Tiny kitchen help! ***New pics post 16***

[skybluepink02]

I live in a small two bedroom townhouse with an extremely tiny kitchen. I desperately need help to decorate and organize it. I have no clue what to do.

Here is a view of my kitchen from the doorway. The fridge is on the right and the sink is straight ahead. The cabinets are beside the stove and the one and only drawer is in that area.
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...gAnch=imgAnch5

This is a view of the other few cabinates. There are only upper cabinets, no lower cabinets on this side.
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...gAnch=imgAnch4

This is my collection of spices that badly need an organization system. I'm not sure exactly how to do this, but I'd love any and all ideas.
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...gAnch=imgAnch2

And this is how I store my cooking utensiles. I'm collecting wood utensils so I won't have any plastic utensils soon. My plastic utensils are stored with the pots and pans in the cabinets under the sink.
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...gAnch=imgAnch1




As you can see, the space has no decoration. I want to have cobalt blue accents, since I can't change the white. I really need organizational hints because it's such a small space. I have an Ikea a few miles away, so I'd love to be able to use some of their stuff. Can anyone give me ideas?

[oldcrunchymom]

I see you have a couple hooks on the wall. Would it be possible to mount some small shelving back there above the stove and sink? Maybe the hanging kind so you'd just need to make a couple small holes? I imagine you could put the spices on there.

I wish I had an idea for the utensils... mine are currently stored in a Stonyfield Farms yogurt cup. BTW, we have the same stove only mine is olive green!

[Let It Be]

I second the idea of shelving in the open area you have on the wall. I would find some of those little spice holders with magnetic backing and stick them on the fridge. Also, I thing the wooden utensils look nice on display. I'd leave them out to keep from using up precious drawer space. Is your ceiling high enough for a pot rack?

Most importantly, use this as an opportunity to get rid of kitchen things you don't really need!

As far as decorating goes, move your pot holders to the hooks on the side of the cabinet adjacent to the sink. Then add some curtains to throw in some color. Use the new open shelving to display pretty dishes or food containers (pretty jars for dried goods, cereal, coffee, etc.). Could you change the hardware on the cabinets? I'd also free up more counter space by pushing the microwave back against the wall, unless mounting it is an option.

Hope that helps!

[momaste]

I love a challenge! You have great wall space and it could be used to store a lot of stuff.

Over your stove, you could put this: http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...0103&langId=-1

I had one in my last apartment and had the spice rack (solving your spice rack dilemna), hooks for several utensils, a hanging potholder, and paper towels. The one rack really held a lot of the stuff I use at my stove.

Over that, you could hang your pots and pans on a rack like this:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...umber=30095681

Over your sink, you could do open shelving to hold your everyday dishes and a stack of pretty dishcloths, mixing bowls in pretty colors, etc. Jars of bulk goods (split peas, beans, rice) look pretty lined up in matching containers, too. That would free up some cabinet space.

Your knives can be on a magnet strip on the wall, too.

[yurtdwellingmama]

Sorry, I'm not going to be any help. I just wanted to say:
1. That is a fabulous sink. I've looked high and low for a sink with a drain board like that. My MIL found one free on the side of the road that she cleaned up and put in her new house. I have sink envy.
2. I wish my kitchen were that tidy and clean.

Happy decorating.

[Delight]

Oooh...that's a cute kitchen! So much potential!! I like momaste's idea with the IKEA "hook" unit. Personally, I would mount sheves there...the entire length of it. I would use it for plants, plates, everything.

I second the magnetic spice holder idea. I love mine. You could also get some glass spice jars...or get small babyfood jars. You could mount the lids underneath your new shelf and then just unscrew when needed.

A magnet strip is awesome. I loved mine when we had it at our house. I loved having them right there...so accessible.

I hope you'll post photos when you're done!

[***Heather***]

The first thing you notice about your kitchen is that big empty wall space as soon as you walk in.

Shelves above the sink would be great. Have them either running all the way across (as far as they can go with leaving space to open cupboard door). OR have then just above the sink and have the pot rack over the stove. The pot rack from IKEA looks nice. These shelf brackets match.

Is it possible to move your stove over more and add shelves beside it? Something that would come level with the top of the counter? The narrow shelf could hold canned food, or garbage/recycling, or baking sheets/pans on their side. The wooden spoons could sit on the countertop space beside the stove.

The magnetic spice thing would be good on the side of your fridge. If you have too many spices, something like this might work better. I think maybe the microwave should be straightened a little more so it takes up less room. I recently took all my silverware out of the drawer and put them into a jar sitting on the counter. It takes up way less space.

For touches of colour: pretty dishes on display on shelves over sink. Blue towels hanging from oven door handle. Pot holders hanging on wall. Curtains (if you think they might be in the way on the sink side, pull them over the other side). Maybe a pretty dish/plate or picture hanging over the sink or stove. Or an interesting clock. A nice little rug in front of the sink. These vases sitting in your window. If you have kids, have them paint pics to put on the fridge. (Or you could do it yourself!)

Good luck! I have a small kitchen too, so I know what it's like.

[skybluepink02]

Oh my goodness, I love the ideas. Thank you everybody so much. I love the rack in the empty space idea. My hubby and I are pretty inept at stuff like that though, so how would I attach it? I know I need to find studs, but I'm not exactly sure how to do it. Anyone know? I'm going to go out right now and get the magnetic spice rack. It is sooo cute and functional. I like the teaspoon and tablespoon magnets too. I saw you got those at crate and barrell, Delight. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the microwave. We only use it to heat up leftovers, which half the time I do on the stove anyways.

I'm going to go out today, and this week to pick up some things and get decorating and organizing. I'm so excited now. Keep the ideas coming and I'll post pics of what I've done each step. How fun!

[skybluepink02]

Originally Posted by yurtdwellingmama

Sorry, I'm not going to be any help. I just wanted to say:
1. That is a fabulous sink. I've looked high and low for a sink with a drain board like that. My MIL found one free on the side of the road that she cleaned up and put in her new house. I have sink envy.
2. I wish my kitchen were that tidy and clean.

Happy decorating.

Thanks mama. The townhouses where we live were built in 1947 and the sinks are original to the building. I love my sink too. It's lovely.

[skybluepink02]

Quick question.... How would I attach a pot rack to the ceiling?

[Penelope]

We have that same pot rack from Ikea. Dh put eyescrews into the ceiling (like a screw but with a metal loop instead of a regular screw top) and we hung the pot rack from those. He just drilled holes, put in metal anchors from the hardware store, screwed in the eyehook things, and hung it. Took 15 minutes. If you haven't done this the hardward store guys/gals will be able to talk you through it.

I love that pot rack because the top can hold lids and roasting pans while the pots hang from the little S-hooks.

[nym]

Oh goodness, I would love to play in that kitchen!!!

things I would do...

- put shelving across that wall above the stove. From cupboard to cupboard. I'd probably just put up L brackets and buy pine from the hardware store.

- move the stove closer to the counter, and put in a small shelf. Walmart has white little shelves that would fit into anything like this and I would get baskets to fit. I'd store potatoes nad onions and dishclothes, potholders and the like in the baskets.

-i'd put a magnetic strip up over the stove and get those magnetic spice racks. you could even get that magnetic knife holder thing. that would be cool.

- I like utensils in jars or ceramin jars.. frees up drawers..

- pot rack is a great idea! I'd get rid of the microwave too

[momaste]

Magnetic spice racks are awesome, but don't put them over your stove or store them in any place that gets hot. It kills the flavor so much more quickly if they're exposed to heat. Putting them on the side of your fridge would be better, or inside one of the cabinet doors would be even better because then you wouldn't have light effecting them.

[accountclosed3]

I have no drawers. I keep utensils in vases. i went to ikea and i found some clear vases of different shapes that are big cylanders with wide mouths. i have wooden utensils in one (long ones), and then i have a short one that has the basting brush, the meat thermometer, the vegetable peeler and can opener. i have another that is medium sized. i made a little divider for ittaking two pieces of poster board,cutting a line half way through both, and then sliding them together, making an X shape, and slid it into the container. Each type of eating utensil has it's own place: forks, spoons, knives, and serving utensils. You can get them in any color and they're really inexpensive.

[orangefoot]

All of the above are great ideas. I have a magnetic knife rack which I still haven't put up - I must do it this week!

Do you really need your microwave? We got rid of ours and it freed up a surprising amount of space. Could you store it for a while to see how you get on without it first?

I have only three drawers so I use ceramic pots for my utensils too - tall and short just as zoebird does. One drawer is the 'bread drawer' which keeps it off the counter, one has table cutlery and cutters, corkscrews chopsticks skewers candles etc in baskets and the other has mmm let me see odd stuff that dh puts in there with the dry tea towels. I should sort that out and use it better.

My dh has a theory that kitchens without drawers are designed by men. He works in real estate and sees lots of newly refurbished properties with no drawers in the kitchen and when he asks the vendor what is missing they can't tell him

[skybluepink02]

So, I've been working on my kitchen some, and though it's not finished, It's gotten much more organized. Here's a link to the new pictures


http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...&addtype=local


the old pictures are on the first post. I'm proud of what I've done so far!

So, let me know what you think.

[bu's mama]

Originally Posted by momaste

I love a challenge! You have great wall space and it could be used to store a lot of stuff.

Over your stove, you could put this: http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...0103&langId=-1
...

I have this too & it's what I was going to suggest. I love it. I have 2 spice racks on one & some of the utensil buckets on the other 2.

[USAmma]

That looks great!!!!

[Let It Be]

Great work!

[ladyslipper]

What a big difference...looks really nice. Where did you get your cute rug?