1Use Hanging Baskets
williams-sonoma Hanging planters have been trendy for a while, but it's time to bring back the hanging fruit basket. This copper one will bring chic farmhouse vibes to your kitchen, even if you don't own an inch of shiplap.
BUY NOW Hanging Wire 3-Tier Fruit Basket, $70
2Build in Appliances
douglas friedman Built-in microwaves are common, but built-in coffee makers? That's the wave of the future. This kitchen by designer Michelle Nussbaumer also features other custom features like a water dispenser and speed oven to really maximize space.
3Make Your Sink Do Triple-Duty
Amazon If you're in the market for a new sink, consider one that truly makes your life easier. Kohler's Prolific line has mini ledges inside the sink, so you can easily pop in a drying rack, wash pan, or cutting board, making use of that 36-inch space normally reserved for stacking dirty dishes. (And, okay, actually cleaning them. At some point.)
BUY NOW Kohler Prolific Sink and Accessories, from $893
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4Move Items to Carts
reid rolls If you have an expansive kitchen—or even just a small empty corner within a tighter room—make the most of free space with old filing cabinets, work tables, or bar carts, which can be used to host small appliances, cookbooks, extra mugs, and more.. This kitchen by designer Leanne Ford perfectly fits three stylish storage pieces.
5Strap Cutting Boards to a Cabinet Door
Tikkido Slim boards stay tucked away (but won't stop your cabinet from closing) in this clever storage spot.
Get the tutorial at Tikkido.
6Or Turn a Drawer Into a Cutting Board
joe schmelzer If you'd rather have one cutting board that you can easily whip out, consider nesting one within a drawer. This pull-out board designed by Alice Lane Interiors was strategically placed over a pull-out garbage and comes with a hole for easy disposal.
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7Give Your Bread Its Own Home
laura moss If you tend to keep bread on the counter rather than the refrigerator, consider these clever built-in baskets. But be wary of this method if you have pets.
8Use Your Pantry Door
Amazon You have an over-the-door organizer for your shoes, but you really need one for your pantry. Just think: With those shelves clear, you've got room to stow that blender, Crock-Pot, and bulky knife block.
SHOP ORGANIZERS Over-The-Door Cabinet Organizer, $49
9Move the Microwave Down Low
Young House Love Your microwave can take up a huge chunk of precious counter space, but it's not the type of thing you can pull in and out of a cupboard every time you want to use it. Young House Love has just the solution: Stick it in your island.
(Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott recommends a drawer microwave, which opens from the top if you hate bending down to heat your leftovers.)
Find out more at Young House Love.
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10Hang Cooking Utensils
Annie Schlechter Crocks of spoons and spatulas are easy to grab, but they get in the way. In this Scandinavian-inspired kitchen designed by Susan Serra, a few workhorse utensils hang neatly over the stove.
11Stow Cereal and Snacks Out of Sight
Jason Donnelly There's nothing that cramps your granite's style like a row of ripped cereal boxes. Designer Karin Edwards found a solution with a handy pull-out cabinet loaded with matching bins from the Container Store.
12Give Magazines Their Own Side Shelf
White Tulip Designs Unearth your favorite cooking mags from the pile of junk mail, and give them a dedicated place in your kitchen.
Get the tutorial at White Tulip Designs.
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13Put Shelves on the Side of Your Cabinet
The Chronicles of Home You're not using that space for anything, anyway. Might as well make the most of it.
Find out more at The Chronicles Of Home.
14Install a Built-In Fruit Bowl
Francesco Lagnese We admit this idea is a bit high-concept–but isn't it totally genius? Designer Mick De Giulio revealed the built-in "bowl" in our 2012 Kitchen of the Year. As you prep ingredients for a recipe, you can just stick them there, so they won't roll around (and off the table) as you work.
15Choose An Island With Open Storage.
Mom 4 Real This piece started its life as a sideboard. Repurposed as an island, the shelves provide a place to stash cookbooks and extra tools, keeping must-haves nearby but not scattered everywhere.
Find out more at Mom 4 Real.
More: 15 Ways To Upgrade Your Kitchen Island
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16Turn a Wood Pallet Into a Catch-All Organizer
Schon's Ideas A pallet's grid of slim slats provides a flexible storage station unlike any other—a magnetic knife rack can clip to a board, hooks can dangle in-between, and you can even clip grocery lists and cards to it.
Get the tutorial at Schön's Ideas.
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