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Some of us can never have enough counter space, and it’s even more of an issue when you’re working with a smaller kitchen. As culinary aficionados, there are always a few extra utensils, spices, and other thingamabobs that we’d love to keep closer at hand. One of the best ways to maximize your countertop space is to befriend the concept of vertical storage. Instagram user @cozydiyhome shared a quick dollar store DIY in the form of a tiered storage tower, which she turned into a mini coffee bar, using height to make the counter more functional while still looking tidy.
As you’re picking up the must-have kitchen supplies from Dollar Tree, you can look for wooden boxes in various sizes — from small, shallow trays to larger, deeper crates. They will serve as tiers for your storage tower. You’ll also need four wooden dowels to support the whole structure. If you opted for the bigger crates, you might need to get sturdier dowels from a local hardware store. Stack up the boxes into two to four tiers, depending on the height of the vertical space you’re working with and how much storage you need. Use the wooden dowels to create the four supporting corners of the structure, and secure them to the boxes with a glue gun and Gorilla Hot Glue Sticks.
Making the best of your quaint vertical storage
Once you’ve built the storage tower, there are many options for how to use it. If you’re going down the coffee station route, it can hold single-portion creamers, sugar packets, syrups, coffee beans — or perhaps it can serve as a genius way to organize your Nespresso pod stash. You can also use the different tiers to organize and neatly display your spices, teabags, or a unique coffee mug collection. Another functional idea is to designate that space for potted kitchen herbs or fresh fruit. While this DIY project is pretty easy and very affordable, we totally understand if you love the concept but aren’t keen on the “do it yourself” part of the equation.
IKEA sells a ton of narrow countertop space savers: The NÅLBLECKA organizer or VARIERA stackable shelves are great store-bought alternatives. Prefer shopping on Amazon? The vintage-style Three-Tier Metal Tray by Creative Co-Op is a clutch find, as is Homode’s Kitchen Countertop Organizer (pictured) that comes with a lovely rustic vibe. The latter can help you turn an awkward countertop corner into a purposeful storage nook. Finally, if you’re looking for something with a less handmade feel, we’d go for the Wooden Countertop Organizer by Homeiju, which comes with three adjustable shelves and a sturdy frame for heavier items.
