No upper cabinets?
Make it a feature.

Open storage looks great in photos taken the day it was set up. Two months of cooking later, anything within a few feet of the stove carries a sticky film that catches dust.

The fix is placement. Keep dishes you eat from daily on open shelves, where they get washed often anyway. Put rarely used items, like a big roasting pan or party platters, in a closed spot such as a lidded bin, a cabinet elsewhere or a cart with doors. Anything fabric or paper within a few feet of the cooktop will absorb grease and should move.

A range hood or a fan that actually vents outdoors helps a lot. A recirculating hood helps less. Skip open storage directly above a burner, and wipe the front edges of shelves each week.

Open storage near a stove has to follow a few plain rules. Keep towels, paper products, wooden utensils and plastic containers well away from burners and ovens, and follow the clearance guidance in your appliance manual.

Tension rods are handy for hanging pots or mugs, but each has a stated weight limit. Stay under it with room to spare, and check that the rod is still tight every few weeks. Heavy cast iron belongs on a floor shelf or a rail with a proper anchor, not on a rod.

Adhesive hooks and rails need the manufacturer's weight limit respected and a lease check. Wet or greasy walls near the sink or stove often defeat adhesive.

Rolling carts should have locking wheels. Lock them whenever you chop, and keep heavy items low so the cart does not tip.

Sort your kitchen into three bands.

Daily: knives, cutting board, everyday plates, mugs, the pan you use most, oil and salt. These go within arm's reach of where you use them.

Weekly: the blender, baking sheets, a second pan, storage containers. A cart or low shelf works.

Rarely: the turkey roaster, the fondue set, spare glasses. These should leave the kitchen if possible, perhaps to a closet or under the bed.

Small appliances are the hardest. A toaster, kettle and coffee maker you use daily earn a counter spot, ideally grouped on one tray. A mixer you use monthly goes in a bin or on the cart's bottom shelf. Anything that has not run in six months goes. Give appliances airflow, and unplug the ones you do not use.

Too many decorative objects. Shelves that mix plants, art and plates look cluttered fast. Use one or two accents per shelf at most.

No landing space near the stove. You need a clear stretch of counter, roughly a foot or more on at least one side, to set down hot pans. Piling shelves on that spot makes cooking awkward.

Mismatched everything. A few repeating shapes and colors make open storage look intentional.

Storing food in clear containers in direct sun. Light and heat shorten the life of oils and spices.

Dark corners. Under-shelf plug-in or battery-powered lights make work surfaces usable and cost little, often $15 to $50 for a basic set. Pick cord-free or cord-managed options so there is no dangling wiring.

Rough ranges, which vary by store. A budget setup using adhesive rails, a tension rod and a used cart can cost $30 to $80. A mid-range setup, with a metal rack or sturdy rolling cart and basic under-shelf lighting, often runs $100 to $250. Investment pieces, like a solid wood shelf or a butcher-block cart, can climb well above that, and you gain stability and a longer life.

Picture an 8-foot wall with a sink at one end and a stove in the middle:

1. Clear the counter and decide which tools you use daily. About an hour.
2. Put one rail with hooks beside the sink for mugs and towels, and one shelf away from the stove for plates.
3. Add a rolling cart at the far end for the weekly band, with locking wheels.
4. Move rarely used items out of the kitchen.
5. Add a small light under the shelf.

Total: roughly $100 to $200 and a weekend.

Each evening, wipe the counter and the shelf front nearest the stove. Weekly, take items off one shelf and wipe it down. Monthly, wash anything that has been sitting out and check tension rods and hooks.

How do you keep open kitchen storage from getting greasy? Keep it away from the stove, use closed storage for rarely used items, and wipe shelf fronts weekly. A hood that vents outside makes a big difference.

Are tension rods safe for hanging pots? Only light items, and only up to the rod's stated weight limit. Check the rod stays tight, and keep heavy cookware on a shelf.

Where do small appliances go in a kitchen with no cabinets? Keep daily ones on a tray on the counter, and store occasional ones on a cart or in a bin. Donate anything you have not used in six months.

What is the cheapest way to add storage with no upper cabinets? An adhesive rail, a few hooks and a used cart can cover many needs. Check weight limits and your lease first.