When renting an apartment in New York City, the size of the kitchen may not have been a concern or consideration. But now that you’ve moved in, you’re quickly realize how frustrating it is to get even the basics, like a pot, a pan and a few utensils, to fit in it. Before you turn your oven into shoe storage and become Seamless’ customer of the year, read these four tips from the storage services experts at Gotham Mini Storage on how your New York City kitchen can go from frustrating to functional, so the only thing boiling is the water on top of your stove.
1. Use not-so-obvious spaces
The area above and below your cabinets can be a great way to save countertop, cabinet and pantry space. Perfect items for on top of your cabinets include wines and liquors, bottles of cooking oil and balsamic vinegars or for displaying personal touches such as vintage cookie jars or vases. To take advantage of space under your cabinets, install a rail that can hold items such as pots, pans or to hang cooking utensils or wire baskets for spices.
2. Reuse other home organizers
Using something like a filing rack can be an easy and affordable way to divide some of your kitchen items. For example, place a filing rack inside of your cabinets to organize your baking sheets, frying pans and cutting boards.
3. Let (certain) items double as décor
Some kitchen items can be stored in a way that makes them look like chic decorative touches. For instance, hanging your wooden cutting boards or coffee mugs on your wall can add a unique flair. If you have stylish kitchen canisters, display these on your counter and use them to store flour, pastas, rice or coffee—freeing up some cabinet space while adding personal touches to your countertop.
4. Store large appliances
Bulky pieces, such as a stand mixer, slow cooker and panini press, can be hard to wrangle and even harder to maneuver around if countertop space is limited. It’s best to keep them out of sight in an as-easy-as-possible-to-access location. If you don’t use your oven much, consider storing one or two of these items in there (just remember to remove it before use the oven, of course). If you don’t have enough space in your NYC apartment these larger must-have appliances, consider placing them in a personal mini storage unit—it’s a small change that can make a huge impact on your kitchen’s space.
For more tips on how to organize your (tiny) NYC kitchen, contact the team at Gotham Mini Storage, the leader in Manhattan mini storage.