The other night, Katie couldn't sleep, so she put up a curtain rod in the kitchen and got to organizing. We have to give her credit for making the most of her insomnia - the apartment looks very clean and orderly. Click below for a few ideas from Katie's kitchen...
Katie keeps her epiphytes in lab glassware lined up along a windowsill. We think it's a great idea, since it can be difficult to find cool ways to display air plants.
She discovered that she could use magnets to tack up postcards on her metal organizer. It's also a great spot to clip a recipe while cooking.
The hooks along the rod look great. Katie uses them to hang measuring cups, potholders, and dish rags.
Thanks, Katie, for sharing your kitchen with us. (If you have photos of your own home you'd like to share with AT:Chicago, tag them in Flickr with "apartmenttherapychicago.")
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Fabulous! It makes me want to take down my upper kitchen cabinets...
view wendi_c's profile
She did some vases out of lightbulbs too. I've done this as well. I think it looks cute.
Where can I get lab glassware?
view Lizzykewl's profile
Lab glassware can be found at American Science & Surplus -
5316 N. Milwaukee Avenue (sciplus.com).
view orangeblossom's profile
Very beautiful, decorative ... but staged. This does not look like a working kitchen. Unless all of the rest of her stuff is on the other side of the room.
view robyn's profile
thx, orangeblossom!
view Lizzykewl's profile
How wonderfully clean this kitchen is. I can only dream of such order.
view CreativelyChallenged's profile
beautiful! I, too, must credit insomnia to a lot of my DIYs around the apartment...
view Caroline K's profile
Wow, thanks for the post & kind words!
I did get those beakers at American Science & Surplus. I love that place.
The kitchen is kind of sparse because it came with a big built-in cupboard on the other side where I store all of my dishes, silverware, pots and pans. It's kind of a weird kitchen in general -- the old-fashioned sink, the massive cupboard, and no counters or cooking surfaces to speak of. Before I bought the rolling cart, I only had the sink counter to prepare food on, which got me in the habit of washing dishes as I cooked so I had room to work.
I'll take a few quick pictures of the whole (tiny) room so you can see where all the "stuff" goes :)
view Katie S.'s profile
Cute telansia plant idea. I have mine stuck (with a hot glue gun) to a gum branch on a stand my dad made for me. It's a telansia tree. lol.
view venus_thames's profile
Thanks for the kitchen ideas! I'm moving soon (tomorrow) into a similar style older kitchen with only sink counter space. The lab glassware idea is SO cute, especially because I am a scientist for work (although I'm not sure if I want to be reminded of that at home ;) ) !
view somuchbetter's profile
I took a few quick pictures of the whole kitchen so you can see how weird & small it is!
view Katie S.'s profile
That's not a weird kitchen -- that's a wonderfully Midwestern turn-of-the-century apartment kitchen! I loved our Giant Cabinet when we lived in Minneapolis.
The work triangle ends up being completely insane, and I remember well the experience of having to carry around a mixing bowl while mixing (as well as "wash as you cook") -- but yours is so nice looking that I'm a pale green with envy.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
@ Katie S. - your place is beautiful! thanks for sharing the additional pics.
view HeatherAB's profile
i really love the elegant feeling of this kitchen that is pared with practical sensibility. very soothing...it looks like a place i'd be happy to spend the afternoon piddling about.
view Pistachio's profile
We should all be so productive with our insomnia!
view jen_g's profile
Who knew it could be so simple! Curtain rod (or even reclaimed pipe) and 'S' hooks!
I really wish I could be the one to think of some of this stuff! Looks great!
view deirdre's profile
What a gorgeous place! A beautiful feel all around. As for the lack of counter space, how about a freecycle find/craigslist narrow table to put along that wall and you can use that as counter space?
view chicdecor's profile