Caroline Mullen is a writer focused on cleaning and organizing. Every rug in her apartment is machine-washable, but you can blame her dog for that.
For years, Wirecutter’s home-decor experts have been testing products that can improve the function and flow of small spaces. And one brand in particular comes up again and again: Yamazaki Home.
There’s a reason why so many of Yamazaki Home’s products work well in petite bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and entryways. Designed with compact Japanese homes in mind, these no-frills items are functional yet still pleasing enough to keep in plain view. And because of their pared-back, neutral aesthetic, Yamazaki Home products can fit into almost any space, no matter the style.
For all of these reasons, many Wirecutter-tested Yamazaki Home coat hooks, shoe racks, and kitchen organizers have become favorites among our staff. We’ve rounded up some (though not all) of our best-loved Yamazaki Home products that make small-space living just a little easier.
Kitchen
Risers for organizing cupboards and countertops
Whether you’re living in a rental with poorly thought-out cabinets, or you just need a teensy bit of extra room on your counter, a kitchen riser is a quick way to add space. Plus, a riser can help you avoid the dreaded task of reshuffling a tall stack to access the bottom plate.
But many risers — especially expandable ones — are flimsy, and they wobble under too much weight. Yamazaki Home’s Expandable Kitchen Riser, a top pick in our guide to small-kitchen organization, is sturdier than lesser versions, thanks to its powder-coated steel construction. And because it’s expandable, it can move with you from apartment to apartment.
Top pick
This expandable shelf riser can be adjusted to fit the size of most cabinets, so you can capitalize on vertical space.
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Yamazaki Home also sells non-expandable risers, including the Stackable Countertop Shelf (Steel + Wood). Though it’s modest in size, this riser is sturdy enough to support a small appliance. Editor Katie Okamoto stores an electric kettle and other items on her shelf to create a morning coffee station.
This stackable riser has a solid-wood top, which gives it a warm, natural aesthetic.
For a similar function, Katie is also a fan of Yamazaki Home’s Bread Box. Though it’s relatively expensive, at nearly $160, it’s a durable and attractive solution when you’re short on options. The top of the bread box is a convenient place to store appliances or other bulky items, and the door conceals odds and ends.
Plate racks for space-efficient storage
Plate racks (which can also be used for lids or baking sheets) help maximize space in awkwardly sized cabinets, and they can eliminate the dreaded pull-from-the-bottom-of-the-stack game. Thanks to its steel frame, Yamazaki Home’s Vertical Plate Organizer is extraordinarily sturdy compared with others we’ve tried — it can hold up to 18 stoneware plates. This rack is a pick in our guide to small-kitchen organization ideas.
Top pick
If you lack cupboard space or are limited to open shelving in your kitchen, this vertical dish rack is a compact alternative to stacking dishes.
If you have narrow cabinets, Yamazaki Home’s Plate Holder (which is smaller and measures 4.5 inches wide) can slide into tight spaces. It holds fewer plates, but this organizer is just as sturdy as its larger counterpart.
Top pick
If you need to fit your dishes into a narrow spot, this vertical storage rack is a good solution.
Both of these plate racks have pads on the rungs, to protect plate rims. And though we’ve found that the pads don’t always stay in place (as is the case with many similar dish organizers), they still help to keep plates from chipping or scratching.
A three-tier cabinet rack for roasting pans and casserole dishes
For unruly cabinets and cupboards with insufficient shelving, Yamazaki Home’s Three-Tier Cabinet Storage Rack provides some, giving collectors an excuse to add even more vintage bakeware to their stash. This rack is one of our top picks for organizing small kitchens, because the steel construction is sturdy enough to hold clunky roasting pans and heavy casserole dishes (even if it does take about 30 minutes to assemble). The bottom two shelves can be adjusted in increments of about an inch, so you can customize the clearance for taller Dutch ovens.
Top pick
This sturdy, adjustable stainless steel rack can hold multiple roasting pans and casserole dishes.
Magnetic racks that make use of vertical space
If you’re not using the side of your fridge as storage space, you’re missing out. Yamazaki Home sells multiple magnetic organizers that make use of this oft-forgotten area. Consider this steel, hold-it-all Magnetic Kitchen Organizer, which won’t slip when filled (unlike some lesser magnetic organizers). It has space for an assortment of bottles; a row of hooks to corral measuring cups, scissors, and peelers; and a rod to hang a paper towel roll (and free up counter space).
Top pick
This compact organizer can store spices, salt, pepper, oils, paper towels, cooking tools, and more — all on the side of your fridge.
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If you don’t need more storage, but you still want a place to stash stray items, Yamazaki Home’s Magnetic Storage Organizer has a single shelf with a bar, which prevents things from falling out. Editorial director Maxine Builder has moved from Brooklyn to Boston with hers, and she uses it to corral coffee filters, a Moka pot, and bottles of supplements. Editor Hailey Briggs is so enamored with this rack that she keeps one on her fridge and another on her washing machine.
These small racks attach to the side of any metal appliance to hold everything you need.
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All of the Yamazaki Home magnetic storage racks we’ve tested and owned stay put, thanks to their extra-strong magnets. This is true even when one of these racks is loaded with bottles or someone knocks into it (though it may need to be readjusted).
Compact dish-drying racks for clearer counters
If you’re looking for a quality dish rack that doesn’t take up precious counter space but isn’t as mini as our extra-compact pick, Yamazaki Home’s Wire Dish Rack is a favorite among our staff. It’s constructed of an easy-to-clean, powder-coated steel. So even though this rack is relatively trim, it’s also heavy enough to stay put, even when it’s loaded with a 5.5-quart Dutch oven, a 13-inch skillet, and multiple plates and utensils (as I can personally attest). Editor Jennifer Sullivan has had this dish rack for over five years, and she reports that it’s holding up well.
If you’re short on counter space but have stacks of handwash-only dishes, this simple dish rack can hold a surprising amount.
Yamazaki Home also makes a Two-Tier Wire Dish Rack, which offers almost double the space yet has nearly the same footprint. Its removable drainage tray can be placed below the elevated wire basket, providing a second place for items to dry. Katie owns both the Wire Dish Rack and the Two-Tier version, and in her small rental kitchen, she uses them side by side in lieu of a dishwasher. Both models have adjustable drainage channels attached to the base of the heavy plastic drainage trays, to direct water flow back to the sink; in our dish-rack testing, however, we found that they didn’t always drain sufficiently.
This is the same dish rack in a taller package. It has a similar footprint but provides additional storage.
And for the most compact dish-drying rack of all, The Wirecutter Show’s producer Rosie Guerin recommends Yamazaki Home’s Tower Collapsible Bottle Dryer. This powder-coated steel collapsible rack is ideal for drying bottles or holding bags open.
Closets and entryways
Compact shoe racks for varied spaces
Yamazaki Home makes a number of space-efficient shoe racks, constructed of durable-yet-thin powder-coated steel, and two of them are picks in our guide.
The 6-Tier Shoe Rack can hold up to 24 pairs of adult shoes. With a sturdy, powder-coated steel frame that screws securely into a solid-wood top, the rack can work as an entryway console or an extra shelf in a closet. This model is a bigger investment than some other shoe racks we recommend, but the versatile design helps justify the price. However, due to this rack’s open-slat design, in testing some shoes tended to fall off (depending on their size) during testing.
Upgrade pick
This investment-worthy rack is slim enough to fit in a closet and sleek enough for an entryway. This model can’t store small kids’ shoes, however, and you need a screwdriver to assemble it.
Maxine and deputy director Julia Bush both own the Slim Shoe Rack. It holds up to eight pairs of shoes and can be tucked right behind a front door. “It nearly blends into the wall, even when loaded up with eight pairs of shoes,” Maxine said. Julia keeps two of these shoe racks in her small entryway, and she said shoes can tend to slip off the racks, due to the tilted-wire shelf design, but its small footprint is hard to beat.
This shoe rack can hold up to eight pairs of shoes, yet it takes up very little space, even in tight entryways.
For even more space efficiency (though less shoe storage), the Yamazaki Home Shoe Rack, which we recommend in our shoe-rack guide, can hold five pairs. Some styles, like heels, can tend to fall through this narrow rack’s open shelves. But this unit fits snugly into tight corners or cramped entryways, and it offers just enough space for everyday shoes (boots are a tighter fit).
In her entryway, Katie has two of these sitting racks side by side and tucked neatly underneath Yamazaki Home’s Narrow Entryway Console Table.
Best for...
This elegant little rack has a footprint of just one pair of shoes, yet it holds five. However, like the Yamazaki Home Tower Shoe Rack, it cannot hold small kids’ shoes.
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Entryway organizers to keep things tidy
Yamazaki Home’s Rin Magnetic Key Holder helps solve the universal question of “Where did I put my keys?” This organizer has five hooks to hold keys, ID badges, and other small items, and an upper compartment can hold mail. You can hang it on a wall or attach it to a metal surface with the magnetic backing. So many staffers own this entryway organizer that it has become, as editor Marilyn Ong jokes, a “standard-issue Wirecutter staff item at this point.”
This key rack has five hooks, to hold keys, hats, or glasses, and it can be mounted to a wall or attached to a metal surface with the magnetic backing.
For a similar style, the Magnetic Key Rack is made entirely of powder-coated steel. It has a little shelf to hold small items like sunglasses and lip gloss, and it comes recommended by editor Christine Ryan.
This key rack has a similar style, but it features a small shelf rather than a mail holder.
Coat hooks for closet-less entryways
Yamazaki Home’s compact Coat Rack is slimmer than the other models we recommend in our coat rack guide. It has an 11-inch base (5 inches smaller than our top pick’s base), so it can squeeze into the tightest entryways. The base can be a little wobblier than some other. But Katie, who’s been using this coat rack for five years, said it never struggles under the weight of wool jackets and tote bags. This coat rack’s six wooden hooks are evenly spaced to hold a variety of coats and bags, and we love its whimsical look.
Top pick
This cute coat tree is slimmer than most we tried and its small base is easier to squeeze into a tiny entryway, but it can’t hold a big load.
Well-placed hooks can help you to keep outfits and towels off of furniture (and the floor), but they also take up precious wall space. Yamazaki Home’s Over-the-Door Hanger is a top pick in our guide to closet organizing because it fits snugly over most doors without wiggling. It sits flush against the door, and it comes in white (to match many doors), so it can subtly blend into the background without screaming “dorm room.”
Plus, the smooth, powder-coated edges won’t damage delicate items, like scarves. This is a great addition to a small bathroom for hanging towels, robes, and bathing suits to dry. The rack should last for years: Katie has owned three of them for as many years and says they all still look as good as new.
Top pick
This sleek, low-profile hanger is barely noticeable hung over a door.
If an over-the-door style isn’t an option, editor Christine Ryan recommends Yamazaki Home’s Wall-Mounted Coat Rack for holding jackets and bags. In the absence of a coat closet, she hung several of these racks in the entry area of her home. “I love the ’70s look of the black steel and walnut,” she said, and the movable hooks are an added bonus for customization.
As strong as it is aesthetically pleasing, this coat rack corrals hats, bags, hats, and more — no hall closet necessary.
May be out of stock
May be out of stock
Living and Bedroom
End tables for narrow spaces
It can be challenging to find side tables with narrow enough dimensions for some spaces. Yamazaki Home’s sleek Storage Table has trim proportions, thanks to its slim-yet-strong materials and open design (which cuts out elements like drawers and hinges that can add bulk to storage furniture).
The table comes in two heights and colors, and it works well as a living-room side table or a night stand (it’s a pick in our guide to the best nightstands). Home-decor writer Dorie Chevlen has one on either side of her bed, and she said they happily hold her embroidery supplies, hand lotion, cords, and books.
This table is also built to last, with a durable powder-coated steel frame and solid wood legs. Both Dorie and Katie have found that both finishes (white and black) need frequent cleaning. The black easily shows dust, and because the steel is a matte, sandy texture (rather than smooth), it can be more difficult to wipe up smudges. That said, if dusting isn’t a dealbreaker for you, this table is a great space-saving option.
Top pick
Available in two colors and two heights, this skinny-legged model is a sleek choice for maximizing the floorspace.
A handsome basket for a less-onerous laundry day
Laundry areas — no matter how well organized — quickly become dumping zones. Attractive and sturdy laundry baskets, like Yamazaki Home’s steel-and-wood Wire Basket, can help. In testing for our guide to the best laundry baskets, we thoroughly enjoyed using this one for small to medium loads. And we found it would be just as useful to hold groceries, mail, or diapers.
The smooth wooden handles are relatively comfortable to hold, and the powder-coated steel is easy to wipe down. Like many Yamazaki Home products, the basket has nearly right angles, helping it to fit flush against walls and in corners to stay out of the way. And the attractive design makes it easier on the eyes, even if it can’t be kept out of sight.
This petite steel basket isn’t cheap, but its minimalist design is great for leaving out on display and for those who run small (or frequent) loads of laundry.
If you’d prefer to own a laundry basket or a hamper that you can roll from room to room, Dorie loves the Yamazaki Home Rolling Wire Basket, which has the same open wire frame as the company’s non-rolling basket. Dorie said the design is a big plus because it encourages plenty of airflow, so clothes don’t get mildewy. This basket is almost 9 inches taller than the model without wheels, so it holds more items while still taking up negligible floor space.
Similar in design to the Wire Basket, this wire hamper has wheels, so you don’t have to carry it.
Bathroom
A backup toilet-paper holder that sticks to the toilet tank
The Yamazaki Home Traceless Adhesive Toilet Paper Holder eliminates that out-of-reach-toilet-paper problem for good, since you can keep two extra rolls at the ready, right on the side of the toilet tank. It takes up virtually no space. Dorie advises pressing the adhesive back against the tank for at least a minute, to ensure proper bonding.
You and your guests can avoid the panicked toilet-paper rummage by keeping two spare rolls right on the side of the toilet tank.
A simple riser to add shelving
Small bathrooms usually lack counter space, and a riser can provide a simple solution (as it does in the kitchen). The Stackable Countertop Shelf (Steel) is made from a single piece of powder-coated steel, and it has holes to secure the bottom with screws. Dorie currently uses this stackable riser in her kitchen to keep mugs and glassware from falling into disarray, but she previously used it to corral lotions and makeup in her bathroom. (And, of course, our recommendations for kitchen risers could also work in the bathroom.)
This all-steel riser can be placed on top of another one to create additional shelving.
A wall-mounted shelf for stocking toiletries
For bathrooms that lack a medicine cabinet or have minimal storage, a floating shelf can keep hand towels, candles, or cosmetics at the ready. Made from solid wood, with powder-coated steel brackets, Yamazaki Home’s Wall-Mounted Shelf holds up to 11 pounds, and it takes up very little space, both physically and visually.
This minimalist shelf holds up to 30 pounds, so you can safely corral serums and lotions. Or use it to hold hand towels and spare toilet paper.
May be out of stock
May be out of stock
Whether you need to squeak a little extra storage out of your kitchen, closet, entryway, bedroom, or bathroom, Yamazaki Home offers minimalist, space-efficient products. And many Wirecutter staffers are huge fans for a reason: These items work.
This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Megan Beauchamp.
Meet your guide
Caroline Mullen is a staff writer reporting on cleaning and organizing at Wirecutter. Though she’s waging a constant battle against the dog hair and dust bunnies in her apartment, she’s not willing to scale back on tchotchkes to make it easier. It also takes her two to three business days to complete a load of laundry—but she’s made peace with that.
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