1) Bamboo matchstick shades for all of the windows
2) Coordinating mat, dish towels to go with the rug under the table--black/white
3) Small, simple vase of flowers for the table
4) Inexpensive framed art for the walls that present a contrasting color to the black/white--try images that feature red or yellow as a dominant color.

- Pull the table away from the wall and center it on the rug
- Buy/make some pretty place mats to soften the table
- Can you hang shelving above the stove?
- Hide the clutter on the cart right next to the stove with a piece of fabric
- Get rid of that paper bag - if it serves a purpose, replace it with something nicer looking.
- I don't love the bold black stripes with the rest of the kitchen, I would go with something softer but that is personal preference.
- Maybe some plants?

I am in the same boat as you as far as trying to make a stylish and functional kitchen. My kitchen is super tiny and always a work in progress. I definitely would recomend a roman style valance for the window to dress it up but not close out the view. A light fixture would look great over the table and maybe some decorative plates or pictures on the bare wall next to the shelves just to give some color. Over the stove i would say some wood shelving would look nice with some plants to add some more color. as well as a picture or chalkboard on the left side of the stove to put reminders or dinner ideas for the day? as for the rug.. i love the rug! i think it looks cute

Cafe curtains (colorful dishtowels are easy and inexpensive) on tension rods on the bottom half of the windows will let light in. Colorful art...posters, framed food photos, plates, ect. This a great kitchen for a rental. I have a tiny space, an ancient electric stove and cabinets covered with wood grain contact paper!

I love your kitchen -- very cute for starters! The rug works just fine in my opinion. You just need other black/white accessories to pull it together. A black & white print fabric would work well, maybe with the occasional dash of bright color. You can put up tension rods in all the windows and use them to hang very simple valances (assuming you don't need more window covering for privacy; in that case shades/blinds are a good idea). Even if you don't sew you can cut the fabric and leave it unhemmed or use iron-on hemming tape. Secure it to the rods using safety pins or buy clip-on curtain rings.

Art on the walls will help, too, and maybe a pretty bright teakettle. Love the suggestion of shelves above the stove if the lease allows it. And if it is in the budget, consider buying a smaller microwave.

I would paint the table top black

if you would like to paint it, just paint it and paint it back in the original colour before moving out. The landlord would be crazy to complain about having a new coat of the original paint instead of an old coat of the same paint.

First, I want you to commit. If you're gonna do black and white, let's do it! (though the sort of bisque colored backsplash and floor and walls seems to cry out for a different color scheme -- chocolate brown and wedgewood blue, perhaps.) But I can work with black and white.

1. Consider installing a real curtain rod near the ceiling and hanging long curtains in a black and white print of some sort (or perhaps black twill, and maybe give it a white cgrossgrain or pom pom edge detail.) Nothing too fancy: just straight up and down, floor to ceiling, good heavy drapes.
2. Over the stove -- and this is strange but I think will work -- hang a nice big mirror that mostly covers that whole space. It will reflect the light from the window and give you something to look at while cooking. Paint the frame black.
3. Replace the mat in front of the sink with a black rubber kitchen mat.
4. some kind of small pillow on the back of each chair in a good color. I vote for apple green.
5. clear as much as possible from the counters. use black or white or silver crocks (you have to pick just one) to organize kitchen utensils etc.
6. Get a great big green plant -- a fern? something lush and wonderful -- for the window over your sink. Put it in a great shiny black pot.
7. clear that stuff of the front of your fridge. Get a chalk board -- about 18 inches long by 12 inches high or similar -- and afix it somehow to the freezer. Use that to write notes or make poetry or whatever. Those letters are really busy and are calling attention to a not great fridge.
8. Replace all your dishtowels with black and white towels.
9. Paint the base of that table next to the stove black.
10. Get a cool old metal box (without a top ... something industrial) to corral the spices and oils on top of the toaster oven. Let nothing stray.
11. can you hang a pot rack somewhere?

pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

Love the rug. I agree with PAMH: install your curtain rod high next to ceiling and have long, floor to ceiling drapes, in either a pattern that incorporates the B&W and the colors of your counter tiles, or in a solid neutral with texture and some contrasting trim.

You could make a matching valance for over your sink windows and add another smaller, thinner striped B&W rug in front of sink to tie the room together.

The wall niche near your table could be lined with a fabric, chic shelf paper has some great patterns and solid colors (incl. custom) and all are available in a variety of materials, including fabric or matte vinyl, which you should be able to remove with minimal/no paint damage when you move.

For over the stove, you could install a big mirror, something with a frame that has a little detail, maybe, in a metallic or black frame. It seems weird to be looking at yourself when cooking, but I've seen this idea before and it looks great. Plus since your stove is facing a wall, it might actually feel more comfortable being able to see the rest of the kitchen, and mirrors are easy to keep clean.

Add artwork on the walls. Ikea has HUGE frames for cheap, you could DIY or buy something cool from Etsy.com. You could do one big one on the wall next to the bookcase, and then another by the clutter-unit next to the stove.

That bookcase is fun! Artwork! You could also tack gift wrap paper, or contact paper the bookcase area, again, bringing in some color & interest to the beige.

Switch the rug the other way, looks awkward squeezed in to the corner like that. You could pull the table out to be more in the middle, and add a narrow storage unit / credenza below the window to corrall more of the clutter.

Ditto on the matching towels and small rug. Crate & Barrel and West Elm have fun ones, or you could order stuff from Etsy.com.

Add roman shades, easy to DIY or cheap to buy, will add color (maybe pick up the red?) to contrast the overall peachy beige-ness. Or continue the b&w theme, maybe a second pattern? If you don't want to block the light, maybe some sheer roman shades?

That space just screams for paint. Ask the owner again if he'd reconsider.

Do you really need both a toaster oven and a microwave? There's also a lot of "stuff", like that thing on top of the fridge, the cart next to the stove etc. Try to think if you could store pretty things where they're visible (think matching containers etc.), and hide the not-so-pretty things. And stacking stuff on top of stuff, like the condiments on top of the toaster oven is just messy-looking.

Get atching trash containers for both recycling and trash. Store empty paper bags somewhere hidden. (and take out the sticker of the trash can!)

Hard to say from the pics, but could be, that you'd have space for an kitchen cart / mini island in the middle of the room. There's now a dead space, and everything is lurking against the walls like they're scared! Furniture doesn't need to be against the walls. The fact that the table is a square makes it a bit difficult to place, a rectangle would work better.

Removable wallpaper could also work on the display case wall. But paint would be much easier and cheaper.

The kitchen is cute vintage, don't fight it – good luck!

It IS a great kitche to have fun with...I'd pick a vintage kitchen look, as it already has that look, with the cabinets..etc..first, choose your favorite bright color in a fun tea kettle..: yellow, red....apple green. Yes, def keep things not spread about, coralled in a black straw basket on the little side table.covered even better..you want it to look simple and sleek as possible.. But I do think using the vintage theme as a 'backdrop' would look really nice and uniqe to you, while keeping the modern 'touches' as the rug and your table..(pops of fiesta ware bowls or a bright vintage looking vase on the modern table for example)..black, white and your bright pop of color..nice!

I really like the black and white rug -- it pulls your kitchen int o a more modern direction. For the window shades I would do a simple curtain in a contrasting color -- maybe tangerine / coral / egg yolk yellow / aqua -- but it has to be a color that you LOVE, and either a block or very small print.

Then you could change the small mat to black, put a white bowl/platter on the table (or set it up for breakfast with white crockery, just move after dishwashing to table) and replace all dish towels with black and white ones. Chilewich placemats in a light color will also look great on that cozy table.

Maybe paint the backsplash white (or a lighter shade of your window treatment; this can be reversed if ) and leave the floor as it is.

I second the artwork -- maybe a large black and white print -- or a nice big clock. I love Martha's post-it calendar but don't have enough room in my kitchen : (

To add more color or extend the B&W theme, you could fix fabric or thick paper to the back of the bookshelf, esp if you're using that space for neutral dishes/glassware.

Rentals are never easy, and I feel you! But good luck and whichever way you go, I'm sure it'll feel more "you" when you're done!

You have a great rental kitchen with so much potential! Good luck with your project!

If I could give your kitchen a makeover I would add a cabinet over the stove... something that speaks to your personal style (as it will be a piece that can follow you to your next place)...if you like a clean or modern style a metal medicine cabinet or salvaged piece could add some interest and an opportunity to inject some color into the space.
A larger rug along the kitchen cabinets will ground the space - look for something with some texture and in a neutral color so it doesn't compete with your black and white rug.
I would also consider a burn out curtain panel - something with an interesting pattern that softens the window and still allows the light to enter the room (ikea has some good choices).
Hiding the clutter (including fridge decor) will go a long way. As well as choosing a color scheme (maybe warm colors to tie in the back splash).
Last, I would play up the design details your kitchen already has, like the built in ledge above the sink, or the bookshelf near the table. I would line the shelf with interesting paper or fabric and style it with beautiful kitchen things or dishes. I would also add some greenery to the ledge (maybe an herb garden or terrarium?).

First of all, lose the number and address for Ikea.

The kitchen itself doesn't really have its own thing going on other than a hodgepodge of color, texture, and styles. That said, I think the best thing to do is embrace the chaos.

If the table doesn't really match anything, it should not match with flair. Get loud with paint color.

The rug is fine, but you need window treatments to balance the room vertically. These you may want to keep simple (solid color), since they're at eye level.

Put some art on the wall behind the chair.

Plants on the corner sill. Again; window treatment.

As for the stove area, shelving. If you can use wall anchors, do it (my favorite right now is the Toggler in the orange bag found at Lowe's). If you can't drill, IKEA has some tension rod system that can be hacked to have shelves.

I think the pegboard posts on AT would also lend well to the space.

Hi guys - OP here. Thanks so much for all the great feedback! Especially am grateful for the advice on getting a solid neutral curtain with texture, I think I am leaning towards a burlap colored linen, and maybe adding some trim on it. Have already started implementing some of the ideas posted on here, will try to post an update if I can to show the results!

@Greenwoodgal : the only Ikea piece is the kitchen cart - is that what you are referring to? Everything else is from Crate & Barrel or Target...

I love AT!

I would find it much cosier with a wrap around bench with a neutral cushion, translucent cafe curtain and some narrow book display shelves or photos on either side of the window. Creates space for visitors too!