Kitchen Storage Ideas

There's always so much you need to store in a kitchen: food, crockery, containers, utensils, appliances, cleaning products... tea towels! After a recent kitchen clear out, I decided to revisit my Pinterest kitchen board for some quirky reminders of just how clever kitchen designs can be to accommodate the modern house chef. Before I share my favourites, here's my personal, tried and tested not-so-cutting edge Quick Trick for kitchen storage:

Bear with me - while it's simple, it's SO effective and super quick. Simply buy a clear plastic box (keep the lid for a rainy day) and use it to put all your hob essentials in such as pepper, salt, oil, worcester sauce, silicone pan handle, etc. We purchased the one above from HomeSense. It'll not only keep everything neat and contained but they're all easily accessible. I found trays didn't work - I kept knocking the bottles over. This is a much better solution, which I also use in the fridge (lunch box from IKEA):

Containers also keep bottles etc from marking surfaces. Just make sure to give them a rinse out every couple of weeks.

MY TOP 5 DREAM KITCHEN STORAGE IDEAS:

1. PICTURE RAILS FOR COOKERY BOOKS:

Via

2. CRATE EXPECTATIONS: PERFECT FOR FRUIT & VEG

Via

3. KNIFE DRAWER: GREAT WORKsPACE SAVER

Via

4. PAN PERFECTION: NO DESCRIPTION NECESSARY!

Via

5. SPACE-SAVING SHELVES: GREAT FOR CROCKERY

Via

What are your favourite kitchen storage solutions? For more ideas, take a look at my Kitchen Pinterest board.

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Easy Art

What you hang in your house is a big reflection of who you are and what you like. Whether it's a picture you bought on holiday, a vintage map of your hometown or a special photo capturing a happy day. But sometimes there are certain designs and colours you'd love in your home, which you don't have on hand ready to hang, or can afford! 

Step up: CARDS!

This is one of my favourite Quick Tricks because it saves a lot of money, especially if you get frames from IKEA. There are so many cards out there featuring beautiful designs and colours, why not give it a go?

A few of our favourite things: London, Paris and (for L) cycling (Paperchase cards, IKEA frames).

Why put wedding cards in storage when you can display them and remember your happy day, every day?

Wise words for our kitchen.

A scene from one of my favourite stories (glumptious - great word).

Inspirational card art for when you need it.

In-joke: We framed this card I bought L a few years ago as he accidentally did this once (he singed his eyelashes when trying to light the BBQ...!).

MY FAVOURITE CARD SHOPS

• Oliver Bonas (especially birthday, wedding and new home).
• Paperchase (such a big variety - artistic, modern, comedy).
• Department stores always have big ranges but I really love the cards in Fenwick.
• Not on the High Street (especially when you're looking for something in particular or personalised).

CARD-SPIRATION:

Parents

Why not frame new baby cards and hang them in your nursery?

£2.75, Oliver Bonas (boy version available also).

Getting Ready Area

Wise words.

£3, Not on the High Street.

Bathroom

Why not add some nautical charm to a bathroom with a framed octopus notecard?

£6, Paperchase, box of 8.

Homebunny

Turn a new home card into a welcoming piece of wall art.

£2.95, Oliver Bonas.

Home Chef / Gardener

This would look fantastic in a kitchen.

£2.50, Not on the High Street.

Wedding Memory

Frame your favourite cards from your wedding day. Best in bedrooms (I particularly love personalised ones).

£4.95, Not on the High Street.

Big Day

Another wedding card which would look perfect in a white frame.

£2.50, John Lewis.

Illustration

Why pay for an expensive print when this Beatrix Potter card looks just as good? Ideal for a nursery or reading nook.

£2.50, John Lewis.

Quirky

Why not add some owl? - I would hang this in a living room, dining room, hallway or study.

£2.99, Not on the High Street.

Take a look at the Maison Bailey gallery wall over on Instagram.

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Cake Stand Storage

This quick trick is really simple and helps avoid food wastage: Simply display your vegetables in a wire cake stand (this one's from Homebase) and you'll be able to quickly spot what needs using first when meal planning. This is a particularly handy trick for small kitchens, as the three tiers offer stacks of storage without taking up too much precious surface space:

You can also use this idea for fruit (although avoid bananas, apples, kiwi fruit, figs, pears and tomatoes as they release ethylene, which can speed up the ripening process of other fruit).

MORE CAKE STAND IDEAS...

Homemakers are wising up to the multiuse functionality of cake stands, whether you want to store your treasures or display daily essentials for quick access. Here's some of my favourites:

A place for your sink essentials.

(Photo: My Home Lookbook)

Perfume display.

(Photo: Cosmopolitan)

Nail polish presentation.

Bathroom bits.

(Photo: Apartment Therapy / Simran Design)

Jewellery display.

(Photo: Glitter Guide / Shannon Claire Smith)

Bedside table routine.

(Photo: homedit)

Craft storage.

(Photo: Maggie Holmes)

Cheese board alternative.

(Photo: Ryder Evans)

For another smart kitchen storage idea, why not try this?

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Fajita Spice Mix

I LOVE Mexican Food

• It's quick to make (perfect weekday meal)
• Big variety: tacos, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas...
• A lot of it is self-assembly so you can get yours just right (I love soured cream - L doesn't) 
• It's spicy! (We love food with a kick).

Our favourite dish has to be chicken fajitas with homemade guacamole - so much better than the gloopy shop-bought stuff. With this in mind, we decided to try out this homemade fajita spice mix recipe to see how it compared to the supermarket sachets, which can cost around 80p-£1 each. We multiplied the recipe ingredients by 10 to make a big batch. Not only does this Quick Trick taste better, but it costs less, is easier to store (we keep ours in an air-tight Kilner jar) and it lets you add as much or as little as you want. 

Don't forget to add a spice label to your Kilner jar.

We tend to use one flat tablespoon per person.

Pop the spice mix on the chicken once it's sealed in the pan.

Happy days!

MY FAJITA ESSENTIALS

1. Homemade guacamole (avocado, lime juice, red onion, coriander stalks, fresh chilli, cherry tomatoes and salt/pepper)
2. Salsa (Discovery is tasty and lasts well)
3. Jalapenos (we put a few of these small jars into one big Kilner jar in the fridge)
4. Grated cheese
5. Soured cream

Top tips

• Roll a chicken breast in approximately 1 tablespoon of this spice mix before grilling. It makes the perfect addition to a healthy lunchtime salad
• It may be called 'fajita spice mix' but you can add it to anything to give it a Mexican twist.

Love spicy food too? Try out this spice label Quick Trick.

Spice Labels

This quick trick is for those who store their spices in a drawer or a low cupboard, meaning you only get a bird's-eye view of your spice jars. Most brands label their lids in very small text, which makes it difficult to tell your cayenne from your cumin.

Simply purchase one of these (the perfect gift for organisers) and voilà: one seriously sorted spice stash:

(A culinary high five to M&S and Tesco for being contrary to the norm.)

I think a person's spice collection says as much about them as a handbag or man-drawer would. What are your go-to spices?

Garden Shoe Storage

This quick trick will ensure your back door floor area is kept clear and that your garden shoes are easy to grab and go. Simply use an IKEA FINTORP rail and hooks (£10 in total), fit it to the side of a cabinet near to your back door and hang your shoes on it!

Cheap, quick and useful.

For more kitchen ideas, take a look at my kitchen Pinterest board.