https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:05:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750941 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:12:21 +0000 IRunForFun 750941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: The only thing I'd be worried about with a portable island is that it would take up too much room in a narrow kitchen. It definitely wouldn't fit in the middle, like islands usually do. We'd have no room to move around it if we did that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750808 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:21:17 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 750808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To maximize counter space I keep the counters sparse. With the exception of the Keurig, fruit basket, knife block, and dish drying rack everything else is kept in a cabinet or the pantry. </p> <p>You can get freestanding island with counter space and shelf storage. I found a great stainless steal one from Home Depot I used in a small apt kitchen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750804 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:20:06 +0000 IRunForFun 750804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rattles: A shallow set of shelves is a good idea, actually. In our current place we do keep some spices and olive oil and other things we use frequently on the counter, but if we had somewhere else to keep them, that would save space.</p> <p>ETA: I have seen the over the sink cutting boards! We have a GIANT wood cutting board that actually may fit across the sink already...hmmm... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750795 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:17:30 +0000 rattles 750795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh! Also, you can get cutting boards that fit over your sink to increase food prep space. Cheap ones are at ikea again, but if you're handy, you could make one custom. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750794 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:16:51 +0000 IRunForFun 750794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: Just one big sink. :( I wish it was a double sink! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750793 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:16:32 +0000 rattles 750793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ikea makes a wall mounted drying rack that can hang over the sink. We added a shallow bookshelf just outside the main kitchen cabinets/area to hold things we wanted easy access to but didn't want on the counter (e.g the salt and pepper grinders, cooking oils, pantry canisters and cookbooks). That way we have room for the coffee maker and prep space on the counter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750792 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:15:54 +0000 spaniellove 750792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: Is the sink one big open thing or does it have two sides? Because if there are two sides you could get a smaller dish drainer that fits over one side... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750788 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:13:40 +0000 IRunForFun 750788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: I was eyeing the carts from Ikea. The nice thing is there are actually a lot of cabinets, plus a pantry, so there's quite a bit of storage. It's just the counter space that's lacking. </p> <p>I'm also trying to find a fold-able or even wall-mounted dish rack... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750783 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:11:46 +0000 spaniellove 750783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were in an apartment with the world's smallest counter for a few months. It was tough coming from an awesome kitchen. We ended up adding a cart from Ikea for counter space and a metal rack for shelving to store dishes and pots. Of course the kitchen was too small for the shelving so we kept it in the dining area! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-how-you-add-counter-space-to-your-kitchen#post-750720 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:43:07 +0000 IRunForFun 750720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There have been a lot of posts about space issues in the home lately, and here's another one! </p> <p>We just put a deposit down on an apartment that we'll be moving to on June 1st. We love almost everything about it - 2 bedrooms, a big living space, a dining room/second living space, gleaming hardwood floors, bay windows - but the kitchen is a galley kitchen. It's very narrow with hardly any counter space. It also doesn't have a dishwasher, so a dish drainer will take up nearly half of the counter space. </p> <p>We've been looking at kitchen carts with butcher block tops that have extra storage, etc, but it's so narrow that even that might take up too much room. </p> <p>What do you do to maximize your counter space? Do you have any furniture suggestions? </p>