apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You can always take one of the wall-mount systems that they sell at place like Container Store for home offices and use the cups for silverware intead of pencils.

What about a silverware caddy on your dining table or sideboard? Does it have to be stored in the kitchen?

I have the same problem. I've been storing my silverware in cups on the counter. I think I might hang them from an Ikea rail on the wall, though.

I think any sort of wall mounted thing would work best, but you've got to decide what look and function works for you. The Ikea hanging rails are nice, but you could also use a wall mounted shelf and put your different utensils into separate containers.

What about mounting this on your wall? You could paint it to match your decor and label each drawer.

I have the same problem...my tiny kitchen only has one 8" wide drawer, and I don't even have any wall space. I finally found these expanding (spring-loaded) drawer dividers from the Container Store. I'm not seeing them on their website, but here's the same thing at organize.com:

http://www.organize.com/dreamdrawer.html

I bought two, which divide the drawer into three narrow sections...just enough to store all of my silverware. Utensils are another story, however. I keep them in a pretty pitcher that sits on my counter.

Sorry I don't have a wall mounting solution, but maybe you will consider this. It works well enough for me!

I could never do this. They would be covered in cat hair.

i don't have a specific solution to your problem either but to expand on what mavieenrose suggested.... my drawers are quite narrow and wouldn't fit a conventional cutlery tray, but at the dollar store there were long narrow baskets that came 3 or 4 to a pack.

they fit perfectly 3 across in my drawer and have sloped sides. so baskets contain dull/butter knives, forks, spoons... sloped undersides keep chopsticks of various types contained but can easily be slid up and out... and then just because of my drawer and containers i had to cut the top edge off but i could fit one in the far back across the width of my drawer and that holds steak knives.

kind of ghetto, but really who's peeking in the drawer! and it works fabulously.

A friend once had a flatware hanging system, similar to this:
http://www.amazon.com/STAINLESS-STEEL-20PC-HANGING-FLATWARE/dp/B000FUJ2KO
only hers instead of hanging from a caddy, hung with suction cups to a wall or side of fridge. It might have been from Japan, which would be a good place to look for small storage systems as the apartments there are sometimes smaller than NYC!

I'm running into the same problem and have designed my own system with oak dowels fastened to rectangles of wood---I have a 20's era house and butcher block counters. And I don't live close to an Ikea!

I'm pretty late with a comment but I have the perfect solution to recommend for storing kitchen knives on the inside of a lower cabinet door. The product is called "KNIFAWAY" and it is so space-efficient and safer too. It is inexpensive and the website is www.knifaway.com. I have had mine for a couple of years now and it think it is brilliant. My kitchen isn't so small but I hate to have stuff laying around my counter and this works perfectly.