Martha Stewart's Genius Advice To Open Up Counter Space In Small Kitchens

Small kitchens have their merits. They force you to streamline your culinary tools, embrace minimal living, and master the art of making satisfying meals in a space the size of a shoebox. Having said that, when you're low on counter space, it can be super-tricky to roll out pizza dough, make a batch of cookies, or simply chop a family-size salad without having to move stuff off the worktop and into another room. One way to open up counter space in a petite kitchen is to take Martha Stewart's advice and add a mounted open shelf below your kitchen cabinets to house all the items that would normally get in the way.

This nifty design trick is so awesome because it boosts the functionality of your space by adding extra real estate to your kitchen in a low-key way. Plus, it doesn't cost a fortune! Adding a shelf underneath a line of cabinets provides a supplementary area to store jars of herbs and spices, salt and pepper grinders, or measuring cups and spoons that would otherwise occupy space on your limited counter space. You can even use it to store cookbooks, showcase crockery, or display artwork. The best thing about this genius move? All you need to get started is a simple shelf, a lick of paint, and some DIY basics.

According to Martha Stewart, kitchen shelves are normally mounted at a height of 18 inches above a countertop. Instead, she advises defying this rule of thumb and fitting your extra shelves slightly higher at 22 inches, which creates a bigger gap between the shelf and the base cabinets. This means you can get on with cooking at the stove and washing dishes without items being directly in your eyeline.

Mounting your shelf is a simple job if you're drilling directly into a painted wall, but it will require a little more expertise if you need to drill through kitchen tile (consider calling in a professional to tick every safety box). Once you're done, you can load up your shelf with your favorite chopping board, a jar of coffee, or a roll of paper towels before getting ready to entertain in your small kitchen. 

Just bear in mind that open shelving might not be right for your kitchen if it doesn't suit your lifestyle. For example, mugs and glasses stowed on open shelving can accumulate dust and grease and require regular cleaning more so than crockery housed inside cabinets or drawers. Along with this shelf hack, try out other organization hacks to create more kitchen countertop space, including hanging your pots and pans, installing a magnetic knife rack on the wall, and downsizing your appliances.