the kitchen as a whole.

Here are some tips to help you find the kitchen storage space that you need without the ability to make drastic changes to the kitchen or the apartment. Keep in mind that while the terms of your lease may limit what you can do in regards to the walls and cabinets, stand-alone storage solutions fall under the category of furniture and may be freely used in almost all apartment situations.

Pegboards and Wall Storage:
Though you may not be able to make major changes to the kitchen of your apartment, most landlords are not opposed to a few nails and screws being put into the walls. Use this to your advantage to create wall storage solutions for a number of your cooking utensils that you are likely to use often. Place a pegboard on the wall to keep from having to use multiple nails, with only two to four nails holding the entire board in place. Once you have it mounted you can add numerous pegs that can hold measuring spoons, spatulas, and any other small items that you are likely to use often. Not only will this make them accessible but it will also free up room in your drawers and cabinets for other items.

Store Dishes in Another Room:
A number of decorative furniture pieces are designed to hold dish settings. Take advantage of items such as these and get some or all of your dishes out of your kitchen cabinets. If you have a separate dining area then you should have the majority of your plates and silverware located there; even if you do not there is no reason that you cannot have a decorative hutch or dish display case along the living room wall that is closest to the kitchen. This can be especially beneficial if you have a nice set of dishes that you would not mind showing off, since you will be freeing up room in your kitchen while also beautifying another room in a unique way.

If Cabinet Space Is Lacking, Supply Your Own:
While you most likely will not be able to actually add new cabinets to your apartment’s kitchen, making use of multi-drawer plastic storage containers can be the next best thing. Depending on the size of the container you can place them either in the floor or near the corner of a counter, giving you quite a bit of storage space in what would otherwise have been open air. Microwave carts can be employed in much the same way, letting you use the shelving underneath for storage while also giving you a solid surface on which to place your microwave or another small appliance. The creative use of containers such as these can also let you extend your kitchen area slightly if you place the drawers or storage containers on just the other side of the kitchen door in a much more open room; the contents of the container will still be easily accessible while you are cooking but will not be in the way like it would if you tried to make it fit in the much smaller kitchen area.

Organize with Containers:
In addition to larger storage containers which can be used to add cabinet-like spaces to your kitchen, smaller containers can be used to make more efficient use of the cabinet space that you already have. Buy square plastic containers that are clear in order to fill much more of your cabinets than you would normally be able to, and do not be afraid to stack containers on top of each other if you have the room. Empty bulky packages of cereal, flour, and other kitchen supplies into airtight containers to not only make storage easier but to keep the contents fresh for longer as well. Use bins and boxes underneath the kitchen sink to help keep cleaning supplies organized with the added benefit of being able to pull them all out at once should you need them for major apartment cleaning.