When people think they need a bigger kitchen, they usually need better systems—not more storage.
I’ve learned that even in a small kitchen, a few intentional changes can make the space feel significantly larger and more functional without adding a single square foot.
These are the five changes that made the biggest difference in my own kitchen.
1. I Replaced Lower Cabinets With Drawers
If I could only change one thing in a kitchen, this would be it.
Cabinets create dark spaces where items disappear.
Drawers bring everything to you.
You can see what you have, reach everything easily, and use every inch of available space.
I use drawers throughout my home, but nowhere do they make a bigger impact than in the kitchen.
What Changed
I stopped losing things in the back of cabinets and gained storage space I didn’t even realize I had.
Drawers don’t create storage. They reveal storage you already have.
My Favorite Drawer Solutions
For Existing Cabinets:
For New Cabinets:
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2. I Stopped Buying Kitchen Gadgets
Small kitchens don’t have room for one-purpose tools.
Every gadget takes up valuable space.
At one point I had drawers full of gadgets that promised to make cooking easier.
The reality?
Most of them made cooking harder because I had to store them, clean them, and remember where I put them.
Now every item has to earn its place.
If an item only does one thing, it has to be really exceptional to earn space in my kitchen.
What Changed
I gained storage space without adding storage.
Think about the gadgets sitting in your cabinets right now.
How many of them have you actually used in the last year?
3. I Organized My Refrigerator For Visibility
This is one of the systems that saves me the most money because it keeps food from getting lost, and you’d be surprised how much can fit in a refrigerator when you stop using it the way the manufacturer intended.
I don’t use the produce drawers for produce.
Things disappear in there.
I know that’s probably controversial, but after years of throwing away forgotten strawberries and cucumbers, I finally admitted the produce drawers weren’t working for my family.
Instead, I use multiple clear divided drawers. All of my fruit goes into those drawers after it’s washed and prepped so it’s ready to eat.
If food is ready to grab, we eat it.
If it needs work first, it gets ignored.
Visibility drives behavior.
The foods we see get eaten.
The foods we don’t see get wasted.
And can we talk about that giant deli drawer that runs the width of the refrigerator?
On a French door refrigerator, you have to open both doors just to get into it.
Why?
I think it’s one of the least practical features in modern refrigerators.
So I use it for meat because I only need to access it once a day.
The foods I reach for constantly—deli meat, cheese, and sandwich items—go into one of the produce drawers instead.
I store everything sideways so I can see every package at a glance.
No stacking.
No digging.
No forgotten packages.
The other produce drawer holds bread products or backup items.
Every category has a purpose, and everything is visible.
What Changed
Almost nothing goes bad anymore because I can actually see what I have.
I waste less food, stop buying duplicates, and spend less time searching through the refrigerator.
Refrigerator Organization Favorites
4. I Used Drawer Organizers to Create Homes for Everything
One of the biggest mistakes I made was assuming things would stay organized on their own.
They don’t.
Give a drawer twenty items and they’ll naturally migrate into a giant pile.
That’s where drawer organizers come in.
Every category in my kitchen has a designated space.
Measuring spoons.
Scissors.
Bag clips.
Food storage lids.
Batteries.
If I need something, I know exactly where to find it.
And more importantly, I know exactly where to put it back.
Drawer organizers don’t just organize your kitchen. They create homes.
When everything has a home, cleanup becomes automatic because there is no decision making involved.
I used to think drawer organizers were optional.
Now I think they’re part of the system.
Without them, things slowly drift back into chaos.
What Changed
My kitchen stayed organized longer because everyone knew where things belonged.
My Organization Rule
If an item doesn’t have a designated home, it probably doesn’t belong in the kitchen.
Before buying another organizer, ask yourself:
Am I solving a storage problem, or am I trying to organize things that don’t have a designated place yet?
Most organization problems aren’t storage problems. They’re system problems.
My Favorite Drawer Organizers
5. I Got Rid of More Than I Organized
This might be the most important lesson on the list.
For years I thought every kitchen problem could be solved with another organizer.
Another basket.
Another bin.
Another shelf.
Another gadget.
What I eventually learned was that the easiest way to create space is to own less stuff.
I didn’t need another organizer.
I needed fewer things to organize.
No organizer works as well as simply removing the things you don’t use.
In fact, there are only two purchases in my home that I’ve never regretted paying for.
1. Drawers
Every time I’ve added drawers to a space, it’s been worth every penny.
In fact, they still bring a little smile to my face every time I use them.
2. 1-800-GOT-JUNK
I’m mostly joking.
But also not really.
Nothing has ever created more space in my home than getting rid of things I didn’t need.
Whether it’s a donation pile, a garage cleanout, or finally tackling the cabinet you’ve been avoiding, removing things is almost always more effective than buying another organizer.
The easiest way to create space is to own less stuff.
That’s true in kitchens and it’s true everywhere else in the house.
What Changed
I stopped organizing clutter and started eliminating it.
No organizer has ever worked as well as owning less stuff.
The result was more space, less frustration, and fewer organization products.
Products Worth Buying
Ready to organize what remains?
What I Learned
The biggest lesson I learned is that a small kitchen doesn’t necessarily need more storage.
It needs better systems.
Most people don’t need more storage.
They need less stuff and better visibility.
Most of these changes cost very little, but together they completely changed how my kitchen feels and functions.
And if I had to pick just one place to start?
Drawers. They’re still the best upgrade I’ve ever made.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I organize a small kitchen without remodeling?
Start by removing items you don’t use, creating designated homes for everyday items, and improving visibility. Better systems often make a bigger difference than adding storage.
Are drawers better than lower kitchen cabinets?
In most cases, yes. Drawers make it easier to see, access, and use every inch of available space. They also eliminate the need to dig through the back of cabinets.
How do I make a small kitchen feel bigger?
Focus on visibility, remove unnecessary gadgets, create homes for categories of items, and reduce clutter. Small kitchens often feel crowded because of what they contain, not because of their size.
What is the biggest mistake people make in small kitchens?
Trying to organize too much stuff. Before buying another organizer, make sure you’re not simply organizing items you no longer use or need.
Free Guide
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