I'm not sure if you're renting or not, or what your budget is.
I'd paint the cabinets.
Lay down a peel & stick tile, there are some awesome options at Lowe's or Home Depot. Paint the walls.
Change all hardware, including that yellow faceplate on your backsplash & that brass handle on your pantry door. (You could spray paint your door hardware, I did mine!)
Clear the clutter above your fridge and find a new home for your brooms. You could hang the brooms on the inside of your pantry door if your tight on space, which it looks like you are.
For a little extra money you could get a new countertop. Some butcher block would look nice.
It looks like you have enough room in the back to add a narrow kitchen cart like this one from IKEA http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80035920/

Good luck & have fun!! There is a lot of potential here.

Definitely paint. Hang your broom, mop etc. on the inside of the pantry door, then put some art in its place. Get rid of that big trash can and put a smaller one in the pantry or under the sink. Put those boxes on top of the fridge away somewhere, or recycle them. Get a rug runner for the middle of the kitchen. Declutter the stuff on the fridge, or organize it a bit. It's a good space with definite potential, and really you don't have to spend that much on it either.

For a start, I'd put the broom rack on the inside of the door (pantry? basement steps), then use that wall for a colorful hanging grid system for kitchen tools, spices, or pots/pans.

I had this exact problem in my apartment. What I did was hang a dish rack over my stove. While you don't have space there, you do have a huge, mostly empty wall at the end. I would get 2 or 3 rails from IKEA and hang your pots and pans from hooks. It would be way more decorative and functional than the brooms you have hanging right now.

PS: I am super jealous of your dish washer!

I don't think you need to do much! It's a rental, so I'm assuming no paint, but the brown is OK. If you can paint the wall/backsplash, I'd go robin's egg blue or sage green. Clear the fridge front of magnets and stuff on top, move the brooms so you can hang a focus print or other eye catcher on that wall. Upgrade garbage can to stainless, and move kitty dishes. Cotton (washable) rug for center of space rather than mat at sink...basically get rid of all the visual clutter and just have a few things for the eye to land on.

Paint and lighting! Is this a rental or do you own? If you can paint the cabinets, that would change the whole look of your room. Personally, I'd go with white or a light neutral on the cabinets and then paint the back wall a more dramatic color. Something cute like chalkboard paint under the cabinets/as a backsplash will make it interesting. Then I'd add a few colorful canisters or bowls of fruit that compliment the walls. Change out the cabinet door hardware to something modern in a brushed nickel. And finally, go to IKEA or somewhere cheap for a cute chandalier and a small throw rug. And if you have extra money in the budget, a more stylish stainless steel or colorful metal (IKEA again) garbage can would add a lot too. Overall, this kitchen could be adorable for a little more than $100. (PS I'd also clear off the fridge magnets and the boxes on top.)

The very first step would be to take down the I Kiss Better Than I Cook sign and move your cleaning supplies from the only wall (maybe hang them on the inside of that closet door). Take down all the magnets and card board boxes from the fridge and then you can start thinking of any color. Maybe put down a runner the length of the kitchen in a nice color that gets repeated in some nice dishes. I would not just paint that back wall. Maybe hang a collection of pans or shelf your cookbooks on narrow ledges facing forward.
Also, If you can do without your microwave, you would gain a lot of workspace.

i agree with Kaycee on painting cabinets and new hardware. They even make a peel and stick tile that you can grout between so it really does look like real tile. And they say large tile makes a small space actually feel roomier so i would be tempted to go for one of the larger rectangle shaped tiles. If you need to store stuff on top of fridge maybe get some nice baskets or antique wood crates to hide the contents. (and take all of those magnets etc. off the fridge. It makes it look cluttered/messy) Your back splash area is so small you could probably do a nice glass tile there yourself for next to nothing. I would also put a nice mirror on that back wall to give the illusion of more space. Maybe a new trashcan if it has to stay out and some cute ceramic cat/dog food bowls.

I notice that you are hanging on to some boxes (on top of your fridge). You really don't need to keep them, they are a total space sucks. If you are a person who must keep the original boxes for all of your appliances and what not at least break them down and hide them under a couch or behind a wall unit or something.

If it's little, go bold. It's widely accepted that small spaces should be clear, so the light would do the trick. It's my personal opinion that if the size doesn't impress, the quality could. My suggestion is: try to make your kitchen unique! Paint the wall where the sweeps are with a vibrant color (such as yellow) and change the hanger by a nice inspiring picture. I suggest a BW graphic. Change your cabinets' color for a lighter one, let the end wall be the star and apply your creativity to that. Get rid of those boxes and magnets on the fridge (I know it hurts), be intentional about what you get to see there. A Chess floor would add grace to the space.

1. Take everything off of the refrigerator doors. 2. Take everything off of the top of the refrigerator. 3. Hide the brooms. 4. Use a stainless steel garbage can. 5. Use stainless steel pet food dishes. 6. Replace the cabinet handles with something silvery and shiny. 7. Ditch the "I Kiss" sign. 8. Choose one dominant color and pick it up in accessories (rug, towels, artword). I would go with a warm color because of the brown cabinets.

First, you might want to dwindle down the broom collection. I've only had one broom for years and that seems to have gotten the job done. Second, store the broom in your pantry.
-a nicer trashcan would help, like this http://www.target.com/p/iTouchless-11-Gallon-Round-Stainless-Steel-Automatic-Sensor-Touchless-Trash-Can/-/A-10537274
-Unless you're planning on returning those canisters, can't you throw the box out instead of keeping it on top of the fridge?
-Go crazy with color! It's a small space, so don't be afraid to pick something bright!
-some large scale art once you get rid of the brooms will look awesome!

One can paint walls in a rental apartment. Ask the landlord.

Small spaces make visual clutter stand out so much. Get rid of the magnets, find a way to hide the cleaning supplies, get rid of the picture over the stove and the "I cook ..." sign and get rid of the boxes on top of the fridge. Paint with a bold color if you can paint, otherwise find some bright but not overly complex/busy artwork to hang on the wall where the brooms are. A bright rug might help too. Whatever you do, go with 'less is more' in small spaces.

Here's what I suggest:
1. Declutter. Anything that doesn't need to be out should be put away. Everyone else has already left a bunch of tips for that.
2. Get some fun fabrics going! Get a fun rug, some dish towels, etc.
3. If you can paint, I would do a chalkboard painted wall where you have the brooms & trash can now. It'll end up being a fun place for you, your kids, or friends to draw pics, leave messages, make lists, etc. Also, the colorful chalk will add life and color to the space while being useful. You also don't need it to be black; there are all kinds of instructions out there for coloring your chalkboard paint.
4. Again, if you can pain I'd paint the backsplash around the cabnets and behind the stove a nice color that will coordinate with whatever color fabrics you go with. Since your cabinets are so dark, I'd keep the paint fairly light so you don't feel like you're in a cave (unless you paint the cabinets white, then I'd have fun with it!).

Good luck! Would like to see what it looks like after you've finished!

My apartment kitchen is almost identical. Same footprint, but the walls are matte orangey-beige and the cabinets are off-white. I am not allowed to paint, so I'm not sure what to do to jazz up the space, either.

It's the clutter. Paint if you can - the cabinets more important than the walls. I'd use the wall behind the pantry for a potrack or some narrow shelves that you can store food items in matching jars or canisters, thereby making room behind cabinet doors for your trash, mops, etc. Get a large basket or box to put over the fridge to store all those boxes in. Get rid of the cheap plastic pet bowls and replace with stainless or ceramic. If you can't paint the cabinets, consider taking the doors off the uppers and line the inside with contact paper. You only have room for a few accessories, so make them nice ones - no junk!

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/colorful-manhattan-apartment

photo 13 is the emerald green kitchen by Miles Redd, tiny like yours but with one color on everything and it's ah-ah-amazing. Makes me want a tiny kitchen of my own. But good ideas even if you don't want to go that far...declutter, keep it simple, don't hang flyswatters on the walls.

I'm guessing it's a rental... many landlords will allow you to paint, with the caveat that you return it to the original color. If you're up for open shelving, you could remove the cabinet doors. Line the inside with tack paper to give it a finished look. Take good measurements of where the hardware belongs so you can replace it & fill the holes with putty.

Move your mop closet and either use the wall for storage or as a splash of color.

It's all about the details in such a small space. Since it's a rental, I wouldn't bother with painting. The far wall is what creates the biggest impression at this point, and it's filled with brooms and other items usually best hidden. I would splurge on a fancier garbage can and pet bowls. Hang the cleaning supplies behind closed doors, or at least in a corner nook. Get a large mirror for the far wall (ikea has some affordable full length ones.) A colorful runner for the floor. And some sleeker cabinet pulls would really make a difference. I would also remove the sign from the ceiling and place it elsewhere. Decluttering boxes and things on the fridge always helps too, but sometimes real life requires such things to be out and available.

My first apartment kitchen was this same layout, except without the pantry. First I'd de-clutter everything. Put the cleaning supplies away, break down the boxes and hide them, even the dish soap can be disguised if you want. I have my dish soap out all the time, but I keep it in a olive oil carafe. I get compliments on it all the time. I'd hide the trash can under the sink or in the pantry and put small floating shelves on that wall. Display any nice dishes and cook books there, it will free up a lot more cabinet space than you think. If you can paint. Do.

Declutter and hide anything that's purely utilitarian or make the utilitarian beautiful:
- Anchor Hocking glass storage jars for cookie cutters, flours, sugars, decorative sugars
- IKEA has kitchen garbage bins, 2 bins fit per sliding unit, that fit under your sink.
Also try:
http://store.alicesupplyco.com/all-products-call.aspx

Paint your kitchen cabinets - the new Rustoleum kitchen cabinet paint is a dream. If you can't paint your cabinets, paint your backsplash or change it, use wood beadboard (painted a spicy color if you're keeping the dark cabinet color), cork contact paper, chalk contact paper or mirrors. For people who worry about cleaning mirror in a kitchen it's easy with the new moist wipes made for car windshields (they make it so much easier to clean your windows too!).

Remove a kitchen cabinet pull, measure the space between the holes, and shop for new hardware. The $5+ hardware I fell in love with, at a local box store, I found on eBay for just over $1 each. For my kitchen that meant just $24 and it changed the look dramatically - just - match any visible hinge hardware (or paint that - the new stainless paint works really well).

Don't bring your eye to the fridge, with magnets, unless you want it to be the center of attention. If you do, cut decorative cutouts from chalkboard or cork contact paper to cover the bulk of your fridge, collect your pictures & quotes in that space and the eye will go to the decorative (pictures) rather than the utilitarian (standard fridge).

Nothing radically different here but:

Agreed on the decluttering! Can rid of/tidy away as much as you can, and upgrade the things that have to be on show. It'll never look how you want it with all that stuff around!

Do you use the microwave much? I suggest putting it (or a white replacement) on top of the fridge to free up some counter space.

Paint the back wall a colour of your choosing, or cover it with cork tiles for a pinboard

Sort out the lighting! A side light on the countertop, or lights under the cabinets, would lower the light and make it look more homely, as would a few well chosen accessories along the back of the counter.

Good luck!

Abigail

yah, wow, what a dreadful kitchen. so, can you paint the cabinets? that would make all the difference. I would do them white. (maybe if you show your landlord this post... all the votes to paint them might help!) Then its all about that back wall.... the main focal point. I might use apt. safe adhesive mirror squares there (to create more light and illusion of space) with a thin shelf in front lined with small hanging plants to bring more life. OR just a great piece of artwork that you LOVE that matches a fabulous floor runner rug up the center. Also, put your cleaning supplies on the sink away, or as i did, put dish soap in a fancy bottle (found at thrift store) as a decoration. Also, some apt. safe adhesive 'tiles' or words could be put on the backsplash to add some fun or color. Here is one site i like for those: http://modernwallgraphics.com/ Thanks for sharing!

I'll assume this is a rental and you cannot paint the cabinets. You've got a good thing going with the high-contrast, nearly black & white of the cabinets, walls, and black appliance handles. So I'd either go with: black + white + one color (let's say blue), where your kitchen itself is black & white and everything in it is blue (towels, teapots, trash can, storage baskets, artwork, floor mat). OR I'd do black + white + a bold black & white pattern, or several. I'd go with the second option since some of your whites are more beige-y and mis-matched and the high contrast will disguise that.

If you can do open shelving I'd remove the top cabinet doors from the left and right of the stove then line the insides of the cabinets with contact paper that matches the walls. Only the attractive stuff, preferably matching, goes in those cabinets.

If you need to put magnets and stuff on your fridge it would look a lot better if you made a rectangular area for them (same idea as a bulletin board) by putting up a square of colored contact paper or something.

Then I'd add some sparkle. Chrome or silvery metal goes well in a kitchen so swap out all your hardware and hang some art with shiny metal frames on the wall where you've got your brooms (why so many brooms by the way? Though I do love an old-fashioned straw broom). Stainless steel trashcan (and do consider something tall and cylindrical or rectangular rather than rounded like you've got. Try a restaurant supply. It'll fit better in the space).

Finally, lighting. There's no reason you cannot put a lamp in a kitchen, either one on the counter that doesn't take up much room or a floor lamp where your trashcan is (as long as the cord doesn't snake everywhere). You could bring in some eye-level or lower lighting to soften the overhead. If not that, see what you can do for a chandelier or lampshade.

Oh, and if you love the "kiss" sign, try removing the rope and propping it on a countertop insead for a sleeker look.

If you can't afford a high end hanging system, pegboard is very inexpensive and you can paint it. You can cover your entire wall with it and hang your pots and pans on it and many other items. That might be a start.

For me the biggest problem is having enough flies to warrant hanging a fly swatter on the wall (I believe that's what I see between the fridge and pantry door).

absolutely agree with Declutter and Peel & Stick tiles

Consider covering the refrigerator and/or dishwasher and/or side of microwave in pretty contact paper! (idea via this blog: http://www.delightfully-tacky.com/2010/12/diy-faux-wood-fridge.html) A yellow and white pattern would look nice with the dark brown of the cabinets and the sage green rug/dish towels you already have (especially if you get some white hardware for the cabinets!) Also, a cute coordinating toaster & tea kettle would pull everything together and look adorbs.

Echoing the sentiments on moving the brooms into the pantry and boxes off the top of the refrigerator. Maybe move the trashcan into cupboard area under the sink (or get a smaller one if it won't fit.)

For the walls... chalk boards are so cute and functional, so maybe a big chalkboard in a pretty frame where the brooms are currently hanging? Decorative/decal wall stickers would look pretty on the wall over the sink and stove areas.

I agree with all the decluttering comments, especially the brooms. One broom, one dustpan, and hide them. :) I have found that having some bright pops of colour in my kitchen have made a world of difference. Bright tea-towels, teapot, food canisters (I got all at thrift stores). A big colourful piece of art (even inexpensive) on the wall would be great. Maybe a couple houseplants that don't need much sunlight? And yes, white paint for the cupboards if you can.

I'm afraid no 4x8 foot kitchen where you are stuck with builder-grade cabinets and appliances is likely to become "fabulous" no matter what you do. Sorry. Aim lower, like for "better". Paint if you can, de-clutter, and add color coordinated accents. Use the one focal wall, don't waste it as a broom closet. If I could make refrigerator magnets illegal, they would be! (If you have sentimental favorites, mount a square of metal inside a cupboard door and put them there.) Think of the space as a yacht galley and make everything you can control as clean, efficient, and beautiful as possible. Good luck!

I bought a foreclosed home that had been empty for 3years back in Oct. I have almost the same layout of a kitchen but my door is where your brooms are and its a tiny tiny laundry room back there. If you own, this is what I did:I tiled the existing counter top with granite tile (much cheaper than a solid sheet of the stuff). I installed an over the range microwave and made floor to ceiling cabinets where the dish washer is and moved the dish washer over. Granted my sink directly across from the stove. I then sections off the cabinets and have my garbage can hidden in one. Um there was no flooring left in the kitchen and I had to replace the fridge so I put down some cheap vinyl flooring. Now I see people cringing but this stuff looks really nice. They have come a long long way in flooring. I installed the vinyl that looks like the slate tile flooring. You cant tell the difference unless you get down on all fours and touch the "grout". I still want to paint my cabinets white.

Now if you rent you could still use some vinyl flooring from a home improvement store like a rug in there. Just cover your entire floor and weight the edges. I would see if there was some place to hide the garbage can. If not go buy a really nice one to look at. If you have to see it,might as well be pretty. I would try to move your brooms and put up a message board for a focal point. If you cant move your brooms Hang a cheap curtain rod in front of them and hang some nice curtains.
Now your sign. Its kinda cute but I would hang it higher so it doesn't hand down. I would also find some decorative plates at a thrift store or something and hang them around the sign. Then I would replace your pet food dishes. Plastic isn't really great for a cat or dog to eat out of. It can actually cause them problems. So pick some nice ceramic or stainless steel dishes for them. I would also get rid of the boxes on top of the fridge. I would also take some of the magnets off and maybe replace them with a message board,large calendar or leave the front blank.

I agree with PAWTUCKER.
Thank you!

I have a very similar kitchen that is a rental. Sure, you may be able to paint the cabinets, but it would take a lot of time and work.

I recently added white contact paper to the faces of the drawers and cabinets, as well as drawer pulls/knobs. It did wonders to brighten up the kitchen and make it feel larger!

http://creativeblossoming.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/kitchen-redo-before-after/

Also, I agree with everything else about decluttering. My garbage is under the sink and my cleaning tools in a closet, because I don't like dirty things like that being out in the open. Bad energy.

My darling, instead of worrying about "decorating" your kitchen~ please get rid of of the visual clutter, it will make everything look so much better.

Get RID of:
*the fridge magnets that are holding up 2 pieces of paper,
*the empty boxes above the fridge that look like they contain nothing,
*the not one but two (?) fly swatters (so gross in a kitchen)
*put the broom and mops in the pantry or *somewhere* else,
*put your dishwashing soap in a pretty bottle, maybe one that matches the canisters
*put your pet's food in some pretty dishes, again, maybe some that match your canisters
*put away the snot green towel hanging on the fridge door
*put the garbage can under the sink or in the pantry
***and last but certainly not least~ please lose the kissing sign. It is not "decorating" and IMHO it makes everything else look cheap and tacky.

If it were my kitchen I'd also get rid of the rug and bleach the hell out of that floor. And then you can "decorate" with colorful potholders and dish cloths and maybe a framed vintage poster or something that you like.

Just not a flyswatter. (shudder)

I think everybody above has said enough about the colours. I don´t know if this is available where you live, but in Germany you can buy so called DC-Fix-Folie (i.e. foil) in every diy-shop. It comes in various width and length and every colour or pattern you can think of, and this for cheap. It is easy to clean and looks astonishingly good for being just a foil. Stick it on the furniture. If you move, heat it a bit with a hairdryer and take it off without remaining glue rests. Easy!

Even the best and fanciest showroom kitchen would look bad with a bunch of boxes stacked on the fridge, a mess of magnets on the front, and cheap plastic trashcans, pet food bowls, and brooms hanging from a sad grid being the first thing you see when you step in. If you are living on the cheap, as I did for years on a grad student budget, those things are a sad fact of life. You cant "redecorate" away junk, other than to get rid of it. Why 3 brooms? A chandelier would only highlight the budget nature of the space. However, a better overhead light fixture might not be a bad idea. Making the space brighter almost always helps, if you are able to manage that. And a rack for shiny pots and pans in place of the broom thing.

I say go big and bold!
See the link for a drawing of the redecoration:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79513604@N08/7111857311/

1 -Start with a neutral paint color on the walls. (choose a light tone from the mural)
2 -Add a mural to the entire back wall (something with warm under tones to coordinate with the cabinets – the sample pic has birch trees) If you’re not handy with paint don’t worry buy a photo from bigstock and send it to an online printer. Printers can make wall clings or weather resistant banners that can be hung with wall paper paste
3 -Snap together laminate floor (inexpensive, good looking, and usually ok for rentals) – Easier option, add inexpensive decorative runner down center of floor.
4 -Hang a big pot rack from the celling to free up cabinet space and make room to hide some of the boxes.
5 -Add pull out bins under sink for trash, recycling, and cleaning supplies.
Good Luck.