In Part 1, we talked about how tiny home kitchen design means using every inch of space and planning ahead for usability. Now, lets talk about how to maximize storage efficiency in a tight space.
3. Drawers Are Your Friend
When people think of kitchen storage, they usually jump straight to cabinets and shelves. While these are vital for many items, they’re not all you need in a tiny home kitchen design. Drawers are significantly more important in a tight space like a tiny home. Let’s talk about some of the ways drawers are suited to tiny home kitchen design.
Ease of View
The first reason drawers are vital is because tiny home kitchens don’t have a ton of space between counters to crouch down and search cabinets. Drawers allow you to search through the contents beneath your counters from above. They’re more ergonomic and accessible.
Travel Friendly
Next, drawers are more travel-friendly. If you intend to move around with your tiny home, drawers will quickly prove their worth when their contents stay put. Drawer locks, like what you use to childproof, are one way to keep them shut when traveling, but you can also just put a stretch of masking tape from the counter to bottom drawer to keep them from opening while in motion.
Space Efficiency
One thing that’s important to note about drawers is that regular home kitchen drawers take up way more space than necessary. In order to keep overflowing items from getting stuck on the drawer above, they insert unnecessary space between drawers. If you’re installing kitchen drawers in your tiny home kitchen cabinets, choose shallower drawers. These are more space efficient and also, the shallow depth makes storing and finding things much easier.
More Useful Than You Think
And, lastly, think outside the box about kitchen drawer uses. They’re not just for silverware and washcloths. Line up spices, label up, or even store plates and bowls in them. Drawers make for more stable storage than shelves and make organizing easy.
4. Don’t Rely Solely on Built-In Features
One of the things you have to get used to when thinking in terms of tiny home kitchen design is thinking outside the box. This isn’t just in regard to what you put where, but how you use space.
Shelves Are Not Your Friend
While most people just use the built-in storage features of their home, with a tiny home, you can’t stop there. You have to introduce additional storage devices, or you’ll quickly run into issues with space and organization. Plus, if you travel, things stored on shelves likely won’t be where you left them when you park next.
Organization Devices Save Lives
Instead of just lining everything up on a shelf, buy yourself some organization devices. These can be complex or simple. Most regular homeowners don’t even consider how these things could improve the accessibility of their homes, but tiny home owners can’t afford not to consider.
Consider buying a mountable spice rack. These are usually wire and can be screwed into a wall or the side of a cabinet. If placed on an accessible wall or the inside of a cabinet door, you’ll have an easy time seeing what spices you have and they won’t end up piled inside a cabinet.
Another great way to improve organization is by buying square storage boxes. These can be found with pretty, modern designs. These can be used to store snacks or other small things that you don’t want getting lost or mixed up. The storage box can then be placed neatly on a shelf. In essence, you’re making your own drawers!
Lastly, buy some quality snack containers. Transparent storage containers that are made for storing snacks will not only look great, but free up space. Bags of crackers in a square box waste space. Storage containers allow you to use up all of the space in them, edge to edge, while keeping your snacks fresher than a bag would.
Shop Discount Kitchens
If you’re looking for compact kitchen cabinets with space-efficient drawers, Discount Kitchens is here to help. We frequently outfit small kitchens, such as those in basement suites or condos. Plus, our drawers have soft-close technology, making them comfortable for frequent use and less likely to open during travel.