A tight but very utilitarian kitchen, everything you need. Since it is recessed, why not just use a curtain, non-flammable of course. Ikea would be a good starting place.

oops, sorry didn't read the 2nd paragraph. Roman shades could work, you would have to get extra wide and long ones though.

One way to make it "disappear" a little more might be to clear everything off the counters, over the cabinets, and on the fridge. Having lived in a studio, I know how hard that can be (where else to put it?), but you may be reacting the clutter as much as the fact that it's a ktichen. If you can manage it - I'd get decant your dishsoap and handsoap into plain glass bottles, neatly fold a single neutral towl on the handle of the oven, keep the clock and frying pans on the wall, and then get rid of literally every other visable thing.

I'm not sure how much money you'd want to sink into your rental. If you are up for it, you could install double bi-fold doors. It will looks like a closet.

Can you rearrange your furniture so you sit with your back to the kitchen most of the time?
Ikea has these cool panels that slide on curtain rods, that would work really well but I can't tell if there is enough room on either side to slide them completely out of the way.
I would be worried about cleaning curtains or shades though. I just don't like fabric that close to a stove because of the cooking smells.

You could go with those honeycomb paper shades; I'm sure there's a company that could make one that large. Or even bamboo roller shades. I have one of those on a porch window that looks to be a similar size to your kitchen nook. Best of luck!

A dressing screen!
(Or two, to make an L shape?)
Like in Barefoot in the Park! (Watch the movie; they live in a studio apartment and i LOVE how she decorates it)

You didn't mention if you're renting or not. Could you paint the cabinets white? By brightening the area, it may eliminate the out-of-place, recessed look it has now. It would be nice to see other photos of the place to see how to work the kitchen into the overall space, rather than trying to hide it. I think it could be really cute with white cabinets and a pop of color on the backsplash area.

I would paint the furniture of the kitchen nook all white. As the walls are also white, the furniture of the kitchen will be not so noticable and you'll get more "airy" feeling

A full-width aluminum venetian blind (thin slats) would do the trick, but only if the rest of your decor is reasonably modern in style.

You don't need bulky opaque curtains that even when drawn back might be a fire hazard, as you said, but sheer ones would not be bulky and could be secured from encroachment on the stove by large hooks or drawn to the left by the radiator. A light behind them when drawn might also produce a pleasant effect.

I would definitely paint the cabinets white, declutter and use two slide doors.
I would make a huge difference

I personally would create a funky curtain rod out of the metal piping at lowes, put it on the outside framing of the kitchen (means moving your Chicago print) and hang a fabric I love.

By using this piping you have the curve of the piece that screws into the wall, so you can run your curtain around the curve and totally hid the kitchen. Piping like this. http://pinterest.com/pin/169025792236497813/

If that isn't an option then I would do as @allisen1 suggested and clear everything off the fridge, etc and go with all clear storage, etc. Then I would find some cute shelf paper to stick on the back wall as a back splash that will easily peel off, if this is a rental.

How much space is above that area? Could you get something like a shoji screen that comes down from above? almost like a garage door might come down? I have the vision in my head but not sure how to explain :)

Why do you want to hide your kitchen?? I have a studio apt and the kitchen is one of my favorite parts! You just need to fix it up a little bit. Painting the cabinets white, putting some really cool art prints on the refrigerator, even getting the vintage brick veneers for the backsplash could make it look really awesome. (unless you are renting and cant do any of that)

Sheer curtains should be fine since there won't be a light on inside the kitchen area while the sheers are pulled. They're lightweight and thin, so they can likely be put on a cable tension line which would mean you could pull them all over by the radiator and behind a tieback.

There are also curtain fabrics opaque as well as semi-transparent with with fire proof impregnation. I only know the names in German unfortunately. Maybe ask at a fabric store if you wanna go for curtains.
If you would like to go for white cabinets and may not gonna paint them you could exchange the entire fronts if that's not bursting your budget.
I personnally would try to go for folding doors or sliding doors if possible. Nifty roller blinds could also work.

I had a kitchen almost exactly like this. And I understand the desire to cover it over when people are there and you don't want it to look like a service stand. But if you keep things really functional I think you will find you won't have as many problems. I agree with the comments about painting the cabinets white. I would also paint the walls a matching color of white...so everything blends as much as possible. I would take all the tchotchkes down off your fridge. It tends to make things look cluttered. And if you don't have a place to put the things on your counter and top of your fridge consider a basket that will hide things a bit better. I would consider the things on your counter carefully..choose white to blend and only a two to three items at a time. Because you want this to fade, I wouldn't look for "pops of color." I would stick to whites and stainless steel. I would also consider removing all of your decorative things above the cabinets. Unless they are used often, I would replace them with raffia or metal baskets across to store extra items and give a more uniform look.

I would suggest doing panel curtains, they are flow profile and don't gather like curtains can disappear easily and won't be a bunching hazard. Ikea has lots. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/10702/

I agree with the most obvious fix, visually lessening the noise by removing, hiding most of what is displayed and, if possible, painting the cabinets white. Perhaps a rice paper shade would prove to be both inexpensive as well as a quick fix. Honestly, it's not a bad space even when exposed.

Paint the cabinets white, if you can, to match the appliances

If you want to hide it, I'd use a ceiling curtain track. this way you could have ceiling/floor coverage. It really gives a nice custom finished look. http://www.inprocorp.com/products/store/entity/tabid/59/c-139-cubicle-track.aspx?gclid=CJ3AtZ7h-bQCFelFMgodRB4ACQ
If you want to just distract the view, I would try an island if you have space in the middle of kitchen between kitchen and living area, add a couple stools and it would distract the eye and hide appliances. etc. The rest of the space like above the cabinets you could hang artwork and stuff to make it look more like the rest of the living space.

I disagree on the "paint the cabinets white" comments. You'd be bored crazy. If painting is an option, I'd go something more dramatic. I think even if the cabinets were a darker wood, you'd hate the nook less. But putting your frige-top clutter into sisal baskets and just keeping the area "crisp" might go a long way to keeping your frustration with the space down. Otherwise, I'd go with shades that roll down from the top, rather than from side to side

I've always found a book shelf to be the best at space separator. If you put one of those nice white block shelves from IKEA on wheels and about 4-5 ft. in front of the kitchen, you have just created an actual room for your kitchen! Since they are on wheels you can move it when you think you may want to change up the space.

You mentioned roll up curtains, why not a map? Like the ones above the blackboard in schoolrooms?

Hi, I'll just throw in my idea with the rest of these people :). Try sliding curtains on a track around the kitchen. Not directly in front of it though. Check out this little apartment redo from Martha Stewart. This girl had a kitchen similar to yours and I think they did a fantastic job with it. http://www.marthastewart.com/275188/home-tour-manhattan-apartment/@center/276999/home-tours?center=277007&gallery=274939&slide=211616#210603

Use metal car spray for the fridge and dishwasher fronts (a nice shade but be careful not to get drips - do it in several light coats)
Then use patterned sticky back plastic to cover the door panels - a large print - will take the eye away from the utilitarian cupboards etc
Then clear everything away - throw lots of stuff out.

Rather than hide the kitchen, get tough with the clutter; both visible and what might be in your cupboards. One place to start; get the little stuff off the fridge; find one to four very favorite photos and have them copied on a least 11 x 17 paper/photo paper; get four identical magnets and have one on the freezer door and, if you want, one, two or three on the fridge door; instant cheap art.

Clear off the top of the fridge; if this is important stuff, make room for it in one of the cupboards. Leave counter room for paper towels, knives & put the dish soap etc. in the cupboard above the sink. Get a couple nice matching towels for the stove. Hard to see what's in the soffit area, but maybe that won't be a prioit.

Personally, I think moving a screen would become more of a pain in the a$$. Ps. rather than paint the cupboard doors, maybe they just need a good cleaning and polishing. Don't hide your kitchen, get it so you admire it.

This will not be a popular opinion, but I'd kind of love to see a beaded curtain. No? Just me? I know for some that might conjure up images of their 1999 teenage bedroom, but I could see the right beaded curtain adding a really cool visual element to the room while providing separation.

But yeah, at the very least, take allll those magnets off the fridge and declutter that area in general. I can imagine it's tough in such a small space - options are definitely limited. But embrace it!

The best comment here is to just rearrange your furniture so you are not "looking" at it when you hang out. I have no idea what that entails because there is no layout of the apartment, so I can't really help you. For example, if you put your living room across from the kitchen and your bed in the farthest corner, then you can create a kitchen area that feels different from the bedroom area. In a studio it is important to create spaces. I would place a screen extending from the trash can area and thing some cute tiny cafe furniture on the kitchen side like a little cafe. This screen: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/hara-upholstered-screen.do?&from=fn and this furniture: http://www.viesso.com/by-brand/fermob/bistro-dining-set.html

As for a curtain... that just seems like a bad idea. It's a kitchen, not a closet...

Instead of hiding your kitchen, tie it in to the rest of the room. My friend brought home some large (18x10) plush magnets in burgundy, and we tried (without success) to get them to cover his fridge. Had it worked, it would have looked really neat with his kitchen.
Could you take that chevron print to your appliances? Maybe your could paint in on a thin piece of plywood and attach it to your dishwasher somehow. That way, instead of hiding your kitchen, you're tying it in to the rest of the apartment.

I can understand why you want to "hide" the kitchen, but I think, as others mentioned, you want to hide it because it feels cluttered to you. I have a very small galley style kitchen and I took everything off of the counters. I decanted my hand and dish soap and have 1 bright colored towel hanging from the oven. I think de-cluttering goes a long way.

I also like the idea of placing baskets on top of your cabinets, to hide items that may not fit into the cabinets. Although painting the cabinets white would also be great, I don't think you will even need to do that if you clear away the clutter.

Finally, I think, after the clutter is cleared, a cute rug would be a nice addition too and possibly a cute teapot on the stove.

Wishing you the best of luck and hope all of these suggestions have given you some ideas.

Rmbnn,

I am SO stealing your idea of putting a picture on the refrigerator! I love that idea! Thank you for sharing!

Bamboo or matchstick rollup shades?
Can you paint? If you paint everything the same color as the wall, i.e., paint the cabinets white, the whole thing will look more like a solid wall.
But, OK, you might not be able to paint. So, why not find a beautiful piece of fabric and use adhesive spray to apply it to the backsplash? Go one step further and remove the doors from your top cabinets and adhere the fabric to the back of the cabinets. I've done this before and it adds a pop of color to an otherwise drab space. Then, when you're ready to leave, just pull the fabric off the wall and wash the wall down. No damage done to wall or fabric.

Can you do a sliding barn door-type thing? It would be the least flammable. You would mount it on a rolling track and could paint it an accent wall color.

Fabulous idea!

I agree with not so much hiding the kitchen, as much as making it pleasant to the eye. As commentor Allisen1 mentioned, take the soaps and put them in nicer, cleaner containers, and remove any clutter from the fridge. If you think a plain fridge is too bland, add a 4 very large favorite photos to make it a display in a nicer way. Also, you could tile or use a non-permanent back splash (depending on if you own the studio or not) to make it a nice little area to look at.

I live in an apartment and the best thing I have found to do is if I don't like the way it looks, change it, don't hide it.

I have a similar studio; the management let me paint one accent wall, so I chose the kitchen nook and painted it a deep grey. It made the kitchen look like a separate room, and the walls disappear into the distance.

A very wide matchstick blind, suspended from the ceiling would look like a wall of sorts. An organdy panel suspended from the ceiling but four feet from the kitchen would also look like a wall. Then back your seating to the panel. If you could silk screen or paint the organdy panel with a graphic, it could look really nice.

Peel and stick wall paper for the wall, or front of the appliances might help, too.

Could you use a very large semi oval hanging rod to hang curtains? That would help keep the curtains away from the stove.

More practically I'd say embrace the kitchen. Find an awesome kitchen photo and try and some updates to make the kitchen a show piece of culinary excellence! Try a canvas storage box for all the stuff you use daily that can be stored on top of the fridge. Choose an accent color and grab stuff that harmonized with your look. Example Lime green fruit dish, hand towel, storage basket, back splash ect.

Use a pull down/hidden screen that retracts into a small housing mounted across the top opening. Is could be an outdoor type (bug type) screen then decorated or it could be a projection type screen that could also be painted to look like windows looking outside or any other interesting artwork..

I like the bookshelf idea, walling off a kitchen area and providing needed storage. I also like the idea of rearranging the furniture so the other pieces turn their backs on the kitchen and the table that should be in front of it. Keeping it sleek and simple and uncluttered will help, too, at least for company, shove everything in the cabinets and put out a couple of candles and your coffee service or bar on the counter(s).

I agree, decluttering can do wonders. The magnets on the fridge and stuff on top of fridge and counter... hide it and it won't look so bad.

What about a curtain rod that bows out? Something that wouldnt touch any of the appliances? Im sure you could find something flame retardant.

On the other hand, closing it off might make the space seem smaller. Maybe embrace it and decorate the fridge with pictures? Buy beautiful utensils to go on the counter?

I wish I had a door to my kitchen too, it's wide open and I HATE the peeling laminate cabinets.

Sigh...the life of a (cheap) renter.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=laundry+room+closet+ideas&qpvt=laundry+room+closet+ideas&FORM=IQFRML#view=detail&id=8383E600442788632DBA09DE6D845D48B557DCCC&selectedIndex=11

My two cents: clear the clutter for sure (maybe get a nice basket type container to put all the clutter in on top of the fridge or just put it all away). Get baskets to contain what you have above the cabinets (if those items are meant to be decorative, unfortunately they are not working because they are in shadow). Take the magnets and notes off the fridge (if you need somewhere to keep your grocery list, consider a miniature magnetized chalk board for the fridge, but keep it simple). As for painting white, I don't entirely agree, but if you are allowed to stain those cabinets a darker color, that would spruce up the kitchen. However, if you cannot paint or stain, don't worry about the cabinets at all. The clock isn't really working - how about a series of framed black and white photographs? (if you have a camera, you can create your own by photographing fruit or cows or an old diner, whatever - be creative). Then, if you have room in the studio (I can't tell from the one photo), how about a small, slim, high top table and two cool stools? (Craigslist!) That would better define the space by making it your "dining nook" area as well. And a rug would help for sure. I lived in a studio guest house for 4.5 years in my 20s and loved it, but the kitchen was always there no matter what, so I never tried to hide it. I say embrace it and make it an uncluttered statement and a more interesting part of your space.

Ikea makes flat sliding panels that you can put up. You would want to extend the rail far enough for the panels not to cover any part of the kitchen when you need to cook. They are really cool looking and come in several designs.

I wouldn't worry about curtains and the stove. It's unlikely you'd would close the curtains while something is on the stove.

Everything allisen1 wrote. Make it a showpiece of how well organized a kitchen can be instead of trying to hide it.

And then what JocelyneYvonne wrote. I haven't seen the movie she refers to, so I can't comment, but you could put a dressing screen between the kitchen and the rest of your space. It would still feel open and off some division between the "rooms". Think of it as a portable architectural detail. There are lots of options depending on your taste or design plans.

I live in a studio as well and I think trying to cover the kitchen would make the whole space seem even smaller. I try to keep it as uncluttered as possible and that makes a big difference visually.

Please, please, please do NOT cover your fridge with a furry magnet or decorate the dishwasher with plywood. Put away the junk on the counters and take down that clock. Put some neutral colored baskets above the cabinets for storage instead of the colorful vases (those draw your eyes to the kitchen, which is the opposite of what you want). Fold the dish towels instead of shoving them into the oven handle.

And if the rest of your furniture faces the kitchen, is there any way of re-arranging it to minimize the kitchen view?

I would install a double barn door.

You can get some great ideas from here:
http://www.houzz.com/interior-double-barn-door

Sisterfunkus has a good idea - I think that would be called a "sliding barn door".

Another option, if you wanted to get crafty, would be to attach large swinging doors to either side. It would just take a couple of heavy-duty hinges and a square frame of 2x4's covered with a light wood or other substance. You could even make drop-down shelves on either side to give yourself more counter space when cooking, then fold it all away when you're not cooking.

If you're renting for the short-term it might not be worth the investment but if you did it yourself it probably wouldn't be that expensive.

I'd use a row of matching baskets for storage on top of the cabinets, clear everything off of the fridge, hang the paper towels under the cabinets on the left, ditch the clock and frying pans, hide all dishwashing supplies except for maybe one dispenser of soap. IKEA sells a great wall-mounted wine bottle holder -- you could hang it above the fridge on the left (looks like the cabinet will still open just fine). If you paint the back wall/backsplash a dark color, the entire wall will recede -- way more bang for your buck than painting the cabinets, IMHO.

Please let us know what you decide to do, and send the "after" pictures!!

I vote for the tri or even quad fold screen. Easiest to procure and clean...realtively safe. You can find/make a solid panel (painted or fabric) or open wood work one. Position it far enough out to use the kitchen...and move it entirely when you need to get serious cooking/cleaning on. You might also consider a floor to ceiling room divider (lots of mid-century options on the web, or even IKEA floor to ceiling bookcase hacks)...with shelves, etc...that could be practical and camouflaging.

It's a cute kitchen and looks quite functional. I've never lived in a studio, but it seems to me everyone knows an all-in-one living space is going to have the kitchen in full view like this. I would not paint the cabinets or invest in anything to try to hide the kitchen. You'll have lots of holes to fill from the hardware you'll use for the curtains or shades. I would simply keep the area pristine clean and as free of clutter as possible. I'd contain everything in handsome baskets and just go with it. Why spend mega bucks unless you plan to be there for a very long time?

I'm in agreement with allisen1. You have to work with what you have, and sometimes trying to force the space to be different than it is, just leads to frustration. As you mentioned, there really isn't room to push a curtain to either side. And I bet it would feel like a hassle to mess with a shade back & forth every time you want even a drink of water or snack. It's cool seeing the kitchen, and is part of the charm of the space. That said, since it is part of the space just clean it up and decorate it just as you have the other areas in your apartment (I can see plants, cool artwork...) and you will alleviate the need to hide it. Clean up all the clutter (cereal boxes, water bottle, any magnets you don't love looking at, etc...) If you don't have room for things and that's why they are left out, you can find some cute baskets to hide things in. Get a decorative soap dispenser, add some accessories/plants/flowers/etc. For instance, a green plant on top of the fridge and a vase with flowers on the countertop. The pans on the wall are kind of cool. Hanging a dish towel from the oven can look cool too, if you find a nice colored/patterned one. (Think of it as you would an accent pillow.) Just give your kitchen the same care in decorating as you have the rest of your space, & it will look great!

white venetian blinds (ikea's Lindmon maybe?) with a full width, full height food icon
(http://www.clker.com/clipart-restaurant-2.html ) painted in a color that matches the other side of the room
As the icon lines are very straight you can easily make a stencil and spray paint it when the blinds are mounted

@little bird - I was going to suggest the same thing. I did that in my studio once, and it looked amazing. I also had high ceilings and the pendant lighting was similar to an old fashioned school room, so it all looked very cohesive.

If this space is kind of cramped with low ceilings, due to the nature of a studio, my other recommendation is in-line with others' suggestions. Paint it all white, and if you must have jars, bottles and towels - switch them to all white or clear. Or perhaps all white with green accents, like green plants, green jars, green towels. It could turn the kitchen into a chic little focal point that you love!

I agree with the Ikea Expedit bookcase system on wheels IF you can sacrifice the space it takes up but since space is something you need to make the most of I envisioned a little art project you can roll over in your mind. You need to 1) hide it, 2) have easy access to kitchen and 3) make sure that when the solution is moved aside for acess, that you have room to "store" it. I would look at creating a sliding system made out of 3-4 wood panels, wheels and a slider connector so that they smoothly slide. Sounds complicated but any hardware store can point you towards the right hardware. You can paint anything you want on there or wallpaper. If you are not artistic or have an artistic eye, definately wallpaper. This solution would be somewhat inexpensive (ModularArts walls and the like are $$), portable (you can use it as divider or as art installation at any future living place) and it basically provides artwork along one wall.

You can take a screen, and buy a piece for the bottom that allows you to stretch it out and then it won't take up alot of floor space, or what about buying a pretty island with seating and placing that in front. You would have extra prep, storage, seating, and the island would block part of the view to the kitchen, if its on wheels, even better......You can find them online.

outside mount fabric curtains that stack up outside of the 'niche' on one or both sides.

I'd go with a free standing foldable paper screen, japanese style, which can also be placed elsewhere as needed. An upright screen will keep the feeling of an open space and look awsome at night with a small light behind it.

I would use curtains but on a track system of some sort that attaches to the ceiling - I believe Ikea carries this. This way you could attach it so that theres somewhat of a distance from the stove.

I agree with other posters: paint everything white and get rid of all the clutter.

I would never use curtains near a kitchen. How about a sliding shoji type screen on a track? You could even do something like 2 white carriage or barn doors with black leather pulls or simple matte black hardware

I agree with Lindsay Mills. Put the curtain rod on the outside of the kitchen (you'll have to move the "Chicago" artwork"). That way, you can have the curtain rod extend beyond the kitchen indent and gather at the right side. That way, you'd be curtain free when using your stove.

I am in the camp who say declutter. Tidy up as much as possible, declutter fridge and counters, remove the clock. Then if you have the money, splurge for a bouquet of Trader Joe's flowers every week or every other week and put them on your counter. Then you will like looking at your kitchen. Try it as an experiment. I might cost you $7.99 to have a whole new kitchen.

Massively declutter and hang one astonishingly graphic and cool tea towel on the oven handle. Put an Alessi tea kettle on the stove top.

You'll be proud to have this kitchen show . . .

I would want an extra-wide pull down shade, ideally in a durable white plastic that isn't solid - take a look at the weave on solar shades, maybe 85%. My concern is that it will be too expensive. If you can afford it, I would have the roller face out, so that would make it as flat as possible against the opening.

The big problem with this, or any similar solution, is the grease that will build up on the shade in the area over the stove, which can be a show-stopper. If you can get a shade you can wash with a lawn hose (which you can do with good shades), that MIGHT help - but grease is grease.

I would not put fabric anywhere near the stove - one mistake and you have a fire.

Since I doubt you can paint the cabinets, clean up the kitchen, deciliter the area near it and buy things that you need for the kitchen in very simple, white materials - this is not a place for colored objects or things that call attention to themselves.

http://freshome.com/2009/10/20/amazing-hidden-kitchen/

Maybe a Chinese divider would do the trick. They have various patterns and it would be away from stove. They don't take up space on the floor either.

I second the suggestion of a folding screen like the one in 'Barefoot in the Park'. You can see it in this clip....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VevTucy8gM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cute kitchen.

Lots of great suggestions here as well. Unfortunately the lack of pertinent info and/or a floor plan likely renders many [most?] of them useless and a waste of the poster's time. More pics and/or a floor plan would net more useful results without the added chore of reading through 72 posts.

Tip: if you want to make the kitchen 'disappear', play it up....starting by adding color to the backsplash & move on from there. People EXPECT to see a kitchen in an efficiency & one of two things will result: (a) the visitor's eye will pass right over it OR (b) he'll compliment you on an appealing kitchen. IF you're one of few people who don't give a rat's patootey what other people think & this is all about you, hand a curtain from the ceiling & be done with it. (less repair work upon move out - IKEA is a good source).

Good luck.

*hang a curtain*

Visual noise is magnified in a studio apartment so I can understand your pain. I think if you removed the clutter from the surfaces of your refrigerator and countertop as others have suggested, you might be happier with your setup. Purge and reorganize your kitchen cabinets and drawers so they work for you and you will then be able to take all of that clutter off the top and door of the refrigerator and store it. Same thing with the countertops. Remove all of the objects from the tops of the cabinets too, there should be nothing there not even baskets. Good luck!!

To begin, I think it would be a very good start to completely declutter- as if you are starting from scratch- remove EVERYTHING and clean your kitchen really well- I think that then, you would want to glorify your kitchen and regain valuable square footage- make it beautiful! It will be so much more fun than masking it!

A curtain or sliding door or even a sliding panel from IKEA would take up a large amount of space on either side of the kitchen or room- it would potentially be too much texture as well (in such a small space) and cut the room down in size significantly... I wish I could see the whole room and how large it is...

From what I can see of the room, here is what I would do: Firstly, like I mentioned before, I would give the kitchen a complete and total declutter and cleaning- so that the kitchen is, as it was, when you very first moved in. Then, I would paint the back wall of the kitchen (where the clock was) a beautiful and vibrant color- you could potentially paint the entire interior of the nook- even above the top cabinets- but I understand that it IS a rental (I live in one, too)- if you painted the whole interior of the nook, it would make it a very specified space- if you did it all a beautiful sea green turquoise for example, you could highlight pops of that same color around the rest of your studio, thereby, making your kitchen your apartment's real show stopper. Just the one back wall would have plenty of impact, too- I have an Indian paper from World Market, that is a sort of sea foam turquoise color with a very delicate gold mum stamped all over it- this is what I am envisioning on the back accent wall- you could use a semi gloss paint of any color and stamp something on it (very delicate so that it doesn't look cheesy or "faux" painted); the other option might be to take little round mirrors that you can get at Michael's or other craft stores and stick different sized rounds against the strong color on the back wall- it will give depth and dimension as well as shine and glamour.

Use the wall color as an accent color in the kitchen and potentially around the apartment- esp. if it is a strong color, to give balance.

Use baskets along the top of the upper shelves- anything taller than that will be covered by the exterior wall. put a few lovely pictures on the fridge- keep to a minimum in such a small space. Put lovely flowers on the counter and a really pretty complimentary towel or 2.

Lastly, for the kitchen area, stick 2 of those battery operated LED lights (that you can buy at Target), under the cabinets between the fridge and the oven- they are awesome at night! Very atmospheric!

One more thing- declutter all plants and stuff from the radiator- get an open bookshelf- maybe one of the tall ones with 9-12 open square shelves- that may be just way too big- I can't see the rest of your place; it would definitely create 2 separate spaces. You could put small plants in each nook or some plants, some books, some knick knacks- just be careful not to get too cluttery- keep it minimal- esp in a small place. As soon as it starts looking too busy, start removing or taking away. If the type of shelf I'm talking about is just way too big, get something maybe shorter and longer across the room- like a very wide bookshelf- you could potentially use it as a little eating bar, too, if it is just the right height- pull up 2 barstools and have a drink- it may be a little narrow, but still, it is a surface in a tiny space!

Good luck!

a mirrored backsplash would look amazing with white cabinets...

I'd go with a plain white roller blind - you can buy fire retardant to treat it with in a theatrical supplier, and you could hang it inside the opening, or above it as you like. I presume there is an extractor up there somewhere out of sight, so grease shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Aside from that, can anyone tell me how the 'sink over dishwasher' combo is working in this kitchen? Where is the depth of the sink trap going/is it a lower than average dishwasher? I've never seen this in the UK and it would be a saviour for my kitchen layout!

it looks as though there is some wall space to the right of the stove. if so, you could extend curtain rods a few feet past the stove & push everything over there.

i suggest the sliding panels from ikea.

All I can think about is building shelving over the radiator to allow for more storage (and plants!)

I am totally on board with the people who say just get rid of the clutter. Specifically, put storage baskets on top of the fridge and cabinets. All the same so it will look uniform, except maybe vary the one on the fridge, something like an old wooden fruit crate that you can pull down and have easier access to your cereal and such. Get the IKEA rods to go across the backsplash where you can corral your dish soaps, sponges, paper towels, etc. I would lose the clock (isn't it redundant of the one on the microwave?), but put a piece of art on the backsplash behind the stove for a little focal point. Get a pretty tea towel to hang over the stove handle, and a nice crock or canister to sit next to the stove to hold cooking utensils. Take all the junk off the fridge, except your magnetic notepad - put that on the side of the fridge instead of the front.

It looks like there is some wall space on the right hand side. So you could mount ceiling track curtains (like what you see at hospitals) on the outside of the kitchen area, and the curtains would just tuck into the area where the garbage can is on the right, and by the radiator on the left. I think that would be far enough away from the stove to be safe.

Yes to this: http://tevami.com/2009/11/16/hidden-kitchen-from-logos/

I suggest playing with a Japanese theme. Noren curtains can help with the upper area. Maybe some metal panels or doors painted and fashioned into folding free-standing screens to mask the fridge and stove when needed. A rolling table or cart(s) the same height and width as the counter can change the look and be of practical use elsewhere. Fun problem.

oh my gosh - if my kitchen looked as nice as that I wouldn't want to hide it! :)

Without knowing the layout of your space, I don't know if this will be helpful. Many have suggested that you declutter, but you are probably using every inch of cabinet space. If your apartment layout allows, you might want to consider purchasing an article of furniture that could serve as an island between the kitchen and the rest of your space.
Something like Ikea's free standing cabinets such as the VARDE base cabinet - http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/14631607/ would offer more counter space and storage on the kitchen side (for all the items out on the counter) and the option for eating with a stool or two on the other.

I've not read all the replies, so pls forgive if someone has already said this. I was in a gallery recently and to hide their little storage area, they had sliding "panels" of thin burlap or Chilewich type material. The fabric was hung simply enough, only a piece of metal at top and bottom to give it some rigidity. It slid side to side on what was basically like a tiny little sliding door track. I was all - WHERE DID YOU GET THIS AMAZING THING!!?!?! Because in my last place I needed exactly that kind of thing and couple never find it. His answer - IKEA. Said it was super cheap too. Check it out!

Or, like another user mentioned, inexpensive room dividers. You can find some cheap ones on overstock and places like that. I'm using one right now to hide an enormous air intake vent someone bizarrely decided to put in the middle of the dining room wall.

If you have a good relationship with your landlord, the suggestion someone else made of putting like closet doors on the alcove could actually be good for him/her too. You never know until you ask, (cautiously, nicely)... maybe take a trip to the lowes or whatever in your area and price them. Then you can say - would you consider putting doors on? _____ has them and they would cost $_____ . You doing a big of the legwork and knowing the price would be more persuasive, assuming they are very busy. Or say you looked at the doors and they cost _____, if you put them in, you'd be leaving them with the place - is it an idea they like, if so can you take it off your rent?

That is if your landlord is approachable! Good luck.

Hey everyone - thanks for the great feedback. I didn't expect so many responses! I read everyone of them and lots of you had great ideas on how to help me out. I can't respond to everything - but I'll respond to as much as I can. I should have mentioned that it's a rental in a high rise and I can't paint the cabinets. I would love to paint them if I could. I would also love to put a tracking system on the ceiling for a curtain or doors - but I can't do that either.

Lots of great suggestions on how to de-clutter. My apartment is around 390 sq ft... so not a whole lot of storage space to move stuff to - but I managed to at least clear off my fridge. The main room (with the kitchen) is even smaller than 390 sq ft and then I have a walk in closet that leads to the bathroom. Just so you get an idea of size.

I wrote this post for AT probably about a month or so ago - so during the waiting time before your feedback I acquired a nice dish soap dispenser and some cute tiles from Etsy for the back splash. Oh, and a cute, less noticeable spoon rest.

Painting that area would be tough and I'm not sure I'll be here long enough to want to make that effort. I agree it would look a million times better. My whole apt used to be that awful beige color until I painted it white. That was a huge improvement. The kitchen with all it's nooks was too daunting of a project for me and I hoped the beige color would help it recess more.

I love the cute tea kettle on the stove idea! I'll try one out. No one likes the clock I got from Meijer 10 years ago?? Haha :) Okay, fine - I'll replace it with a cute tile to match the others.

Even though I was initially against trying out a folding screen, I saw one on sale at World Market and decided to try it out. I actually kind of like it. Thanks for those who pointed out the screen in Barefoot in the Park! The screen I got provides a little bit of divide without being overwhelming. I don't use it to cover the kitchen necessarily - instead it creates kind of a little wall between my bed and the kitchen. My bed is about 7 ft from the kitchen so it's nice that when I lay in bed reading I don't have to look over and see my nasty cabinets :) I would love a cute island or table as a divide but there just isn't enough room and it would look awkward.

As for baskets - I do like the idea of baskets for the top. I don't have a place to store the antique pitchers that currently sit up there (and I'm too sentimental to give them away) but I could put the pitchers in the baskets I guess... The only thing I'm worried about with the basket idea is that the space isn't very big and the baskets might end up being small in order to fit them up there and then it might not have a very nice looking effect. I'll have to do some trial and error.

Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to just accept my kitchen (but de-clutter it) and my studio apt lifestyle :) I'm hoping not to be here too much longer - but I have to say I've started to really appreciate my small space.

Thanks again everyone and once I think I've accomplished what I set out to do I'll try to send in an 'after' photo!

I think u could definately work with it... Clearing it is one thing, but your not left with that much anyway! I'd get/make a island bench and stools with enough room to prepare on and eat at, - and you don't have your back to guests... ditch the dining table if there is one. It occurred to me a few years ago, no matter whose friends house we are at, we always seem to hang in the kitchen - May as well make it use of it - and any guests, put them to work on the other side of it. (After all, in a studio, it's not like you've got anywhere else to go?!!)

When you try to hide something as substancial as a kitchen in a small apartment, it only stands out more. I'd definitely de-clutter a bit but also add a butcher block table paralell to the kitchen counters and the same height as well. With a couple of useful drawers on the kitchen side and barstools on the outer side you'll integrate the kitchen into the apartment which actually makes it stand out less. You might also hang a pot rack from the ceiling over the butcher block table. I did this in my studio apartment and it really worked! From the fancy mid-town NYC apartment where I now live with its enclosed kitchen, I miss the flexibility of my studio apartment kitchen. I used the butcher block table to repot plants, roll out pie crusts, crafts, dinner parties - you name it. From my experience, curtains or doors to hide something are equivalent to shining a spotlight on it. Integrate! Good luck.

If you insist on covering it I would use a white canvas sheet that raised and lowered like a blind but get an artist friend or hire a street artist to do something with it. This will make your small apartment smaller though.

Me I love kitchens. I think your focus should be to make the kitchen more attractive. That cabinetry is what I would look at changing. I would go for a clean ultra modern look. White with a smooth finish and no moulding. Add a back splash for colour and keep the clutter under control.

Some people have suggested vertical or horzontal blinds but I think either might interfere with opening the cupboards or fridge and for an opening that size could be quite expensive. The suggestion that you put your back to it doesn't make the problem go away.

Cheers,
David

Another thought is to use folding Shoji screens when the kitchen is not in use but again this just makes a small apartment smaller.

I have this same type of kitchen and issue.
I agree with posts suggesting to de-clutter and tie the look of the kitchen into the rest of the apt.

If you really just want to hide the kitchen,I recommend going online to find estate sales and on resale sites to find old rolling chalkboards and white boards and then repaint them if needed to fit in with your aesthetic.
I'd possible get an Ikea sliding frame but, I myself am not even saving up for that since I rent and it takes installation...plus,I have an arched recess.

I am unemployed and newly moved so I cannot make these changes easily and may be posting questions or hopefully successful cheap solutions to my similar problem.

I have lots of ideas so I am just going to indulge my imagination for the rest of this post.
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Anyway: OP's kitchen is sitting there like an installation piece in a museum so, treat it accordingly.
Spend energy and money on great storage organizers like sliding shelves and get all those pans and kitchen towels hidden behind those doors.
Use the plants and chevron as visual reference points as if it is all supposed to be there together.
I would use the panels on the cupboard doors as panels with picture frames around them and put very graphic but simple black and white flat images that could be adhered and taken off easily,perhaps with Velcro backing but there are lots of options, nowadays.
I'd use the beautiful recess around the top shelves and the cut of the actual kitchen's recess like a shadow box display with a frame.
I'd either paint it an interesting but dark color or an interesting bright red or teal to compliment those beautiful green plants.
I'd either replace the metal heat panel on the right or use it as a reference point.I'd put a complimentary magnetic panel behind the sink in place of the clock...also, the CHICAGO works well with that panel and the chevron and very graphic plant leaves so, maybe use an industrial/plant theme as a tie-in....maybe get some cool metal art work panels to put along the sides of the recess or as planters around it to tie the plants over and in.
I'd take down the things that are busier like all the differently shaped and colored pots and the delicate clock.I'd find a way to maybe re-mount the clock in an interesting theme-appropriate body and maybe organize the vases and pots in storage or by organizing them within the rest of the apartment by visual themes of line and color.
The recessed kitchen is so angular in it's basic visuals that going with the chevron will suit better as inspiration than the rounded,lacy lines in the clock.

Here's my suggestion.

Firstly, do the decluttering, and whatever is still out, either have it be something beautiful/sentimental, or tuck into strategic baskets.

Secondly, create an optical illusion. It looks like you like plants. I can't tell if this will work, but how about hanging three strategically placed plants with well developed trailing vines from the ceiling about 2 feet out from the kitchen?

I'm seeing them spaced evenly across, at about the height as the top cabinets with some breaks in between. (not so low you have to dodge the plant but you might have to sweep a few strands of hanging vine aside to move between them). Enough room between them and the kitchen for one person to walk about.

Then, you'll see the greenery more than the kitchen, and it will be really great for your air too.

I have a plant that would be perfect for such a use, and it's really easy to care for. Unfortunately I don't know the name, but it's a common plant.

The kitchen

P.S. (some wierd truncation thing happened above)

The kitchen will still be there but will recede.

Also, I'd get rid of the chevron picture, and put open shelves with baskets all the way to the ceiling above the radiator for more storage. You could get 3 - 5 shelves along that wall. The bottom shelf could be a home to some of the little plants I see. The plants I see look kind of jumbly along with everything else.

Alexis, I'm going to tell you to your face: that "Chicago" sign hanging over the kitchen is tacky.

I don't like the idea of covering it up with a curtain. As you state, there's no where for a panel to collect when you're using the kitchen and I think a shade of some sort would be so wide as to be unwieldy.

So I say MAKE IT PRETTY, by:
- getting rid of all of the refrigerator magnets
- getting rid of all of the stuff on top of the cabinets. If you don't want to loose the storage space some nice bins or boxes from say ikea or the container store could unify it.
- get rid of everything on top of the fridge.
- get rid of the clock.
- get rid of everthing else on the counter.
- get rid of the blahh dish towels
- Paint the cabinets white or off white
- paint the backsplash in a nice contrasting color that you love
- accessorize with 1 and only one dish towel in the nice contrasting color

Then, place 1 and only 1 pretty object displayed on the counter.

I knew it was Chicago before I even saw the second picture. Must be edgewater... I feel your pain.

check out houseandhome.com the designer Joel Bray designed a studio apartment with
a similar problem and the place is beautiful

episode 124 stylish studio apartment

This is a photoshop'ed pic, isn't it. The sink and the dishwasher occupy the same space. Bit of a physical conundrum.

Hey so did you find a way to hide your kitchen? if yes, please post pics! I would like to see what you did. First time I saw this it reminded me of Shoshanna's kitchen from HBO's girls!