Let me guess: you’re living in a shoebox apartment, but you’ve caught the apothecary bug and now you own 47 different dried herbs, 23 essential oils, and enough amber bottles to start your own pharmacy. And you have approximately zero square feet to store any of it.
Been there. Done that. Still doing it, actually.
My official training as an apothecary began in a 600-square foot apartment with a kitchen consisting of a hot plate and a prayer. But you know what? Little areas have to make you improvise, and, to be honest, some of my favorite storage ideas were the ones that were achieved by desperate need and unwillingness to give up. I would like to tell you what hacks are real-they do not involve the Pinterest dreams that you need a wall to do.
1. Go Vertical with Magnetic Spice Racks
Magnetic storage changed my entire game. Those magnetic spice racks meant for your fridge? They’re perfect for small apothecary jars.
I mounted magnetic strips on the inside of my cabinet doors and stuck small tins filled with herbs and tea blends to them. Boom—instant storage that uses literally zero counter or shelf space. You can see everything at a glance, and it’s oddly satisfying to just pluck what you need off the wall.
Get tins with clear tops so you know what’s what without opening each one. Label the lids if you’re organized (I’m not, but you might be). This hack alone probably doubled my usable storage space.
2. Use a Rolling Cart as a Mobile Apothecary Station
Ever wondered why everyone recommends those IKEA rolling carts for everything? Because they actually work, that’s why.
I have a three-tier cart which is in a corner of my kitchen. Top tier contains things used every day such as my mortar and pestle, measuring spoons and my current project. Middle tier stores the most used herbs of mine in small jars. Bottom level is the supplies such as empty bottles, labels and tools.
The beauty is I can roll it wherever I need it—next to the stove when I’m making tea, by the table when I’m blending, or completely out of the way when I have guests over. It’s like having a tiny apothecary that follows you around. FYI, these carts are usually under $30 and worth every penny.
3. Install a Pegboard for Tools and Small Items
Pegboards aren’t just for garages. I mounted one on the wall next to my workspace, and it holds more than I ever thought possible.
Here’s what I keep on mine:
- Measuring spoons and cups on hooks
- Small scissors and kitchen shears
- Funnels in various sizes
- Labels and twine
- Small bottles hanging from pegs
- Tote bags with tools inside
You can rearrange pegs whenever you want, which means your storage evolves with your needs. Plus, everything’s visible and within reach. No more digging through drawers trying to find that one tiny funnel.
4. Repurpose Shoe Organizers for Bottle Storage
Okay, hear me out. Those over-the-door shoe organizers with clear pockets? Genius for storing bottles and jars.
I place one at the back of my pantry door and keep the tincture bottles and bottles of oil along with smaller jars of herbs in the pockets. Every pocket contains several objects and you witness everything without shaking the dust. It is a sort of an apothecary inventory vertical filing system.
The clear plastic isn’t exactly aesthetic, but this organizer lives behind a door, so who cares? Function over form when you’re dealing with limited space. If you really hate the look, get a fabric one—just make sure the pockets are deep enough.
5. Stack with Tiered Shelf Risers
Shelf risers are those simple metal or bamboo platforms that create levels within your existing shelves. Game. Changer.
You have not a shelf with one layer of jars on it, but in two or three layers. I apply them to my cabinets so that the various types of herbs are placed at a different height. On the bottom, teas, culinary herbs on the middle, top on the medicinal stuff. It is even possible to know what you possess rather than to dig every time you require chamomile.
Get adjustable ones if possible. That way you can customize the height based on your jar sizes. I’ve fit probably 60% more jars in the same cabinet space using these things.
6. Utilize Under-Shelf Baskets
Under-shelf hanging baskets attach to your existing shelves and hang underneath, using that dead space that normally just… exists.
I hang these under my kitchen cabinets and use them for lightweight items like:
- Dried herb bundles
- Empty jars waiting to be filled
- Tea bags and infusers
- Labels and markers
- Cheesecloth and straining supplies
They’re perfect for things you use often but don’t need immediate access to. The baskets slide out when you need them, and they stay hidden when you don’t. Plus, installation takes about 30 seconds—no tools required.
7. Create a Command Center with a Small Tray
When counter space is limited, you need designated landing zones for your most-used items. A single tray solves this beautifully.
I keep a vintage wooden tray on my counter with my daily essentials:
- Current herbal tea blend
- Honey pot
- Tea infuser
- Favorite mug
- Small notebook for recipes
Everything stays contained instead of sprawling across the counter. When I need the space, I move the entire tray. When guests come over, it looks intentional rather than cluttered. IMO, this is the difference between “messy” and “curated chaos.”
| Storage Type | Best For | Space Saved | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetic strips | Small tins, spice jars | Cabinet door interiors | $10-$25 |
| Rolling cart | Frequently used items | Vertical + mobile | $25-$50 |
| Pegboard | Tools and accessories | Wall space | $15-$40 |
| Shelf risers | Jar organization | Existing shelf depth | $15-$30 |
8. Use Drawer Dividers for Small Bottles
If you have any drawer space at all, make it count with adjustable drawer dividers.
I turned one kitchen drawer into organized essential oil storage using bamboo dividers. Each section holds bottles upright, preventing spills and making everything visible. No more bottles rolling around and hiding in the back.
You can create custom-sized compartments for different bottle types—small sections for 5ml bottles, larger ones for 15ml, separate areas for droppers and roller bottles. It’s like Tetris, but actually satisfying.
9. Hang a Tension Rod for Herb Bundles
Tension rods aren’t just for curtains. I installed one across a narrow section of wall near my workspace specifically for hanging dried herb bundles.
You know those beautiful bundles of lavender and rosemary you see in photos? They need somewhere to live, and they take up surprisingly little space when hanging. The tension rod uses vertical space that would otherwise go to waste.
Plus, it looks intentional and adds to the apothecary aesthetic. Your dried herbs become functional decor. Clip bundles to the rod with small wooden clothespins, and you’ve got instant farmhouse charm that’s actually useful. :/
10. Maximize Cabinet Doors with Adhesive Hooks
Command hooks are your secret weapon. I have them stuck all over the insides of my cabinet doors.
Use them to hang:
- Measuring cups by their handles
- Small bags of bulk herbs
- Strings of dried peppers or garlic (if you’re into kitchen witchery)
- Aprons or small towels
- Scissors and tools with loops
Each hook holds way more weight than you’d expect, and they don’t damage surfaces when you remove them. I’ve created an entire tool system on surfaces that were previously useless.
11. Store Bulk Herbs in Nested Containers
When you buy herbs in bulk (which you should—it’s way cheaper), nested containers save incredible amounts of space.
I prefer to have square rather than round containers since they are stacked better and they consume less space. Get the one in which the smaller sizes pigeon into the larger ones when empty. I maintain some sizes so that I can have various quantities.
Square containers also fit better on shelves than round jars. You eliminate those annoying gaps between circular containers, which means you fit more in the same space. Math wins again.
12. Create a Fold-Down Work Surface
This one requires minor installation, but it’s worth it: a wall-mounted fold-down shelf gives you work space that disappears when you don’t need it.
I installed a simple bracket shelf that folds flat against the wall. When I’m blending or bottling, I fold it down and have a 2-foot-wide work surface. When I’m done, it folds up and becomes a narrow shelf displaying a few pretty jars.
You can find these at hardware stores in various sizes. Get the sturdiest one you can afford—mine holds about 20 pounds when folded down, which is enough for most apothecary projects.
13. Use Lazy Susans in Deep Cabinets
Those rotating trays your grandma uses for condiments? They’re perfect for deep cabinets where items get lost in the back.
I put Lazy Susans in my lower cabinets and store larger herb jars, bottles of carrier oils, and supplies on them. One spin, and you can see everything instead of excavating like you’re searching for buried treasure.
Take the ones that have raised edges to prevent the bottles flying out when spinning. This I discovered myself, when a bottle of sweet almond oil, flew off on the floor. Messy lesson learned.
Making It All Work Together
The trick to small-space apothecary storage isn’t finding one perfect solution—it’s layering multiple small solutions until you’ve maximized every available inch.
Start by identifying your dead spaces:
- Cabinet doors
- Wall areas near workspaces
- Under existing shelves
- Corners that collect dust
- Narrow gaps between appliances
Then match storage hacks to those spaces. You don’t need to implement everything at once. I added one solution at a time over several months, which spread out the cost and let me figure out what actually worked for my routine.
What Actually Matters
Here’s the truth: perfect organization is a myth. Your apothecary storage will evolve as your practice evolves. You’ll discover new herbs, outgrow some containers, find better solutions.
The goal isn’t Instagram-worthy perfection. The goal is functional storage that lets you actually use your apothecary supplies without losing your mind trying to find them. If you can grab what you need in under 30 seconds, you’re winning.
Minimal areas are lessons on mindfulness. You can never have it all, so you retain what is important. You cannot just put things where you wish you develop systems. These limitations render you a superior, more structured herbalist than one that is allowed to have anything stored, to put in a closet.
Final Thoughts
Creating functional apothecary storage in a small space is totally doable. It just requires thinking creatively about the space you have rather than mourning the space you don’t.
Get started with the hacks that solve your greatest pain points. Rolling around in drawers, bottles? Grab some dividers. Can’t find your tools? Install a pegboard. Limited counter space? Get a rolling cart.
Small spaces don’t mean small dreams. They just mean you need to be smarter about how you organize those dreams. And honestly? There’s something satisfying about proving you can create a functional apothecary in a closet-sized kitchen.
Now go reclaim some dead space and turn it into storage magic. Your herbs deserve better than living in a jumbled pile at the back of your cabinet. 🙂