How to Maximize Storage in a Small Melbourne Kitchen?
Anyone who's ever been in a kitchen, trying to figure out where to put their mixing bowl, is not alone. Of course, Melbourne has lovely, old terraces, cozy Edwardian cottages, and small inner-city apartments, and it's all part of the appeal, but with that comes the not-so-designed kitchen! Even for the most patient cook, the kitchen can begin to feel against you between the air fryers, stand mixer, weekly trip to the Coles, the meal prep containers, etc.
The good news? Even a small kitchen can be tidied up. Even the crampiest galley kitchen in a Fitzroy terrace or Southbank apartment can be spacious, organized and even fun to cook in if you plan carefully and make some clever small kitchen storage tricks.
The Art of Crafting a Timeline of a Journey at a Real Melbourne Kitchen
We worked with a client over the last few months whose home was in a fun, but limited-sized Victorian terrace in Northcote. There was not enough space in her kitchen to place a hand on enough benchtops, with one pantry cupboard being quite shallow, and for the oven door to open without hitting the fridge. She loved to cook, but every meal began with ten minutes of shuffling, shuffling pots, pans and half-unused spice jars around just to find bench space.
I don't think Sarah's grievance was against the size of her kitchen; it was about how it's being used. The deep, dark cabinets devoured objects whole. The pantry lacked any sort of system. There was unused vertical space over the benchtop. Sound familiar?
We then completely rethought the design of her kitchen: custom-made kitchen storage solutions, pull-out drawers, a slim pantry with an adjustable rack, and putting her unused vertical space to use with wall-mounted storage. In a matter of weeks — in line with a typical kitchen renovation timeline — she told us her kitchen appeared to be twice as big, and that no walls moved. The actual strength of smarter design in square meters.
How to Handle Small Kitchens With a Different Approach
While generics are not always suitable in Melbourne homes, it is important to know why. A number of our older homes are narrow in floor plan, feature load-bearing walls that can not be moved, and have historic overlays that will inhibit modifications. This translates into optimization of the existing space being the usual focus for the smartest storage upgrades.
Where good kitchen organization really comes in handy is getting the most from all the space, not just purchasing more storage boxes, but thinking differently about the utilization of each and every square centimeter of your kitchen: from the back of cabinet doors to the corner cupboard that nobody reaches into.
Here Are Some Practical Ideas About Small Kitchen Storage That Work
1. Think Differently About Storing Items Inside the Cabinet
Most often, the kitchen's largest storage unit is the cabinets, which are also the most unused. Simple shelving is riddled with the loss of space as items are stacked and forgotten. Some better places for storage solutions in your kitchen cabinets are fixed shelves with either doors or pull-out drawers so nothing hides at the back, wall-to-wall room dividers for trays, chopping boards, and baking sheets, corner carousel units to take advantage of “dead corner space,” and soft-close drawers with a built-in cutlery, dishes, and spice drawer system.
Replacing a few standard cabinets with custom cabinet installation in drawer-style units can make a big difference in usability day to day. And if your existing drawers are already sticking or hard to close, our kitchen cabinet repairs guide covers common fixes before you commit to a full swap.
2. Be Strategic With Kitchen Pantry Ideas
The key thing about a pantry isn't that there has to be a walk-in room; it is that the pantry has to be organized. The style of a kitchen plays a critical role in many small kitchens because they're often constrained by a single tall drawer or cupboard that serves as a food pantry. A few of our favorite kitchen pantry space-saving tips include compact pull-out pantry units, as narrow as 150mm, tucked beside the fridge or oven, clearly labeled containers to take the place of bulk packing boxes, movable shelving to accommodate different storage layer heights for flexibility, and standing racks on the door for spices, oils, and smaller jars.
The intent isn't to try to fit in more; it's that you've got everything visible and accessible without having to excavate.
3. Use Vertical Space Instead of Floor Space as Much as Possible
A space overlooked in many small kitchens is the wall space between the benchtop and upper cabinets and up to the ceiling. There is little to no space on the floor, but walls are usually plentiful. Add open shelves for regular-use items, a magnetic strip for knives, or mug and utensil hooks. Taking upper closet space up to the ceiling, instead of a top that drains resources with dust, provides instant extension of room while putting a new inch of space on the ground.
4. Create a System, Not a Storage Spot
Good kitchen organization is more about how you use things and less about where they fit. Cooking appliances are placed near the stove, food preparation near the prep bench, and the everyday crockery is kept within easy reach; this simple way of thinking helps to remove a lot of friction in the day-to-day running of the business and costs little if anything to install. Keep items used close to where they're stored, don't put many items on benches unless they are used daily, and set aside some time and do a spring (or fall) purge of any items that have not been used for the last six months.
5. Custom Design Beats Off-the-Shelf Fixes
While they come in handy in the short term, off-the-shelf organizers don't consider the unique characteristics of older Melbourne homes, features such as odd corners, cabinet dimensions, or walls. Always, a custom-designed product, based upon your actual kitchen size, will exceed generic items in the long run. This is the type of problem-solving Northcote kitchen designers need to help create a kitchen that Sarah will love and cherish for many years.
If your cabinet boxes are still sound, this doesn't always mean starting from scratch — sometimes kitchen cabinet refacing can deliver the same storage upgrade for less. Browse our custom kitchen cabinets range for design inspiration before you start.
The Value of the Local Form and Expertise
The housing stock is as unique as any in Melbourne, with a variety of different buildings representing different building eras, terrace homes built by the 1860s, various homes from the mid-20th century and new buildings, all with their own quirks and construction irregularities. What is actually great design for kitchen storage in a modern Docklands apartment could be absolutely unfeasible for a 1900s Fitzroy terrace. Having a kitchen renovation company Melbourne design team that recognizes these differences, one that's even done so in real Melbourne homes, will mean fewer compromises and a design fit for the long term, and not just the first day.
The examples shown are hypothetical and were constructed to illustrate a possible renovation and are not necessarily evidence of work done by others.