Coping with a small kitchen

maman

We have a bin that holds carrier bags on the back the undersink cupboard door. Obviously from next month that won't be such a good idea but it's really small and anything really smelly (like fish) goes straight out. I may have to buy liners from next month,


Recycling (like newspaper and card) goes in a waste paper basket in the sitting room until the next trip outside.

jackieblack

rosie383 wrote: »

I was delighted to see that there are plenty of sockets in the kitchen. Unfortunately four are right behind the washing machine under the workbench, two are about an inch above the workbench so are usable but it's only on a small area of workbench so limited for space, and the other six (told there were lots!) are all literally 1/4" above the workbench so unless I was able to put my plugs in upside down, they are unusable! Why????????

Would something like this help?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/T-Socket-Switch-Extension-Adapter-Protector/dp/B002HI0512

carefullycautious

I have become very adept at managing a small kitchen that has just enough room for one to move around comfortably. I endorse what others have said and done.


You will find that the longer you are there the more you will see how to adapt the space to suit your needs.


I have just purchased some small baskets from Tesco's 3 for 2pound that I have put into my under sink cupboard and into the bathroom one. It is surprising how organised these cupboards look now and how easy to pull the baskets out with the required tin etc instead of rooting around and knocking everything over in the process.


I have a large hook outside the back door that I hang plastic bags for recycling on, so I just have a very small bin for other waste.


The microwave resides on top of the fridge freezer.


I would like shelving over the window and along the walls at same height for storing but as we are trying to move this is not to be.


I have a wardrobe with a shelf that goes across the top of it and I use this to store the iron, plastic container for cleaning polish etc and other electrical items.


You do become adept at using any available space in a different way.


Good luck and let us know how you get on

GreyQueen

Another raving fan of Lock & Lock here, I now have four of them, all purchased from chazzers from 50p-89p and have my eyes out for more.

One thing with a small kitchen may sound daft, but always favour containers, whether storage or things like baking tins, which are square or rectangular, rather than circular/ cylindrical. Every inch helps.

And don't be afraid to measure the space and then shop for the container, which is something I have to do frequently. I carry a tape-measure in my handbag and a note of the dimensions of whatever it is that I am shopping for.

My experience of living in small spaces is that even after a decade, new and better places to keep things somehow present themselves, so I would suggest take your time rather than throwing money at the problem. Obviously, if the cupboards are out of reach, that's not likely to change, so a step-stool is a worthwhile investment without waiting.

Also, check out things which can do double duty, like my bread tins which do for bread and for cakes, and my small Pyrex casseroles which can be used in the oven and also used in the fridge.

Tricks aimed at making very small kitchens more usable, such as those in caravans and in boats, may yield a wealth of stealable ideas.

PasturesNew

skint_chick wrote: »

everything else cupboard -
1 shelf baking dishes,
1 shelf food processor and slow cooker,
1 shelf tin foil/food bags/clingfilm and plastic bowls

Everybody's different, just picking this one description out at random: my cupboard only has two shelves, (one shelf and the base). The slow cooker is on the base and there'd be no room for anything like a food processor (slow cooker only just fits).

For many, the cupboards/units themselves are simply too small. One person's small is another's "how big? That's massive!"

I think the OP should've supplied photos

rosie383

Thanks guys.

GQ I snaffled couple of those paper tape measures when we went for a drool around Ikea a few weeks ago. I keep it in my bag along with my moving house notebook with pen attached which has been brilliant. Dimensions of lots of things are in there along with account numbers for utilities etc in case the companies call when I am out and about.

I don't want to spend money on anything unnecessary but still am very tempted by the step thingy as it would be money well spent.

DH hopefully plumbing in the washing machine today and the cooker so once I get access to the kitchen later I will be taking all the empty tubs out of cupboards and giving away the awkward shaped ones and keeping only the really useful ones. Good idea to use them in the fridge as well. I just need to be much more organised.

I put the food processor, mixer, pressure cooker and slow cooker on top of the fridge freezer and they all fit very nicely up there.

There are a couple of those tiny skinny shelves at the end of the other cupboards. I have stood my favourite few recipe books up on one along with the scales and they fit perfectly. On the lower one I have stood the baking trays, chopping boards etc on their sides.

As for the under the stairs cupboard, the elec meter is under there too on one wall, and I need to be able to get at it so that limits the shelf sizes. Mind you, as they are literally all about 10cm wide they could do with being a bit bigger.
In the other under stairs bit (imagine a triangular door down on ground level on the side of the staircase) there is a gas meter and sticky out pipe bits but good space. Just not easy to access.

rosie383

I would love one of these plate racks:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8422532.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=cgid:17471341353|tsid:59157|cid:199888953|lid:92282035353|nw:g|crid:74692320753|rnd:2863536326714497822|dvc:c|adp:1o1|bku:1&gclid=CPrD2vXG7scCFQmdGwodCLELMA

But I really don't want to shell out a tenner. Anyone got any ingenious ideas instead?

Eenymeeny

rosie383 wrote: »

Thanks guys.

As for the under the stairs cupboard, the elec meter is under there too on one wall, and I need to be able to get at it so that limits the shelf sizes. Mind you, as they are literally all about 10cm wide they could do with being a bit bigger.
In the other under stairs bit (imagine a triangular door down on ground level on the side of the staircase) there is a gas meter and sticky out pipe bits but good space. Just not easy to access.

Lots of good ideas on here thanks everyone. Is there any way that you can change the size of your door? My OH took out part of the wall and made a bigger door for me which means that I can keep the vacuum cleaner under there now and have lots of hooks to hold strong shopping bags for all sorts of bits and pieces. (It's also a lot easier to read the meters!)
Another tip that I found on here was to use your ironing board as an extra surface when defrosting the freezer, sorting out cupboards etc. I put mine across the doorway in the adjoining dining room when I'm baking;)

[Deleted User]

I am in process of a new kitchen going in and it is a completely different design, getting ready for my future ie lots of drawers, built in oven etc. The sink unit will be very different too, the one and a half bowls will be held in place by the worktop and I will have all that excellent space underneath. I have a bucket to go in there but half will be open space. How to arrange it so I get maximum storage in there?

GreyQueen

I use my ironing board like that, too, exp when sorting out the airing cupboard.

rosie, I had a look at that item. I have a not dissimilar thing which is one layer high, wire covered in white plastic, which I got from a chazzer for £1. Very useful, would love to buy another 2-3 of them if I could ever see them, but don't know where to get them cheaply new.

Had a few more thoughts. You can get wire baskets which screw onto the flat surfaces (inside of cupboard doors, perhaps?) which are useful. I'd very much second living with your small kitchen, even after 10 years with mine, I am still getting new ideas. Like the 9 inch square rattan boxes which I got from the chazzer (2 for £1.50). They stand one atop the other up the corner of the kitchen, with a couple of inches clearance from the counter to the base of the wall units. I keep spuds in one and onions in the other.