Clever Storage Solutions for Small Kitchen Spaces

Start by Measuring What You Actually Have

Most small kitchens in Chorley and across Lancashire were designed for a different era. A terraced house might have a galley kitchen barely two metres wide, while a 1970s semi offers a narrow but perfectly workable space. Before you spend a penny on storage, take half an hour with a tape measure and a notebook.

Measure the height between your worktop and wall units — often just 45 to 50 centimetres — as well as the depth of every cupboard. Note where doors swing, how much clearance you have in front of the sink, and which corners are genuinely unusable. You will usually find that you have more usable space than you think, just arranged badly.

As a rule of thumb, a well-planned compact kitchen should give you at least 1.2 metres of clear worktop. If you are short of that, storage is your first priority, not extra appliances.

Pull-Out Racks and Slimline Drawers

Deep base units are the biggest culprits in a small kitchen. A 60-centimetre cupboard might hold four times what you can comfortably reach, yet everything behind the front row vanishes. The fix is simple: pull-out racks and drawers that bring the contents to you.

• Pull-out larder racks: Two or three tiered wire baskets on runners turn a tall narrow cupboard into a usable pantry for tins, jars and packets.
• Slimline drawers: Just 15 to 20 centimetres wide, these fit either side of a range cooker or beside a washing machine and are perfect for spices, utensils, baking trays and tea towels.
• Drawer dividers: A shallow top drawer with adjustable dividers keeps cling film, foil and small tools tidy rather than jumbled.
• Hidden bin pull-outs: Fitting a bin inside a base unit frees the floor and hides odours, especially useful in open-plan Lancashire cottages.

If your budget only stretches to one upgrade, make it a pull-out rack in the cupboard you dread opening most.

Make the Most of Vertical Space

Small kitchens tend to be short on wall height. Look up: the gap above wall units and the 45 centimetres between worktop and cupboards are often wasted.

• Above the wall units: A row of baskets or shallow boxes for rarely used items such as Christmas dishes or preserving jars.
• Under the wall units: A rail or slim shelf for mugs, herbs, oil bottles and utensils keeps them off the worktop.
• Inside doors: Racks on the back of cupboard doors hold lids, chopping boards, spices and cleaning cloths.
• Tall and narrow: A 30-centimetre tall unit from floor to ceiling stores a broom, ironing board and vacuum without eating floor space.

Wall-mounted rails and magnetic strips are especially useful for Lancashire cooks who get through a lot of spices, and they cost very little.

Tackle Corners and Awkward Gaps

Corners are the graveyard of small kitchens, but they do not have to be. A corner carousel or a corner pull-out with two hinged shelves can turn a dead 90-degree angle into a proper pantry. If you cannot stretch to a full carousel, a simple two-tier shelf unit that pulls out on a single runner is a cheaper compromise.

Then hunt for the gaps. The narrow space beside a fridge, the void above a boiler, the 10 centimetres behind a door — all can take a slim pull-out unit or a set of hooks. Even a built-in wine rack can be used for rolled tea towels if you do not drink wine.

In older Chorley terraces, chimney breasts create shallow alcoves. A custom shelf cut to fit can turn this tricky space into a spice and cookbook corner.

Practical Choices for Everyday Cooking

Storage should make cooking easier, not just tidier. Think about your routine:

• Keep the hob area clear: Store pans in a drawer directly below, so you never cross the kitchen carrying a hot pan.
• Group like with like: Baking equipment in one place, spices near the hob, tea and coffee near the kettle.
• Use clear containers: Square or rectangular tubs waste less space than round ones and let you see what is running low.
• Leave a little breathing room: An overstuffed cupboard is slower to use than one that is 80 per cent full.

If you are renovating, ask your fitter to include at least one tall pull-out unit and one slimline drawer stack. These two features alone make a compact kitchen feel twice the size in daily use.

With a tape measure, a few good runners and a willingness to look upwards, even the smallest Chorley or Lancashire kitchen can become genuinely practical — and far more enjoyable to cook in.