apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I really like a lot of the space savers -- the bookshelf, the glass rack, the spice idea. I also love that you are a recycler in the true sense of the meaning (reuse, not rebuy). I have to be honest though; the visual clutter would drive me crazy. I would be tempted to paint the cupboards a single color to tone the overall effect down, but that's me. More power to you for turning out great meals here.

(Hey all, did I learn my lesson?)

Small, yes, but not the smallest! My first studio's kitchen was one of those rec-room units with an under-counter fridge, two gas burners and a sink, occupying a corner of the room. There was a cabinet above that and a small cabinet to one side providing counter space of 2.5 feet by 8 inches. I went and bought a toaster oven so I could have a frozen dinner or occasionally bake cookies. Of course, in those days (late 70's) you could find a studio for well under $200, so you dealt with the trade-offs -- now, fuggedaboudit!

I'm fairly sure this is not Shoshanna's fault (rental?) but those kitchen cabinets remind me of little elves. They're very German-woodsy-folky, somehow. The clutter doesn't help (sorry, I know its small). This is just a really odd space.
If I had to choose between this space and living in an outer boro or NJ, I'd choose the latter.

Yes, kudos to Shoshana for reusing. And for getting double duty out of everything she can. But I mean, really...? Knobs are for pulling open cabinets, not storage. I am fighting the urge to pick at the jpgs on my screen to lessen the clutter.

I'm really glad she takes joy in her own apartment, and to each one's own, but I'm getting tired just looking at it. Just not my type of place.

d, I agree that all it's missing is a cuckoo clock and a German chocolate cake. But I really don't mind the size and layout as much as you do. But even if it is a rental, I'd have to find some way to temporarily reface the cabinets.

hehe, very good zia - color me impressed.

Things I like
Number one is the location. You cannot beat the West Village. If I did not have children and I had to choose between this place and the outer boros or NJ, this would be the place I would choose (If I had no other choice in the WV).

Number two is the shelving above the kitchen. Looks a bit creaky but it's a good use of space.

Number three are the lids screwed into the bottom of the upper cabinets. Clever. However, I would keep all jars the same to make it uniform and neat.

I must admit it does look too cluttered for me and the patterns on the cabinet doors don't help. If I owned this place I would rip everything out and replace with as minimal a look as possible. Aslo would frame out the right hand side with dry wall the same thickness as the wall on the LHS to make a border around the kitchen.

I love this kitchen! It is absolutely the smallest kitchen I've ever seen. Yet it looks like you could cook for a few friends there. Wall it in and put some pocket doors in front and it would be perfect. Obviously the kitchen is not my favorite living space.

wish I had a photo of the kitchen in a borrowed Paris apartment we stayed in last year. I was thinking how great to not have to eat out for all meals, and to shop for groceries in the neighborhood, however despite my small-kitchen proclivities, it was a wash with the aprox 3' wide stainless unit wedged in an alcove that was

sink
stove
fridge
prep space

I think I tried to make eggs.

Change the cabinet doors! A coat of paint could really spruce it up! Other than that the "kitchen" appears functional and fun.
Talk about breakfast in bed!

brilliant. i happily got out of one room living arrangements but this is practical and funky (and i love cooking).
I would look into putting a loft or semiloft bed to have some extra space to eat in with an extra frend.

Here's a response to a couple of comments. Yes, this is a rental. The ceilings in the apartment are too low for a loft bed. The butcher block counter top folds up and fits between the bookshelf and refrigerator when it's not in use. I've considered hanging a screen or shade to conceal the kitchen when it's not in use but haven't gotten to that yet. The pictures don't show the French doors that overlook a pretty -- if shabby -- courtyard that, when open, seem to expand the space. I think New York City is the only place where one's dreams of discovering extra rooms can be taken literally and don't represent repressed chambers of the self.

Great use of a tiny space, Shoshana. I know you didn't have much choice when it came to placement, but you have done well with the elements you brought in. This contest should be broken into square footage catagories. We once had a teeny tiny kitchen in a cottage we rented on Candelwood Lake in Connecticut when we were first married. I used to pretend we were on a boat, because it was spacious for a galley.

Finally, we get a kitchen that's actually small!

I think your kitchen is really charming, and I'm glad that you haven't succumbed to the wide world of takeout... I've actually lived in several places where the kitchen was about this size and didn't have any drawers, so I know how hard it is just to find a place for everything. Even keeping silverware handy is hard without a silverware drawer...

Good use of space--now put that creative side toward some visual unity. May I humbly recomend...

Fill in the grooves with wood putty and sand the doors smooth. Paint them a darker shade, steel grey maybe, so they don't clash with the appliances. If you use slightly different shades for the top and bottom, it may de-empasize the the mis-matched appliances. Put some simple hardware on the doors.

Move as much as you can inside the cabinets. (Hard, I know.) Small hooks on the inside of the cabinet doors can hold lots--oven mitts, measuring spoons, etc.

Try to color-match anything you can't get into the cabinets. Glass and steel seem to be working for you. Since you are a true re-cycler, (props for that,) throw some spray paint on all the plastic tchotchkes. Go mostly neutral, use one bright color in a few places for pinache.

Try rope lights under the counter. Cheap, easy to install, and if you have all sorts of glass hanging under the counter already, it creates a great effect.

I love this kitchen, not so much for the kitchen, but because it reminds me of my [slightly] younger days in NYC. I remember hosting dinners in a dorm room using nothing but an electric burner [illegal] and a small office-type fridge.

It's a rental, so I wouldn't spend anything on it. I think you're right on with what you've done. I especially love the dried flowers [or herbs?].

One componant missing from this competition is sampling a meal made in the kitchen.

I like what you did with the small place. I also have a tiny kitchen so I understand the challenge... but the bouquets of dried flowers on each cabinet pannel seems a bit too much... Perhaps, it's my personal pet peeves, but dried flowers in NYC APT do not work, as they often get super dusty.

Very charming! I'm impressed and somewhat amazed at the ingenuity that "makes one little room an everywhere," as John Donne would say. Kudos.