When my sister moved into her new apartment last year, the biggest reservations she had were about the tiny kitchen. Though the checkerboard floor and the vintage metal cabinets have a lot of charm, the space itself is much smaller than the kitchens she had in the past. Combine the lack of counterspace with years of bad paint jobs that make the cabinet doors almost impossible to truly close, and you get a room that has slowly been driving her crazy.
Now that I'm home on vacation, my sister looked to me for suggestions on how to make this small kitchen better suit her admittedly limited cooking needs. A quick glance at the second photo above is enough to reveal the main problem- the toaster oven that she uses almost daily takes up almost half of her available counterspace. Luckily for my sister, the kitchen contained an under-utilized area that we were able to convert to much needed shelving.
The strange configuration of this old building created a small nook to the left of the stove where my sister stores her trashcan and recycling. The space above that area was completely unused so we decided to put up two shelves to hold the toaster oven and the herb gaden that had been living on the dining room table. A quick trip to our local hardware store yielded the shelves (which they cut to size for us) and the brackets, and an hour later we had almost doubled the available counterspace in my sister's kitchen.
Not a big project certainly, but one that highlights that sometimes it only takes a little change to have a big impact on the way you use a space. Now that the countertop is clear and the shelf hanging was a success, we are looking to install another above the door to hold the cookbooks and cereal boxes that currently live on top of the microwave (which itself lives on top of the fridge). If anyone has other ideas on ways to add a little storage and utility to a small kitchen, we're all ears; tips on how to make the cabinet doors fucntion properly without completely stripping and repainting them would also be appreciated!
Images: Colleen Quinn
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You might just need to sand down the accumulated paint from the closing edges of the doors. Also check to see if paint has worked its way into the hinges and scrape it out.
Great mini makeover! It is amazing what something as utilitarian as a shelf can do to open up opportunities. As for the doors, how about removing them? Yes it means that the contents need to be kept neat and tidy. But it might allow the space to feel a bit wider. Be adventurous and paint the back of the cupboards a different colour to match the striped blinds or try covering them with paper and tacs (even easier).
Sometimes you can put magnetic closures on inside the cabinets that will allow them to close shut. Its not a perfect solution but it might work. Also use Command hooks to hang things from helps with space utilization. Does she really need both a microwave and a toaster oven? I hardly use my microwave and I could see getting along without it.
I'd put the knives in a drawer rather than a counter block, if there's space in the drawer. (I find knife blocks much less functional than they seem like they should be.)
There are cutting boards that fit over sinks to add more work space when the sink isn't needed. That could be purchased or improvised.
Other than that, looks like she's already doing most of what's possible.
Uh huh...this is almost a carbon-copy of my last kitchen! It was maddening at first, but then I had someone do something similar to what you did here by adding shelves to a little nook over my sink.
A HUGE plus was that there was a 1.5-foot space between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling where I could store things I didn't use daily.
I put up with it for over 4 years because I had a panoramic south-facing view of San Francisco. My kitchen now has oodles of space, but my view is of a wall. Can't win 'em all!
A magnetic knife strip is awesome and saves the counterspace. What about a folding dish drying rack so it can disappear while uneeded? Those command hooks are a renter's dream, I use them all over my house. Magnetic tins to put spices in can be helpful. People always compliment them when they see mine. Kudos on the job you've done so far!!
I would put a shelf below the toaster oven to fill the space between the wall and the top of the stove. I think there would still be enough room between the bottom of the shelf and the top of the trash can. The shelf would provide just a little more counter space. Also, it looks like there is enough room between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling to mount more shelves. If need be, they could go around the room on all four sides.
If there's that much paint on them, I would strip the cabinets.
As for the recycling/garbage, IKEA has some pretty good organizing systems for that sort of stuff that can be wall mounted, maybe that would free up some extra space?
And be careful if you sand, if any of that paint is from the early 1980's or earlier you have to test for lead.
Hmmm, do you really need a toaster oven? I don't. What do you need it for that some other appliance can't do? Toast? Use the toaster you have stashed in a cupboard. Pizza? Use the oven. It looks so tight in there already. I'd be inclined to mount the microwave over the stove and use the shelves for something else, like the cereal boxes! Take down the window treatment and move the shelf with the cookware to that area. What's that thing above the unnecessary toaster oven? Is that a lamp? If you need light in that corner, why not suspend an Ikea type one from a hook in the ceiling? The shelf space is too valuable. If it's an appliance that is not a blender for making margaritas, get rid of it.
Another cheap and easy option for adding additional storage space is to put hooks for mugs on the underside of the cabinets. Mugs (with their pesky handles) can take up a bit of cabinet space. Hanging them on hooks gets you additional cabinet space and gives those handles something to do!
Another thing we've done is to buy those wire mesh things that add additional shelves to your cabinets. Who needs tons of space between cabinet shelves? More shelves, please!
Looks like 'great minds think alike' again -- I was also going to suggest that either a magnetic strip on the side of the fridge, or an in-drawer knife block, would get the knife block off the counter. I found a drawer knife block at Target and I just love it.
A three-tiered hanging basket hung from the ceiling over in the weird corner might also help get the pantry items off the top of the fridge and more accessible.
Regarding the cabinet doors that won't close. I think the easiest way to deal with that is to use Liquid Sandpaper, and nail polish remover.
Remove the doors, and then remove the hardware. Soak the hardware in nail polish remover. Be sure the hardware is completely covered. I use a glass jar so I can see when the paint lifts off in one giant piece. Then remove the hardware, and brush the remaining paint out of the crevices.
Liquid sandpaper will remove as many layers of paint as you need off the doors. It is non toxic. Just brush it on, wait till a layer of paint softens, then wipe if off with a rag. Keep repeating until the doors fit again.
That's not really a small kitchen. There's lots of cabinet space, and that's a nice long counter, as long as it stays clear.
Anyway, one of my favorite space-savers is the
cabinet door rack, a thing you screw onto the inside of a cabinet door, and it holds those long boxes of tin foil and plastic wrap that otherwise take up an entire drawer. Cheap and wonderful!
I love organizing kitchens. Here are some ideas.
I use 4 inch deep shelves at the back of my counter under the cupboards. This doesn't materially affect the usable counter space but does give me room to store lots of mugs coffee filters etc. I also use the same shelves in my cupboards to create more space. I make them by having 1x4s cut to the length I want and two side pieces the height I want. I just glue them, but you could nail or screw them. But just gluing seems to hold them well enough.
Likewise, there seems to be room next to the stove, or under the toaster oven for a taller, four or five inch deep set of shelves - you could maybe find a dvd shelf that would work. Canned goods fit divinely on this size shelf. So do lots of other kitchen stuff - even sugar and rice etc stored in rectangular containers (Oxo Good Grips makes one kind)(http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-10-Piece-Container/dp/B0029096ZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1309386256&sr=8-2)
You might have to find a different place for the trash can and the recyling, but they could possibly still be squeezed in there - I can't tell from the picture. If not, this might work under the sink : http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Over-Cabinet-Trash-Holder/dp/B003IUHFKW/ref=sr_1_7?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1309386457&sr=1-7
Or you could put a shelf next to the stove over the trash can, as someone suggested. You might also think about using two of the burners as counter space - how often do you actually use more than two at a time. Something that won't set alight, of course. Like maybe a 1 ft by 2 ft granite tile from Home Depot just set on the burners.
A shelf above the window, stretching from wall to wall would yield lots of storage for seldom used things.
Also - if the metal cupboards hold magnets- the interior of the cupboard doors could be used with Grundthal metal containers with magnets on the base. And the side of the fridge, too.
Last, but not least, as you move up you often need a step stool to reach things - I have one of these tucked next to my fridge and I love it.
It's light, it folds very flat, and it feels sturdy.:http://www.amazon.com/Kennedy-Home-Collection-Sage-9-Inch/dp/B003M8GI3U/ref=pd_sim_hg_2
i am about to move to an equally small kitchen, and have a couple questions for the poster and the other commenters. 1) where did you get that pots/pans shelf rack? 2) what is a command hook? sounds like i need them. thanks for all the other suggestions!
i agree with moving the microwave to the space above the stove. would it be possible to hang a potrack (admittedly, not the existing one) from the bulkhead in front of the window? i've used a towel bar in combination with s-hooks as a potrack in the past. it works great, and if you have wall space for it, instead of the bulkhead, you can store the pot lids between the wall and the towel bar.
My kitchen is similar. I found a piece of white something (plastic? I don't know.) that is just the right size to put on top of my stove. I put burner covers on top of the burners first, of course. This gives me room to put things like sugar, salt, and my espresso machine when I'm not using it -- I don't prep on it, since I don't know what the material is.
You could buy a piece of butcher block, granite, or marble if you like, or use a piece of tempered glass, or even just a pretty tray.
It's probably obvious, but I'll say it anyway: I remove the piece before I cook. I just stand it sideways next to the stove, which happens to have a narrow opening between it and the cabinet.
I second the magnetic knife strip idea. It works best in my tiny kitchen.
With a kitchen that size, get the dish drainer off the counter and either mount it above the sink or get one that stores easily and pull it out as needed. The magnetic knife strip attached to a wall and magnetic spice containers on the side of the fridge are also great ideas.
Sanding off the excess paint will go a long way toward closing those doors as will tightening the hinge screws and adding magnets (3 of my older cabinets here close with the assist of pronged magnets made for the purpose that are mounted on cabinet frame + door).
Good start on maximizing the space - 4 areas that you could still explore:
* side of the fridge: magnetic knife strip would work there or at least a piece of mini-artwork or favorite recipes printed beautifully
* windowsill: utensil holders (use museum putty to adhere the bottoms to the sill to make them more secure); liner for a windowbox could hold utensils or cookbooks (the plastic ones can be spray painted any color you like); beautiful serving trays (you can use a curtain tension rod to hold them in place against the window)
* dish rack: there's one available, that folds down when needed, that matches the shelf holding the pots above the stove (so using that would clear more counterspace and anytime you clear more counter you make the space feel larger) It won't hold heavy pots but it'll hold dishware, glasses and cutlery easily.
* the area under the toaster oven shelf: you could mount cup hooks under that to hold coffee/tea cups/mugs and measuring cups (since it's very close to the stove only non-flammables)
When I had a super tiny kitchen, living in NYC, I had shelves and a cupboard above my prep area. So when I had a dinner party I'd first clear the vertical space on the shelves and in the cupboard above my prep space. I could prep in that one spot and reach above my head to pull down what I needed for the party, cooking dish & all ingredients, or have a spot to set a dish mid-prep. I had dinner parties for 8 in an apartment with a kitchen half the size of this one so think in terms of working on a boat or in a tiny commercial kitchen!
I cook Thanksgiving dinners in less space.
If she cooks, the new shelves and everything on them will be covered by the steam and grease from the underneath. Let us know if she's happy with the shelves in a six month time!
I have a similar galley kitchen in my apartment. Wish I had the window for the light! Did you consider removing a door from the cabinet right where the toaster oven was sitting? Then you could possibly "stack" both the microwave and toaster oven.
From humdrum to charming! Lovely! I would consider moving the stove closer to the wall and put one of Ikea's freestanding recycling-garbage-can-holding base cabinets with built in countertop between the stove and sink. They're about 12" wide if I remember right and the recylcling and garbage cans inside it are tall.
@KHinNH: Seriously?
"Hmmm, do you really need a toaster oven? I don't."
Since she uses it all the time, she evidently feels that she really needs it. Not everyone's needs and habits are the same.
"If it's an appliance that is not a blender for making margaritas, get rid of it."
I repeat, bluntly dismissing someone's needs and habits because you don't share them is unhelpful at best, downright rude at worst.
aww, that's my kitchen, but bigger. haha.
@KHinNJ:
"What's that thing above the unnecessary toaster oven? Is that a lamp?" It's an herb garden. Says so right in the text.
As for the "unnecessary" toaster oven, I use mine every day.
haha, landless, I make Thanksgiving dinner in a smaller kitchen too!
I have a friend who, for health reasons, HAS to eat a raw food diet so she doesn't need to use her stove at all. Instead she turned the oven into storage and put her dehydrator on the stove top. When she moved, she didn't have to scour the oven!
I've been living with tiny kitchens for 10+ years now that generally have only one outlet for the fridge and I've found the key thing is to reduce amount of electric appliances. Appliances tend to dominate precious counter space and there generally isn't enough storage to put them away. With that said, I've never had a toaster oven or microwave (tho I see their benefits!) and I've been alright without them. And until I got married last year, I never owned a regular toaster. ...I guess I'm a bit of a minimalist.
I have a teeny tiny kitchen too. I would get a folding dish rack as has been suggested.
It's pretty tough to de clutter a kitchen this small, but I would've extended the shelves ALL the way across the window to the other side, and used some of that space to store glassware, to keep the light and maybe some pretty dishware and mugs.
- then put some of the more visually jarring kitchen "stuff" like chip bags away where that glassware and dishes were.
I would also put a shelf right next to the stove making it look more like counter space, as has been suggested.
I would also corral the black cords with a cord cover thingy-bob that you can buy at the hardware store, to make everything look sleeker.
I HATE stuff on top of the fridge- it just closes the space up more- maybe move the microwave to the imaginary shelf next to the stove.
While I like the window treatment- it's pretty cute- I probably would go with a sleeker shade that fades into the background a little more- again making the room look a little larger.
I hope you don't interpret any of my suggestions as criticisms- you've certainly made a big impact with minimal effort.
If I was your sister and your birthday was coming up? You'd get a huge birthday cake out of my newly fixed up kitchen.
I wish the landlord had sprung for a counter depth fridge, that would help a lot. I second the idea of one more shelf by the stove (under the new ones) at stovetop height. I'd have put a 'baker's rack' there. (They come as small as 12x12 inches - I have my KitchenAide, cookbooks, wok and teapots on on one that size in a corner of my kitchen.) Can the trash/recycling go under the sink? I like the pullout racks for those and cleaning supplies, but using those will depend on the pipeing configuration under there.
She might also consider a combination microwave/toaster oven when the time comes to replace one of her appliances. Getting the microwave off the fridge will help a LOT with the visual clutter and make the cabinets above the fridge available for storage.
If she can hang it high enough to have clearance when opening the fridge or a cabinet, I bet she could get one of those 3-tier hanging baskets in there which are great for fruit or tomatoes which taste worse when stored in the fridge.
I think this is the perfect size kitchen because everything is within arm's reach and you have a fair amount of counterspace. I agree with getting rid of the dish drying rack as you can just wash and then put the items on a towel to dry. That's what I have to do in my house as my kitchen has only one tiny counter space and I need that space to prepare food on.
Why are there so many ovens???
>>why are there so many ovens?
Exactly. Hey, if she wants to use her toaster oven instead of the ovens she already has, none of us would stand in her way. It's her kitchen.
But it's small and there's not much room for optimization. You have to think outside the toaster oven. Or, if you really can't live without it, get rid of the stove. Voile! Instant tons of space!
My apt. kitchen is similar but with a lot of cabinet space. If she needs more room for prepwork, she could get a rolling cart (or make one) that could be placed right outside the entry.
I understand she may use the toaster oven a lot, but I would seriously reconsider it. Not having it and/or a microwave would add much more space, both physically & visually. Due to the kitchen's size, the floor and amount of stuff out, it feels very busy.
I would also opt for a simple window treatment (if any), to minimize the cluttered feel. Something white and sheer, perhaps with a small pattern but nothing that competes with the floor.
Great job and great ideas! I've been learning a lot just reading comments! Thanks everyone!
Brianna Olds
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