apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Eliminating counter top clutter will open up this space tremendously. I would clean as much stuff as possible off the counter, give it a good clean and think "minimal" - this will make the space appear more open, and airy.

Curtains! They would draw the eye and could be the starting point of a new, contrasting (as in "not brown") colour scheme.

I agree, curtains and eliminating clutter will go far.

Can you change the lighting? That would bring in a new design element and perhaps brighten the space. Also, I would get a white table and chairs and perhaps a rug.

Good luck!

I can't tell tell the exact floorplan of the space, but if you have room to float a table in the center rather than against the wall, I would choose a non-wood tone (maybe white painted) table on a rug to break up all the brown. Perhaps consider an indoor-outdoor rug if you are concerned about the rug factor in a kitchen. There are many out there that don't look so outdoorsy. Window treatments would also really help (I'd do drapes down to the floor).
I'm so glad you found a place you are genuinely excited about! I'm sure that love will translate well to your kitchen. Best wishes!

I would put up some curtains and if you're up for the task, consider removalable wallpaper from Sherwin Williams. Its fairly easy to put up and comes right off when you get ready to leave. Also a bright jute rug would be great. Congratulations on your new place!

colorful curtains would definitely help.
And maybe you can do something with your kitchen table/chairs... paint it a bright white and add some colorful placemats or a vase of flowers?

not generally a fan of painting EVERYTHING white but I'd do it in this case: anything that's out (table, chairs, linens, toaster etc) would have to be ALL WHITE, with some accessories in another light color (yellow or bright green, for example). This would be the case for everything on the open shelves too. Wouldn't have to be expensive; if you have white dinnerware store in out on those shelves.

I'd use a rug or the carpet squares as a rug in the same color scheme: white with a coordinating border in whatever your accent color is.

If you're going for airy and open, I think white is definitely the way to go, white curtains, white accents, and the Flor carpet is a great idea too...possibly even a tablecloth to cover up that black table.

I second the recommendation for a carpet or rug. I have always hated carpeting in kitchens, but my current apartment has an awful vinyl floor, so I reconsidered. It's made a world of difference!

I agree with everything above: white everything, curtains, ruthlessly simplify and declutter, maybe try a removable wallpaper, esp. around the windows. But I'd also consider mounting a couple large simple graphic prints on the angled wall above the workspace. It would break up all of that paneling, and be a bit unexpected, but in a good way. Maybe like these from the poster list, or from vintagraph.

http://www.theposterlist.com/

http://vintagraph.com/fruit-crate-labels/

You could put down floating laminate flooring, like these for example
Ikea Tundra Flooring in white
Ikea Markland flooring in white
and simply remove it when you move out. It is not attached to the underlying floor, and is a pretty easy DIY project.

Another possible option, depending on the actual size of the kitchen, would be to get a piece of linoleum or vinyl flooring cut to the exact size of the room, and simply just NOT glue it down. (We did this in a bathroom in a rental and it worked well) You would need to weight down the edges with furniture and things like wastebaskets and such for a little while till it was accustomed to laying flat instead of rolled up.

I am so not a fan of carpeting in the kitchen - everyone who cooks spills stuff at at least once in a while.

ditto (ditto ditto) on the curtains, though i'd go with a fun, patterned drape. also, paint your existing chairs something colorful, and pick up a tablecloth to mask the dark folding table.

as for the rug, urban outfitters has great patterned cotton rugs that i've loved for kitchens. they're cheap, bright, and easy to throw in the wash if ever there's a spill. (though be sure to wash cold, because they can bleed and fade.)

If they don't move in until September I'm guessing the clutter isn't theirs.

For flooring, they make floating linoleum tiles and faux hardwood and stone/slate. Frankly, it can look terrific. You may not want more wood floors, but depending upon what you can do with the walls....

For the walls, I recommend looking into the removable wallpaper. Or, if you are handy and daring...

You could put up panels of drywall and paint them. You would have to nail/screw to the wall in a few strategic locations, but one assumes that you were planning to do this anyway should you hang pictures. This method also works for a backsplash.

Also remember, lighting and curtains will make a world of difference as well.

Good luck!

I like the idea of all white for everything else - at least as for as your budget goes. If it wasn't a kitchen, I'd recommend asking if you could use some very small tacks and drape fabric all over the wall. See if you can find an area rug that will cover up most of the kitchen floor - that is some ugly linoleum.

Agree with the others that decluttering will help. Can you add a bigger light fixture? Like a large paper shade? I would have light washable floor mats that you can toss in the machine. I think curtains might be too much. It looks like you don't get too much natural light.

Definately go for removable wallpaper to cover up all that wood. And add plants or herbs.

I think either light fabric blinds or gauzy curtains. The room is so heavy you need to balance it not only by color but with details that lighten the load. Would also look at Mad Mats, the recycled plastic rugs in various designs. You can use light spray adhesive to put fabric or paper over things that are too dark and they will pull off and a quick wash of the adhesive and it's like you were never there. And yeah, I'd change out the ceiling light fixture. Save the old one so if LL doesn't like your choice you can put the old one back. If there is room maybe create a little space for some plants to break up the wood forest. That is a ~lot~ of brown.

There's the old trick of putting fabric panels into old fashioned laundry starch and smoothing onto the walls as a no glue answer to wallpaper. It would probably work best on the widow wall, as steam from the stove would probably loosen anything near it. When you move, pull it off, and sponge the walls down. No damage, and if you get bored with the fabric, choose another and do it again!

No carpeting. It may look nice, but I think it just isn't practical for a kitchen. I do think the floor should be covered, so how about an indoor/outdoor floor mat like the ones they have at World Market? Much easier to take care of than any kind of soft carpeting or rugs.

In terms of decor, you could go two ways. Make everything monochrome in light colors (white, pale blue, gray or green) to offset the warmth of all that wood. That would mean getting a table and chairs that are plain and a solid color and towels, blinds or curtains, etc. in matching or coordinating hues.

Or you could go in the other direction and have a more boho, gypsy feeling: bright floor mat, flowered cafe curtains, bold tablecloth and kitchen linens, painted table and chairs (with the latter in various hues), a few green plants in ceramic pots, and a paper (or nylon) lantern to replace the pendant light. Colors, deep and bold: cobalt, emerald, purple, marigold.

I like the Ikea laminate flooring idea to cover the linoleum floors. How does this stay in place?

curtains for sure. Also some great prints: these can be small or large, but should have a large 'footprint' - ie. they can have a huge matt around them if they're small. Often if you have a local art college, they'll have regular sales and you can get some great, funky prints for a good price.

Nixing the carpet idea, particularly in white. THat's a disaster waiting to happen, especially if you plan to make this room a hub. It's all too easy to spill a cup of coffee...let alone pasta sauce. In terms of vinyl or whatever, you can put down tarkett fiber floors (available at home depot and other places) without glue and after you weight down corners for a few days it sits nicely without being glued (we have it in our bathroom). It also comes in funky patters that will liven up the space.

good luck and congrats!

Lots of good ideas. I agree with the curtains, no clutter and something over the floor. If those shelves in the corner are built in, ordered white dishware or vases could look nice and add to the lightening up.

I hope you send in "after" pictures. I'm excited to see what you guys end up doing.

I might be weird, but I think this room looks AWESOME. It might be better to just go with the look it has going, rather than trying to tone it down. I'm thinking a cheeky-lodge sort of look, maybe with a light fixture that involves antlers and some kind of faux taxidermy, like this or something shown here. And definitely funky curtains.

I have a dumb question:

If you don't like the apartment, why are you taking it?

There must be plenty more out there...

I kind of like it with all the wood. It looks cozy. Once you clean it up and add a few punches of bright colors, I think it will grow on you.

Thanks for the all the great suggestions and ideas! We have a lot to work with now, and I am sure that by the time September rolls around we will have a plan. I will submit pics once the transformation is complete!

Thanks again,
Abbie and Devin

PS-To bepsf, as we said in the post we LOVE the apartment, just has a bit of a challenging kitchen :)

Curtains, a cute rug in front of the sink and declutter! Also, maybe change the light on the ceiling? I can't really see it. I think it's a cute kitchen.

A painted floor cloth. Curtains and de-cluttering. And -- and I'm cringing here as I type this -- I LOVE little white Christmas lights with wood. It's a nice warm and glow-y feeling.

My tiny kitchen has dark built-in cabinets and black/beige granite countertops and backsplashes, plus it doesn't get much natural light. I brighten it up by leaving some of my red Le Creuset cookware and canisters on the counters.

Your kitchen is quite a bit larger than mine, so I think you could get away with having bright rugs under the table and in front of the sink, too - and maybe even consider buying a bright (or white) table and chairs, or painting the ones you have? I've repainted several pieces of furniture, and while it can get a little messy it's well worth the results.

I recently saw some no-glue flooring at Home Depot. It had a slightly padded back, was flexible and heavy, so I guess its own weight just keeps it in place over existing flooring. They had a bunch of designs, but I didn't take note of the price.

For other design ideas - like curtains, a small table, etc - the advice of all white is good, but I think any color would actually work. All blue, all red, all green - whatever you like, if white isn't your thing.

there have already been some great ideas! i didn't notice if anyone mentioned it, but what if you took the cabinet doors off? store them somewhere while you're in the apartment, and either leave it as open cabinets OR put up some light-weight dowel rods a the tops of the cabinet openings and create some fabric curtains in fun colors and patterns? it's temporary, you can control the color scheme, and it's easy to put the original fixtures back when you're through!

This has so much potential! I'll echo what everyone has said above, go minimalist, go white as much as possible, and think about a vinyl floor mat instead of the carpeting idea. I think at the VERY least go with white curtains and it will instantly brighten up the place. Good luck!

With the wooden paneling, what about fabric soaked in liquid starch to cover those walls or cupboard doors? A friend of mine did that when she lived in military housing.

You would cut it to size, fold & sew a hem to the edges to prevent unraveling (or you could use pinking shears) then soak the fabric in liquid starch, place it on the wall, and gently squeegee the extra starch. It dries clear, and the fabric peels right off when it's time to move.

Of course, please try this in an inconspicuous place first!

IMHO, I'd move the dining table away from the window, and put a couple of those 'prefab' bottom cupboards, or a long table so you have more 'counter' space. It appears you have space in the middle of the kitchen, where you could put your small kitchen table. Hang the plant in the window to give your table more space.

As far as the aforementioned prefab cupboards, check salvage yards for cupboards being thrown away due to upgrades. You could buy a folding buffet table, or build a sturdy table of your own...plywood, premade legs, the same height as the built in cupboards, and put some cheap tile (laminate self stick tile squares are easy to install!) on the top of the plywood for asthetics.

With an additional table in there, you could store things underneath...put a fabric skirt around the edge of it, attached w/ hook & loop tape.

An idea for altering the initial view when you walk in the apartment, is put a small table for your keys & the mail and put one of those wall screens behind it to disguise the view. Or, if you have a large bookcase, you could use that to make a small hallway wall and block the view of the kitchen.

Start off by getting rid of all that clutter and the dish rags hanging on the cabinets. move the fan on the floor into a closet and put the trash under the sink. No one wants to see your refuse when they walk in. I agree with the urban outfitters cotton rug solution for the linoleum and curtains at the window. I would also think about painting the furniture white or replacing it with something white to tie it in with the appliances and light fixture.

The authors note that the place is not theirs until September. The clutter is not theirs.

I really like the suggestion made about having lino cut to fit the room without tacking it down and just laying it over the existing floor. That's a super brilliant idea and one I'm actually going to use this week in covering my own tiny kitchen floor.

If this were my place? I'd embrace the wood since it isn't going anywhere and do a nice vibrant green lino floor (without tacking it down), panel curtains down to the floor in a crisp white linen, and change out the lighting fixtures with something a little more modern (although it is likely that track lighting can't be removed without having to repair some wood - so I might just leave it), like http://tinyurl.com/mgdv7p or maybe a white fabric pendant style that is kept close to the ceiling.

I'd accessorize minimally with white or glass canisters on the shelves, two oversize bright red tea towels hung on the oven door, and a long and thin white island/table with stools hidden under it that serves as an informal dining/prep area.

But that is just me :)

Some really good suggestions, but... I'm sorry, a little rant. Why, oh why, don't certain people read the post before parading their sassy comments? To whit: The clutter does not belong to A&D, A&D clearly state that they love the apartment and just need some help with the kitchen.

I guess it depends how much money you have to throw at this one - if you're renting I guess not truckloads. I would cover the lino with wall to wall seagrass matting 'cos it's relatively cheap, doesn't show up a lot of dirt and there is no installation cost. I like the starch and fabric wall idea for the window wall - I'd do canvas - again cos it's inexpensive and a light colour would help appease the gods of good taste (who in their right mind digs wall to wall wood panelling?). That angled wall above the sink and stove is a worry - I like red. I would collect red pictures, posters etc and blu tac them up 'til I had the whole thing covered. Contrary to suggestions about white table and chairs - I'd go black with coloured seat covers, maybe yellow or teal.
Good luck and have fun. And remember, laugh maniacally if nothing works and just live with it - it ain't yours.

I think this is one f those casxes when you just have to go with it, instead of trying to hide it.

So what I would do, is to go for a kind of retro feel. I'm thinking Marimekko curtains, bright colored (mod) furniture, and vintage posters/signs. Wood paneling is kinda trendy again, so go with it!

Go kitcshy in your kitch!

I would also recommend Floe tiles, but since it's a kitchen...maybe not. The floor is so drab, that seems like the worst part. I wonder if "click-clack" wood laminate flooring could be installed without glue? The white glossy floor that someone was thinking for their tiny kitchen a while ago (it had a kelly green wall and it was an awkward shape...try searching within good questions for kitchens) could be interesting?

Good luck, that's quite the challenge!

When life gives you lemons....

Actually, you can refloor. Just place a floating click-lock laminate over the existing floor. it isn't glued or nailed and can easily be removed and taken with you to your next place. The only change is the shoe molding which is easy to change back. IKEA has a great new glossy white laminate that would greatly brighten the space. If you're made of money, you can do some interesting funky patterns with Marmoleum, which also floats. Again, take it with you when you leave.

Our favorite Boston blogger Kyle would tell you to get out your hot glue gun and cover your walls with some light covered fabric. I would agree. I would also suggest addressing your floor issue by using floorcloths - they're great in the kitchen, easy to clean and you can take them with you when your lease is up!

...clean your new space,don't clutter your countertops, float a round dining table in the center of the room,use a cool color for linens and accessories.Place a small bookcase
at the entry for cookbooks, pottery,fresh flowers...a landing strip?