How I Organize a Small Kitchen With Almost No Cabinets

A small kitchen isn’t a problem to solve so much as a space to edit. When there’s almost no cabinetry, every item has to earn its keep and every surface has to pull double duty.

Go vertical

Walls are storage you’re not using. A rail with hooks holds utensils, mugs, and pans; a narrow shelf turns a bare wall into a spice or jar station. Pegboards flex as your needs change.

Make it visible

Open shelving forces a useful discipline: if it’s out, it’s used. Store everyday dishes and glasses within reach and let the rarely-used things live higher or elsewhere.

Edit ruthlessly

Duplicate gadgets, single-use tools, the fourth spatula — a small kitchen simply can’t afford them. Keep the versatile few, and the space suddenly feels twice as big. Constraints, it turns out, make a better-organized kitchen than acres of cabinets ever would.