I have this older nonstick cake pan which IĀ used maybe once, before I learned about all of the dangers and toxins present in nonstick pans. I didn’t like to get rid of it, because I don’t have a replacement for it yet, so it’s stayed hidden in the pantry. We recently gave my parents back a desk we were borrowing and moved to a table instead. With no drawers, we had no place to put various items, like tape and pencils.
With a sudden inspiration, I realized that by placing my large pan on top of our wire paper-sorter, I’d have the perfect container to store all these items. Happy thought.
In other news, we are getting ready to move in a couple of weeks, and I have a ton of work ahead of me. We are moving into an older house with very little storage. I’d love to hear your ideas of creative ways to make do with little storage-especially in the kitchen.
Let me know if you have any ideas!
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lol! I have a non-stick cake pan that I let DS1 play with magnets in. It was great for a long car trip last summer. Now I store all the magnets in it on the school shelf.
Storage. That is the battle I’m always fighting here, we live in an apartment. My kitchen is miniscule. Husband converted a coat closet into a pantry with some scrap lumber. I covered them with contact paper and it has been perfect! We use a lot of bookcases around here. I even have a tall one that we found by the dumpster in the laundry room. I keep my canning supplies, cleaning supplies, paper towels, and some camping gear there. I have a smaller bookcase that I made a simple curtain for and set in the dining room. I store a little bit of everything there. We also have a 6′ bookcase (school supplies) and an antique Hoosier cabinet (dishes and linens) in the dining room. We use an old trunk in the living room, it is our coffee table and it also stores extra bedding. Don’t forget to store up high too. Put a shelf behind your washer and dryer, (low so nothing can fall) and a second one up higher. That is one of the big things I’m going do first thing when we move this summer. I never did it here and I really should have.
we’ve been in a small (~520 sq. ft), older (~1945) one-bedroom apartment for a year and a half now, and although our previous place was also a one-bedroom, optimizing our living arrangements for the past eighteen months has felt a lot like several very drawn-out downsizings — i think we’re on living room arrangement #4, and i just rearranged the bedroom into its third iteration this afternoon. so, i guess i would say to get things into something you can live with quickly, but prepare for successive tweaks and optimizations for a couple of years? =)
our kitchen is actually a good size because it has a pretty big eat-in area, and everything painted white and getting afternoon sun helps it feel larger and welcoming. the working part, though, has not-great storage and work space, so we have a small ikea butcher block cart which provides extra storage (mixing bowls, colander, lunchboxes, an electric skillet, and raw potatoes and onions live on those two little shelves — a random mix, i know!) as well as a workspace next to the stove. adding little wire shelves — i think initally shoe racks, re-purposed — helps everything not pile up in our pantry and dishes sections; larger, industrial-type shelves added recently to the utility closet made a big difference in how much we could store in there and how easily we could get to it. we also use the wall space, having added a shelf over the sink for display of things like vases and pitchers that are pretty as well as functional, and we have a wall-mounted pot rack. a small bookshelf under the pot rack holds my stand mixer, since counterspace is precious. i also removed the door and ironing board from the ironing board cabinet in the dining part of the kitchen, cleaned and lined it with contact paper, and put in shelves — it’s now a jam cabinet, holding dozens of mason jars of whatever my husband has made recently. pretty, and adds a little bit more storage into a place where every little bit counts.
so, i guess my advice is twofold: one, it’s an iterative, ongoing process. our kitchen is now nice enough that my husband (who is the cook) doesn’t want to move, even for rent that’s 25% cheaper, because everything here is set up so well for his workflow…but it’s taken a year and a half to get there. two, use EVERY space. wall-mount things. (we don’t have need for a pegboard, but if we didn’t have a pot rack i’d probably put one up.) reclaim spaces designed for things that aren’t part of today’s lifestyle. and don’t be afraid to put things in odd places…our hanging clothes are in a closet off the hall because the bedroom doesn’t have a closet, and our toolbox is in the bathroom closet because that was the best space for it.
enjoy your new-to-you old place! =)
We bought two sturdy but not fancy wooden shelving units from Ikea (I think the style is Gorm). They have adjustable shelves, optional hanging baskets, and even a bottle rack shelf (where I keep my oils, vinegars, etc. on their sides… saves a ton of space over having them vertical). I attached the two units together and put them along the one spare wall in our kitchen. Each side has the shelves adjusted differently depending on what I need to store. I screwed a few flat wire baskets to the front to store napkins, hung a rolling pin rack (that I made from coat hanger wire), and added some hooks for additional storage. Elsewhere in the kitchen we added a series of hooks to lumber salvaged from pallets and hung those on the wall. Here we keep all kinds of things… coats, hats, aprons, the basket for gathering eggs, etc. Over our stove/oven I put an on-the-wall pot rack (also from Ikea) and hang all my pots and pans. For the most part the lids slip over the handles. Magnetic hooks for the fridge hold calendars and hand towels. A magnetic knife rack holds knives high up on the wall. Maybe I should do a blog post about all this vertical storage I have. Might be useful to someone…
Down size in all things. Find smaller and/or multi use appliances. There are many creative ways to find/make storage in small homes. We live in a small cape cod with a basement with stairs that are off the kitchen- I was able to remove dry wall along the steps & between studs I installed shelves with railings & now I have a pantry. I also just keep enough dishes for our family of 3 & store extra for when company comes. We have a table with a folded leaf & unfold when company comes. Only keeping exactly what you use. I came to think & clean out as if my husband came to me & said “you have a week to pack up the house bc we’re moving” I want to do it in 5 days.
Would you please explain the dangers of nonstick pans? Do all nonstick pans contain toxic chemicals? Are there any exceptions? I brought a Nordic Ware pan (cast aluminum) in February for Valentine’s Day. They make heart-shaped pancakes and eggs and kids love them. I tried to ask what kind of seal they put on the nonstick pan but they didn’t answer me. I know they are not made of Teflon (which I read is bad when you cook at higher temperature (right?)) but is some sort of nonstick coating. Would you say all nonstick cookware are toxic? Would love your feedback on this. Thanks!
We just moved from a turn of the century home that had a small kitchen. Here are a few things I did to make the kitchen functional for me: I used the tops of the cabinets and fridge to store things. (A place I usually reserve for decorations.) My husband added an additional lower cupboard and some counter space where there had been a space for an eating table. (Our family was too big to fit in the kitchen at meals, so why waste the space?) (He was able to find a used cupboard that almost matched.) Above this cupboard, my husband put a shelf that I could put all of my soaking grains & nuts on. And we added a pantry (a single cupboard from floor to ceiling) in the side porch, next to our freezer. Also, I used one of those racks that is attached to the wall to hang my pots. I hope this helps!
Don’t forget to hang frying pans and pots from the ceiling. Be sure to attach to a beam š
We have a very small kitchen with little storage as well. If you have room to put an island with shelves on it, that’s a great place to store big stock pots. Plus it adds extra workspace. Also, a hanging pot rack works great for pans, small pots, trays with handles, or anything small with handles. If the lids have handles instead of knobs, then you might be able to slide the lids onto the handles before you hang it on the pot rack. Sliding drawers have helped me make great use of the space in all the cabinets. We have a very small pantry with shelves that are wide apart. I got some plastic bins from Wal-mart (amazon.com has them for less if you buy in bulk) to corral things like canned goods, bags of chips/crackers, small bottles of seasonings that are too big to put in my spice rack, baking goods, etc. We have a wall that is too close to our counter to put any shelves, but I was able to hang several spice racks, a calendar, meal planner, and chalkboard on it that has become my command central for our schedule and meal/grocery planning. I hope these tips help, and I’ll pray God gives you wisdom as you move in and figure out how to organize everything. š
Oh, we also hung some racks on the inside of the pantry door for things like parchment paper, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, water bottles, ziploc bags, etc.
You may want to check out metal shelving units if you haven’t already – amazon sells the Whitmor shelving for a decent price (though the prices do fluctuate so it helps to watch them in your shopping cart) – I have several units in various sizes. It does not look real home-y (more industrial) but I’m OK with that given they are very functional with adjustable shelves and can still look nice – with them, for some things I also use some open and/or lidded baskets, mason jars, canisters, cracker jars, etc, and have some larger stockpots and countertop appliances interspersed, basically over time working on “decorating” a small kitchen like a nice functional walk-in organized pantry. I move often and have been working over the past several years to put together a kitchen system that is functional, easy to pack and unpack, and versatile to various locations and these are things that help me (as well as doing a general purge of belongings at each move, often both on the packing and unpacking end). In my current location I’ve also taken doors off of some storage that I do have and opened that up to create a feeling of more space and functionality and it probably stays much neater than it would if the doors were on it and much easier to get to what I need.
Space under beds and couches can be used for items you don’t use very much…to keep dust, etc off the items, put them in a flat “shoe storage” under-bed box. If you only use them a couple times a year, it can be somewhere less accessable. If you have a garage, keep a set of shelves close to the door to the house and store extra canning supplies or baking pans – nearby, but not in kitchen. We have converted a coat closet into a pantry, mainly because our pantry is very tiny. I hope your move is easy, enjoyable and full of blessings!
I didn’t read the other comments so mine might be duplicates. A pot rack hung from the ceiling holds pots by S hooks. If you have high ceilings, you will need longer chains. There is a magnetic strip that can be attached to the wall to hold sharp knives – knives will gain a small momentary magnetic charge. Spice containers are also available with a magnet on the bottom and will stick to any ferrous (iron/steel) surface. My basement door is in the kitchen. I hung a multi-hook rack over the door to hold strainers, wok, sifter and some other items. You may need S hooks for some things. Think about uses for vertical wall space as long as you have a stool/ladder handy. Peg boards and wire grids can even be used without a wall if you attach them to the back of a table.
Look at spaces that can hold a lazy susan. I have one in a cupboard to hold bowls of varying sizes. Two lower corner cupboards have a 2-tier lazy susan and a 2 piece, hinged door. I have a wire rack fixed to the inside of the door under the sink that holds 4 boxes of wrap – plastic, waxed paper, parchment paper and foil. I put a small holder with hooks on the inside of my dish cupboard to hold potholders. It also has a a bar that could hold a towel although I don’t use it. I have a key holder on the wall that also holds my apron.
Drawers can be made in the rise of stairs. I have a wheeled kitchen cart with 2 shelves. My toaster oven is on top (I don’t have a microwave) and the shelves and floor hold a variety of small appliances and storage containers.
I have 2 hutches in the kitchen for storage and a sideboard in the workroom to hold fabric š but it could hold kitchen stuff.
It is amazing what is available for storage that can also be made at home if a body is talented.
I also found an internet site that gives instructions on building a root cellar in your back yard!
Good luck! I await pictures and more ideas of your solution(s).
I thought it was maybe a tube pan with a removable tube. What came to mind was a planter, because the water could escape a little at the bottom, and it might just look nice with a circular array of blossoms, or herbs. You could find something colorful to slip through the tube area…. But alas you had a rectangle pan š
BTW how do you arrange the top of the table, i.e. bills, recipes, letters? I also like to use tables because of the arm height and I think it looks alot nicer than a klunky desk.
We bought our vintage dream house in 2002, but had to downsize about 50% to fit in it. We have 2 closets in the entire house, no pantry, no garage. I had to get very creative.
I use vintage suitcases to store things, and then they look cool sitting out. I put nice looking black industrial shelves in the mudroom (adjacent to the kitchen) and put matching ivory canvas totes, or brown baskets with ivory canvas inserts and organized in there. Also on those shelves are my pots and pans, all stainless steel (I got rid of everything else) and nested and stacked to look nice.
Target has some cool rattan cubes that look good sitting out but have storage inside. Armoires, flea market dressers. Underbed storage boxes. I also keep as much as I can organized in totes in the attic.
Also, I’ve learned to live lean, which I like. I stay cleaned out by keeping a steamer trunk on the porch that has a running donation collection in it. I snap a photo before it goes in the trunk. When it gets full, I donate it, and write it off on my taxes. I don’t keep clothes I don’t wear, etc. Think the display closets at Container Store. I have a vintage armoire, not very large, and I use huggable hangars and make it work. When I get a new item, I have to give one to charity. I don’t allow myself to collect extra things. I keep my shoes in shoeboxes up on the shelf of our one, small closet (my husband gets that whole closet except for my shoes). The other closet our son gets.
I could go on, but I’ll hush now. I really enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to fit into the house with no storage. It is freeing to have less stuff.
Good luck! Love your blog.
I live in a house w/ little storage and I’m still working this one out. For the kitchen, here are some things I have learned that work well:
First don’t keep anything you won’t/don’t use in the cupboard. You are just using up good space. If you have things you use but not on a regular basis (like weekly at least) keep them in another place – a closet or basement if you have one. Then just go and get the item when you need it and replace it when you aren’t. Of course if you have no other place then consider what your really need bare bones. For example, I use my stock pot about every other week-ish and it’s huge so I keep it in the basement and just get it when I need it.
Second get some kind of shelving for the kitchen. You can use it for decor and to store a few kitchen items. I have limited space for shelves but mine still do the trick. I store some dry goods on them in glass containers so they double for decor. Then I have a few little knick knack types of things that I like w/ the other space.
Also, I’m severely limited for counter space and we have no dining room so our narrow kitchen also doubles for the dining area. To work around that, I have a very long, narrow kitchen table that doubles as my work space.
Here’s what I do for the limited counter space: I try to put appliances I will use daily in the cabinet just above the counter where I’ll use them. Then I have a caddy that doubles as ‘junk’ space. I do have a small junk drawer, but since it’s not big enough for everything, this works too. Since it’s a caddy it looks sort of put together and organized but not like I have stuff all over my counter (even though I sort of do).
If you’d like some pictures to see what I mean about any of this stuff, I’d be glad to share, just let me know!
I live in an old house (1890) that’s huge (way too big for 2 but the grandkids call it “grandma’s house” and how do you move away from that???) but before we had the kitchen completely remodeled, we had no storage and only a small counter space. We added a hoosier, a 3-shelf bookcase, a rolling cart w/shelves and butcher block top, another short but fat shelf (for mixer, blender, etc.), a wall-mounted pot rack, and a magnetic knife rack. LOL. My husband threatened to call “Hoarders” every time he walked to the fridge. But we lived with it for 7 years, until we had planned and saved for the wonderful kitchen we have now. It will work, it just takes time. Don’t rush it – the house will tell you what it wants done to/for it. Just LIStEN.
Our family of 5 shares less than 900 square feet in a 2 bedroom 1 bath duplex, but thankfully we do have a single car garage that we use as storage for bikes, camping gear, out-of-season clothes, etc. So I know what it’s like to have to squeeze into a tight space!
I am so blessed to have a husband who not only loves to de-clutter and does not get attached to ‘stuff’, but he’s very skilled in organizing and loves a clean, clutter-free home, as well as being an overall fix-it guy and can build just about anything.
My biggest space crunch problems when we first moved in were the bathroom and kitchen. The bathroom had only an under-the-sink cupboard with no drawers or shelving to put all of the usual bathroom supplies. I have two cupboards in the whole house to fit all my linens and towels etc in the hallway. So my hubby built an over-the-toilet shelving unit to fit the clear plastic rubbermaid tubs I put all the toiletries in. It is wonderful and you can purchase something similar for over the toilet but ours is custom fit for maximum storage.
As for the kitchen, I use lots of wire stacking shelves to fit all the mugs, plates, bowls and other dishes into my few cupboards. But mostly I try to pare down my kitchen equipment to essentials and I use my washer and dryer to store jars on and for fermenting/sprouting/soaking since I have limited counter space.
Getting rid of excess stuff is the best way to start! But I’m sure you already know that. š
We are moving in a couple of weeks too! also to an older home with not much storage! I’ll tell you how it all works out but we are getting rid of a lot of things we don’t need and plan on using a lot of standing shelves, and cabinets to store things we do need. We are also investing in bunk beds :). Good luck!
hi kimi….my advice for a smaller home is to get what you can off the floor to make the room seem bigger. one example, we used to have a few bookcases around our house until we saw an idea on HGTV where they moved the “bookcase” up around the perimeter of the room, kind of like a crown molding. the top frame of our windows and door openings acted as the base for the boards that the books sit on. then instead of the supports being under these boards, put them on top. we affixed them randomly, according to where the studs were. and as a bonus, they also act as bookends!! we installed ours in our dining room, so aside from books, we also store glass pitchers and things we only use with company along with some dishes and bowls and such that i inherited from my family. we love this idea!
Our house was built in the 1890’s so I hear you with the tiny closets and lack of storage! We replaced the kitchen cabinets a year ago and paid a little extra for custom cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling. I can’t really reach everything without climbing on the counter, but the ceiling height cabinets have added a ton of storage and I like the look of the long tall cabinet doors.
We used Home Depot and it was surprisingly not that much more for cabinets in a custom size. With an old house, you may need to go custom anyways because the walls are slanted, proportions are not standard, etc and they may need to build cabinets to fit the walls of your house anyways.
I organize as a side business. I’d be more than happy to help you brainstorm if when you move in you are finding areas challenging…..some very general tips:
prime real estate…keep the things you need the most closest at hand. The weird storage spaces that are hard to reach can be used for things that are used less frequently.
Use ALL your space, think vertically and divide the space up with shelf dividers, additional shelving, stacker, any way to use as much as possible.
Have some stuff your not sure you need to keep but not ready to apart with? Pack those items in a separate box, the I MIGHT be able to get rid of these box. Keep it in storage, and if after 3 months/6 months/a year you haven’t touched it…donate the items.
Again, a simple picture or description or two, and I can usually help brainstorm some ideas…so don’t hesitate!