A Tiny Kitchen Had No Drawers — Then a Random Garden Item Solved the Storage Issues

Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
Cullen OrmondHouse Tours Editor
I write about house tours (but I love a good kitchen and kids' room article). My work can be found across AT Media, including The Kitchn and Cubby. I’ve been writing about home-related topics for nearly five years and love seeing how people make their homes unique.
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Sometimes, in small spaces, it’s possible to not have a single drawer in your kitchen. I can speak from experience: Currently I have to store my silverware in a console in a hallway (aka not in my kitchen). Whenever I need a spoon to quickly mix something, I have to step away or ask my partner to grab it for me. Inconvenient! But then I saw Joseph Abbott’s clever trick. 

Joseph, who rented a 275-square-foot studio apartment (and is featured in the video above), was struggling with the same dilemma I was. That is, until he found an expected solution. Without a drawer to store his silverware, he used what appears to be a two-tiered planter to create convenient utensil storage right on his countertop.

Credit: Apartment Therapy Media

This Two-Tiered Planter Hack Replaces a Kitchen Drawer Entirely

What Joseph’s kitchen lacked in drawer space, it made up for with countertop availability. He kept his counter space fairly minimalist, with only a decorative canister, coffee machine, and the planter on it. The two-tiered planter is situated right next to the coffee machine, and in the six pots Joseph stores coffee pods and utensils (knives, forks, and spoons). Now everything is visible, and he can easily grab items in a pinch — even guests don’t have to ask where to find the silverware. 

It’s unclear where Joseph purchased his two-tiered planter, but Amazon has a similar version that’s selling right now. 

Amazon’s version, which is originally intended for desktop organization, is selling for just under $13 and comes with four compartments that slide out. The description boasts that it’s made from premium plastic, and it comes in a sleek white color that’ll seamlessly blend into any kitchen. It also utilizes vertical storage so it won’t take up too much space. 

The planter in Joseph’s kitchen works so well that I wouldn’t have initially thought that it’s not intended for the kitchen. Clever ideas like this prove that you don’t have to necessarily follow the rules when it comes to decorating, and that unexpected items can become purposeful in a pinch. 

There are many more clever tricks to discover than just this countertop planter. Check out all the House Tours featured in this post’s video roundup.

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