It’s no secret that we love the kitchen; it’s easily one of the most active rooms in your house and the only place where you can magically turn simple ingredients into gourmet-level dishes for the whole family to share. In fact, anything you whip up with a bit of love and effort can easily wipe the floor than whatever fast-food chain can ever offer you, from your favorite chow mein to the finger-licking goodness of fried chicken.
However, once we dabble in the design aspect, we start to see some discrepancies in what’s good and bad, especially with the utilization of vertical space. And while we don’t mean to be nitpicky about every little thing inside your home, not using the available vertical kitchen space at your disposal is simply a waste of money and can be given a completely fresh new look with just a few hundred books.
#1 Install More Overhead Cabinets
Firstly, one of the best ways to make use of the vertical space you currently have is by simply installing more overhead cabinets in your kitchen. Sure, some might argue that it will look a bit cluttered, but with a bit of proper planning and layout beforehand, you can easily add a few more and really elevate the appeal of the space.
The biggest advantage to more overhead cabinets is the extra organizing freedom you get in return, and if you’re a big fan of keeping things tidy, then the extra storage space will be perfect for dividers and the like. So, if all those sound like a great time to you, we strongly recommend you start going through kitchen cabinet catalogs right this instant.
#2 Squeeze Open Shelves In Corners
Secondly, after you’ve checked off overhead cabinets from your list, our next recommendation would be to squeeze open shelves in corners that would otherwise be dead space. These shelves will make the perfect extra space for decorative indoor plants or for commonly used kitchen items such as condiments, spices, and seasonings that should be within reach at all times.
Of course, we don’t mean to place them way up to the point of being difficult to reach because that’s just annoying and may end up blocking some of the sunlight from the beautiful windows. So, don’t go overboard with how high you place them and the volume of shelves you end up installing because it can easily have the opposite effect of making the kitchen look clunky.
#3 Hooks, Bars, And All Sorts Of Places To Hang
Lastly, one of the least appreciated methods we recommend you try is adding hooks, bars, and creative ways of making extra storage solutions via hanging them. They’re a lot more affordable and are excellent for more lower-hanging areas, such as keeping a kitchen towel rack in place or something mid-level to hang your glassware.
However, if you’re willing to experiment quite a bit, then you could also try replacing your kitchen backsplash with a bright-colored pegboard for all your kitchen tools and utensils. And while it may take some getting used to and some changes in the overall theme of your kitchen, it’s an excellent way of getting the most space out of a compact kitchen.
However, It Might Not Work With Some Kitchen Spaces
Although we made it seem that vertical space is the holy grail of storage solutions and unlocking the full potential of your kitchen, we also can’t hide the fact that it might not work with some kitchen spaces. You see, not all kitchens are built with the same luxuries, and some might not be too keen about squeezing more stuff than they actually need.
- Big Kitchens Don’t Need It As Much: If your kitchen falls under the category of expansive and can easily fit another kitchen island if you ever had the extra budget, then maximizing the vertical space isn’t much of a need. Fitting in extra open shelving or overhead cabinets will make the kitchen space look unintentionally more cluttered, so openness is a feature in this regard. As a result, it might be better to look at different kitchen design trends.
- Tight Apartments Can Only Have So Little: On the opposite end of the scale, kitchens that are incredibly small and blend into tight apartments might not be able to benefit as much as well. If you tried adding anything more to an already tight space, then you’d end up spilling over to other areas of the room. Sure, you could a few shelves work, but that would be the limit as to what you can functionally accomplish.
With A Bit Of Creativity, Anything Can Work!
Nevertheless, we think that utilizing the vertical space of your kitchen is a must because nothing can go wrong with more places for organization and decorations. And if you’re capable of pulling out all the stops with your creative juices, you could even add value to the property.
