5 Smart, Efficient Storage Ideas for Your Kitchen

Using glass or mason jars to store your sugar, salt, flour, pasta or any dried goods is a great way to both add a wonderfully clean and organised feel to your kitchen while helping you to quickly spot the exact ingredient you need.

Air-tight glass jars keep your dried goods fresh and prevent situations where you have half-opened bags of sugar or flour lying forgotten at the back of your cupboard. It also minimizes messes and makes it easier for you to scoop out the ingredients you want without spilling half on the table while you reach into oddly-shaped plastic bags.

Simply print out adhesive labels with the different ingredients you want to store and the date they expire, then decant all your bags of dried goods into those beautiful mason jars, and there you have it - your neat, clutter-free glass storage system.

Opt for deep, sturdy drawers with soft closings to store all your heavy plates, dishes and Corning Ware in one neat drawer and not scattered on counter tops. These dish drawers should be installed lower to the ground and not at head level so you can bend to pick them up rather than reach dangerously over your head in the case of heavier kitchenware like Dutch ovens or pressure cooking pots.

Low dish drawers make it easier and safer for smaller children to reach for their plates. These dish drawers make a home for your bigger dishes - they should be able to hold around 75 to 100 pounds - and keep them well organized so you know exactly when to find them, overtime you need them.

Often forgotten but very handy are vertical storage items. Keep clutter away from countertops by storing them against your kitchen walls. Hang baskets are the most common form of vertical storage. Simply place a metal pot rod or strong adhesive hooks below your kitchen cabinets in the space between them and the counter. Hang small baskets on these rods, which can hold anything from kitchen utensils to cleaning supplies and fresh herbs. They also add a lovely rustic charm to your kitchen! Knives can also be stored vertically. Simply stick a magnetic adhesive strip to your wall, away from little fingers, and your knives will magically store themselves on the strip, high and safe from your kids but also easily accessible by you.

Contrary to popular belief, kitchen corners are not a waste of space. With a little clever carpentry, they can easily be converted into corner storage drawers perfect for deeper storage for items you don't need to use too often.

Usually, awkward corners make for poor storage space because you need to reach all the way in to get what you want. But once you convert them into drawers, you can access your juicers, blenders, or whichever equipment you have there instantly, while maximizing your kitchen space at the same time.

Rolling kitchen carts are a very versatile and stylish option for kitchen storage which can be useful even in the smallest of kitchens. Not only can they double up as a makeshift kitchen counter when needed or roll away neatly under cabinets to convert back into storage drawers, they can even become bar carts for parties when necessary! Talk about multifunctional storage! You can even consider getting a rolling tiered storage cart that can be pushed into other parts of the home if you need space in your kitchen for something else.

Try these solutions out – you'll be surprised to see how much potential space your kitchen can have!