How Martha Stewart Increases Counter Space In Small Kitchens

We recently saw Martha Stewart get spicy in the trailer for her Netflix doc, but the home and hospitality doyenne is much more chill in the kitchen, especially one that she designed herself. In a short video on her YouTube channel, Stewart showed off a pocket-sized kitchen that wouldn't be out of place in a modest apartment or starter home, and elaborated on how she creatively utilized all the free space available to boost the lacking countertop space. One detail really stood out for us — the simple addition of open shelving underneath the cabinets.

Long and wide, the shelving is mounted above the countertops 22 inches high. This way, the shelving doesn't get in the way of food preparation, but all the clutter that might normally junk up your limited countertops is given a rightful place. Stewart notes that, normally, over-counter shelving is set only 18 inches above the surface, but that could limit space when working on the counter. Stewart is nothing if not a problem-solver, so she raised the shelf to a more reasonable height.

Stewart's self-designed kitchen is galley-style, with a limited seven-foot counter expanse squeezing in a single sink and a flat cooktop across from an island. Under Stewart's care, the tiny kitchen is absolutely packed with effective, smart storage. The dimensions and placements of the drawers, cabinets, and shelving are all deliberate to accommodate for the realities of actually cooking and serving food. 

The length and width of the island, the placement of the walkway, and the height of the open shelving are all thought-out in Martha Stewart's tiny kitchen. To ensure that you have room to move around, Stewart says, you need at least three feet of distance between your cabinets and your island. All the drawers that Stewart selected for below the counter are deliberate: Among many others, there's one for the trash can, one for large platters, and even a tiered drawer for silverware that effectively doubles the storage space.

Across from the countertop, Stewart's island is similarly functional. It is seven feet long by three feet wide, and also features ample storage on the side facing the kitchen. In her so-called "super cabinet," Stewart brags that you could probably fit an entire shopping cart of supplies. In the super cabinet, there's a pull-out rack for spices, small racks mounted on the doors, and multiple pull-out drawers. Martha Stewart keeps several unexpected ingredients in her kitchen pantry, but there's one ingredient that we know she isn't wasting space on ... truffle oil, which she hates. 

The island has an extended lip, so that four people can sit comfortably on the other side. A sweeping magazine kitchen is nice, of course, but a small footprint need not be an obstacle if you can design your kitchen to your specifications, as Stewart has demonstrated.