Martha Stewart's Genius Fridge Solution For Small Kitchens

When you're short on cooking space, you need to be creative with the way you lay out your kitchen. For instance, one of Martha Stewart's best kitchen organization tips for compact spaces is to hang your pots and pans above the stove to make the most of any redundant vertical space and free up cabinets for other essential cookware items. The cookbook author also has a genius fridge solution for petite kitchens that creates even more space: Installing under-the-counter fridge drawers.

An under-counter fridge takes up a smaller footprint than a full-sized refrigerator that requires a large wall area. Opting for a compact appliance frees up that space and leaves you with more storage options when designing your kitchen layout. For instance, the space that a tall fridge would ordinarily take up can be used as a pull-out cabinet for dry goods, a slimline pantry, or an appliance garage that hides away a messy toaster and coffee machine, thereby decluttering your kitchen. Yes, having a smaller fridge does mean less room for storing fresh produce and perhaps having to make an extra trip to the store during the week, but it also has its hidden benefits; you'll be more mindful about shopping frugally, plan your meals with greater thought, and be able to use everything up quickly before it expires.

Aside from saving space, the drawer fronts on an under-counter fridge will match seamlessly with your cabinetry, which is a real boon if you like an unfussy and minimalist kitchen. The clean lines will instantly make your kitchen look bigger and create the illusion of space, too. You can invest in a fridge that opens like a door or opt for a couple of fridge drawers that are stacked on top of each other; either way, your appliance will camouflage itself with the surrounding cupboards. Having said that, drawers that pull out will make it easier to see everything inside your fridge at the same time. Instead of moving things around to access condiments and jars at the very back, you'll benefit from an all-encompassing bird's-eye view.

Under-counter fridge drawers can be fitted under kitchen islands as well as countertops. However, one of the best things about them is that you could have one drawer filled with fruits and veggies close to the stove to make cooking easier and a second one elsewhere for storing cold drinks, milk, and condiments. A fridge drawer that's lower down to the ground is perfect for storing snacks for kids, too, because they can access it themselves. Having a built-in under-counter fridge also means you won't have any stainless steel on show that can become greasy and smudged with fingerprints and cooking residues.