The $17 Kmart item that transforms your kitchen bench space

After a renter dreamt up the genius stand-alone shelving contraption, hundreds of people have given it a go and even added their own spin on it.

Eleanor Katelaris

3 min read

May 31, 2023 - 10:58AM

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In a stroke of genius, a resourceful mum-of-three has discovered the ultimate hack for optimising bench space, in lieu of being able to erect any permanent fixtures without permission in her rental property.

Lainee Hermsen took to a popular Kmart Facebook page to explain how she had struggled to find any stand-alone shelving units that would work for her small space.

She considered floating shelves and using an old shoe rack but then decided she could probably invent a better DIY solution herself.

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The post which kicked off the trend. Image: Facebook / Lainee Hermsen

From shower caddy to kitchen storage solution

When searching around in Kmart, she found the three-tier bathroom caddies and had the genius idea to use them to construct the innovative solution (which is now affectionately known as the 'Lainee Hermsen hack' within Kmart enthusiast groups.)

Hermsen bought two of them (for $34 in total) and then got to work.

She placed the two caddies on her kitchen bench about a metre apart and then slid a 1.2-metre plank of timber from Bunnings across the top tier to create a shelf.

The timber needs to be two centimetres thick so it can slide through the gaps in the caddy baskets.

How the hack optimises bench space

The shelf holds her slow cooker, while the repurposed shower caddies store things like eggs, cookbooks and other kitchen items.

The space on the bench underneath the shelf holds larger appliances like her air fryer and stand mixer.

She also decorated the stand with pot plants to make sure it was not only practical but also aesthetic.

The hack uses shower storage caddies from Kmart and timber from Bunnings. Image: Kmart / Bunnings

'It's made my kitchen so much more functional'

When she posted about the hack in the Facebook group, it got so much engagement that people started rushing out to stores immediately. So by the time that Hermsen decided she wanted to make another one for her kitchen, the caddies were already sold out (they're now back in stock, don't worry!)

"It made my kitchen so much more functional," she said in the now-viral post. "The most functional part is that you can choose the lengths and heights of the shelves, as well as use the baskets to store fruit or teas."

And she's right! The versatility of this hack has inspired others to share their own unique spins and personal touches, creating a wave of posts showing the many creative uses.

One popular trend that's emerged within groups is people using it to make tea and coffee stations.

Jenna and Jess's tea and coffee stations. Image: Facebook

For example, the versions above from Jenna Kelly and Jess Brown in the Kmart Hacks and Decor Facebook page show how the hack can be used to store your coffee machine, coffee pods, tea and kettle.

And others, like LJ Young, below, have used there's for storing their toaster, kitchen utensils, salt and pepper shakers and blenders.

LJ Young's black and white storage solution. Image: Facebook

And our personal favourite is this cute breakfast station below from Judi Stewart which includes glass jars filled with granola, oats and other cereals as well as sugar and tea bags in the caddies and her Nutribullet underneath. She also added an extra shelf for bonus space.

Judi Stewart's breakfast station. Image: Facebook

Then some people have even tried out the hack in different rooms of their houses.

This user below constructed the shelving unit on their desk to create an epic workstation that fits their Mac, drawers, headphones and other computer accessories.