How to Keep a Small Kitchen Organised

Staying organised in a kitchen isn’t always a walk in the park, but it’s even more difficult when you’re already struggling to fit everything in a small space. These tips to keep a small kitchen organised will hopefully bring out your inner Marie Kondo, helping you keep on top of clutter for a neat and tidy cooking space.

Keep to a consistent colour palette

Design: Lemonfridge Studio Rather than stow everything inside your cabinets, placing everyday wares or utensils you frequently reach out for out in the open will help you save space within. But to keep things organised, stick with a single palette. This will help to reduce visual clutter. One easy way to do this is to buy things in a set, but if this is too matchy-matchy, consider the colour theme when purchasing your wares e.g. monochrome, pastels or metallics. Product featured: Tools kitchen tool set, $79, retailing at mrphy

Transfer essentials into clear containers and label them

Design: Metier Planner Another way to cut down on visual clutter is to ditch store packaging and store essentials in similar or identical clear containers instead. They are great for stacking, so you can maximise the space inside your cabinets or refrigerator. But it’s not just about the organisation; storing pantry staples like flour, rice and sugars in air-tight containers can actually prolong their lifespan by keeping moisture out. Label them so you know at a glance where everything is. Make sure you’re choosing food-grade ones so that no chemicals will leech into your food. Product featured: Modern Style Sealed Storage, from $6.90 for small, retailing at Speckled Space

Make use of vertical areas by hooking and hanging things up

Design: ROOOT Studio When you’re short on space, make sure you look at vertical areas that are often overlooked for extra storage. Think areas like your backsplash, under your uppers, or the sides of your refrigerator. To keep these areas organised, incorporate dedicated baskets, rods or hooks. Product featured: Big Overhead Shelf Hanging Basket, $12.90, retailing at HipVan

Double up your cabinet space

Image credit: Styledegree Adding racks inside your cabinets can help you make the most of the space and maximise organisation potential. They help to divide up the area so you can utilise the uppermost parts. No more too-tall stacks of dishes wobbling precariously, or having to remove your entire arsenal of serving wares just to reach for the one you want at the bottom. Product featured: Extendable Steel Rack Organiser, $16.90, retailing at HipVan

Don’t forget the inside of cabinet doors

Design: The Interior Lab One of the most under-utilised areas for kitchen storage and organisation? The inside of your cabinet doors. Hooks, rails and caddies are affordable options to add more storage space and to keep things organised within cabinets. These are great for storing items that are lighter in weight, including measuring tools, tea towels, cleaning supplies, or grocery bags for recycling. The possibilities are endless. Product featured: MAXe 900mm Hangrail, $45, retailing at Retailers' Market

Consider mobile trolleys for extra storage

Design: Space Concepts Design Freestanding furniture can help add to the storage in your small kitchen, but they can make your space look untidy and cluttered. Instead, think about going for a mobile trolley, which you can stow away when you’re done with it. They are the perfect organisers too, with tiers that help you organise like with like. Trolleys are great as a mini home bar or for stacking condiments and serving ware—you can wheel it to your dining table to make mealtimes that much more convenient. Product featured: House Doctor Roll Trolley - Grey, $289, retailing at HipVan

Use a pegboard on an empty wall

Design: Design 4 Space For an instagrammable organiser, there’s nothing quite like a pegboard. It’s super useful for an empty wall in the kitchen. Use it to store your bulky pots and pans that take up too much space in the cabinets or pair it with shelves and racks to store everything else. The best part about pegboards is that they are incredibly modular, so you can always change things around to stay on top of your kitchen clutter. Product featured: MAXe Metal Pegboard Panel, $38, retailing at Retailers' Market

Control corner cabinet clutter with Lazy Susans

Design: Hygge Design Corner cabinets offer plenty of storage room, but they can be a huge pain to keep organised. Things kept in the back of corner cabinets are often left forgotten and under-utilised, largely because it’s so hard to reach them. To keep things organised in your corner cabinets, use a Lazy Susan—a round tray that can be spun around so you can reach for everything in your corner cabinet easily. Product featured: bam.boo Lazy Susan, $24.90, retailing at HipVan Looking at reorganising your kitchen this 'Niu' Year? Do so with some help! Receive up to $118 cashback as part of their Chinese New Year campaign when you make your purchases with hoolah. Shop online or in-store with participating merchants. All T&Cs apply.