The Genius Trick Martha Stewart Uses To Expand Counter Space In Tiny Kitchens

When it comes to achieving greater efficiency, functionality, and just plain doing things better, we can always rely on home and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. From her etiquette rules for dining out to her best hacks for aspiring home chefs, the efficiency queen never disappoints in delivering game-changing tips. When you're dealing with a tiny home kitchen, she imparts some advice for making the best of a tight situation and maximizing your counterspace.

The secret, which Stewart shared on her "Ask Stewart: Home How-To" series, is installing open shelving in the space between your kitchen countertop and overhead cupboards (per YouTube). This makes use of an area that is typically unutilized in the kitchen. With the extra shelf, you can relocate items that are taking up real estate on your counter, keeping them accessible while freeing up precious prep space.

Stewart advises utilizing every inch in a small kitchen. Installing an open shelf higher than the standard 18 inches above the counter helps you do that  — she suggests aiming for 22 inches. Placing your shelf closer to the bottom of the overhead cabinet — leaving just enough space for the items you need to set on it — gives greater head clearance for unobstructed work on the counter and at the sink while providing an adequate storage spot for items that used to reside on the countertop. Spice shakers, containers, kitchen tools, and more are suddenly tidily out of the way but still within grasp.

In addition to creating extra space, look for ways to better use what you have. Identify whether items are cluttering your counter that don't need to be there — decorative elements, appliances you don't use very much, etc. Anything that can be relocated should be relocated, freeing up usable workspace. For instance, a countertop paper towel holder can easily be replaced with a wall-mounted one, getting it off your work surface but keeping it within reach.

If you have an open container holding serving spoons and other tools, moving them from the counter into a drawer or cupboard makes a difference. Appliances you don't use every day should be tucked away and out of sight — definitely not stored on the countertop. If storage space is minimal, take a look at what's residing in your kitchen cabinets and other cubbies. Move anything you don't use often. Seasonal items, for instance, like turkey roasters and holiday-specific cookie cutters, are typically only used once a year and should definitely be relocated from the kitchen. Package them up and tuck them in a garage, under a guest bed, or in a spare closet.

Various other space-saving tricks can also help you make the most of a small kitchen. Your stovetop, for instance, can be expanded into usable prep space with a simple space-saving cutting board tip. Customized cutting boards can cover the entire surface of your range top when it's not in use, effectively extending your counter. You can mix ingredients, serve food, and roll out dough on the extra surface just as you do your countertop. Unlike with most countertops, you can also chop ingredients directly on the surface — since it's a cutting board.