This TikToker Transformed an Empty Kitchen Nook Into a Home Bar for $45
Even the smallest of homes can have empty space that leaves you wondering how, exactly, to make it useful… or at least how to make it look nice. One New York City resident with a 450 square foot apartment has figured out how to make the most out of every single square inch, turning an empty kitchen nook into a chic and useful home bar.
TikTok user Carly (@mycityapartment) has chronicled the process of decorating her teeny tiny rental, turning it into an elegant oasis that somehow looks much larger than what one might expect. Carly recently upgraded a kitchen nook that she had previously fitted with a standalone bar shelf, adding built-in shelves to maximize the space and make it work as a fully stocked home bar. The best part? The entire project cost her less than $50 total.
In a video, she shared that she purchased shelving from a lumber store, where they cut it to the size she needed. With the help of her fiancé, the pair mounted and painted the shelves to match the kitchen walls, adding a chic brass lightswitch cover and putting up framed photos on the wall. Of course, they added all the fixings for a stocked bar, including glassware, mixers, and other fun accessories.
Commenters were awed by the genius use of the dead space, with one noting that it would serve equally well as a bookshelf. Carly shared that she got the shelving from Prince Lumber and used Seapearl by Benjamin Moore to give the room a cool, neutral light gray vibe that brightens everything up and gives the illusion of extra space.
All that’s needed is a friend or two to toast to a truly incredible feat — scoring a gorgeous home bar for roughly the cost of a few drinks at an NYC bar. Cheers to that, indeed.