Updating a Kitchen - What Would You Do? (Valspar, wood flooring, countertops)
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I would consider getting a refrigerator and freezer that are built into the cabinets, like these. That way the counter top could be extended to the back wall, providing more prep space and visual length to the room. The cabinet space you lose to the appliances could be replaced with overhead cabinets above the counter, where the refrigerator is now.
If you didn't want to go that route, at the very least I would get a cabinet depth refrigerator, which won't protrude beyond the cabinets, as shown here.
If you went for a dishwasher drawer, like this, it would keep things looking streamlined - which I think really helps such a small space. Some of them hold a surprisingly moderate amount of dishes and many are eco-friendly, which people tend to like (as far as resale goes).
After the renovation when it's time to decorate, I would mirror the back wall. Mirrors will make the space appear larger than it is. (Hang something pretty on the hallway wall opposite the mirror, so it has something pretty to reflect.)
Last edited by CheyDee; 01-08-2013 at 10:58 PM..
Reason: Added a link.
Just have to say desert that it must be a common thing here because I just saw two more co-ops with a range next to the wall and directly next to the range was the sink. What do you think about a sink next to the range? Personally I don't like how it looks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertsun41
Yes 24" ranges have been around forever but I only seen one back in the early 90s. A 20" range? Does it have 4 burners or 3? Now that's small. Truthfully though. why does anyone need bigger unless they do so much cooking?
The gas pipe works where it is now obviously. Moving the range to the left 9 or 12", it should not interfere with the gas pipe since it is likely stubbed out about 15" from the wall. If the pipe comes out where you should put the new 9 or 12" base cab then cut a neat round hole inside that cabinet back and let the pipe go through. Now you can drill a hole on the range side of the base cab towards the back and put the flex hose through it, connect it inside the cabinet. We do it all the time when the Builder stubs plumbing out in the wrong place.
Good that you're staying with the single sink. That's all ya need. Oh like I said....go with the DW if you feel you use it. I see the DW as something similar to a fireplace. Everyone wants one but few ever actually use it.
Good luck
Thanks. Yes, 20" has four burners. I will say cooking more than one thing on the stove top becomes increasingly difficult the smaller that range gets. We also make pizza regularly and there is no way my pizza pan fits in a 20" stove.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Decorchallenged
It's actually a great little kitchen!
The microwave/exhaust would be the biggest space saving improvement.
The kitchen already utilizes most of the space. There is some wasted space on the upper part of the inside wall over by the refrigerator. You might be able to do something creative over there. If you want more closed storage, you could put a cabinet as deep as the fridge over top of it. This would make the room even more closed in, so it's a question of priorities.
There is space under the upper cabinets that can be utilized. You can either hang various appliances under the cabinets or install a shelf that is as shallow or deep as you like.
The room and the hallway might seem bigger if you removed the upper part of the wall between the hallway and the sink. Desert Sun's idea of putting a a tiny counter top on the top of a pony wall is excellent. I think you would find that area invaluable. That wall is probably 4" wide. If you remove the upper portion, you could have the tiny counter top and a few 4" wide shelves above it. An awful lot of kitchen stuff can fit on 4" deep shelves. At the very least I would cut out an alcove and line it with shelves. You could put alcoves under your cabinets or in that wall at the end as well. If you don't like the idea of seeing a lot of stuff lined up on tiny shelves you can easily put some thin sliding doors across the front to make it closed storage. These tiny shelves could include a charging station.
I would definitely install at least one under counter pull out shelf when you buy new cabinets. I would buy cabinets that let me access the gap between the floor and the cabinet bottom.
If you are concerned about having the stove next to the wall you could install a fireproof panel there. My cousin has a 24" range, lol, and she claims she has never had any problem cooking for her family of five. But she does have clearance on each side of the stove, allowing her to use four big pots if necessary.
I know plenty of kitchens that have a french door fridge up against a wall. There does not seem to be a problem with the door hitting the wall.
Finally, I would buy custom cabinets because I wouldn't want any wasted space. I would want that under cabinet/floor space, the pull out trays, if I put a deeper cabinet over the fridge I might the lower shelf to be a pull out drawer, etc.
Yes, definitely will be getting pull-outs and I have seen so many good ideas for them. I have thought about removing the wall, which would then require me to move the intercom and stuff like that but it is an idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl
Are you familiar with the website Apartment Therapy and its companion website The Kitchn? Although they now also feature houses, the main focus is still on smaller spaces and you'll see features on fixing up rental properties cost-effectively, as well as on updates and full-remodels of condos and townhouses.
I did a search on "small galley kitchens" and came up with many pages of results: Search | Apartment Therapy
I'm sure you'll get some ideas from these features. Also, if you just check out AT's house tours in general, you'll see lots of photos of kitchens many styles and in all price ranges.
The Kitchn's "Cooks Kitchen Tours" are great and idea-filled. They are the kitchens of people who cook seriously, some in spaces that defy imagination. Cook's Kitchen | The Kitchn
I'm a big fan of a magazine called Small Room Decorating, but it only comes out about four times a year, so it's hard to come by. I save all mine because they are chock-full of fabulous ideas for apartment-dwellers. The publisher also puts out a once-a-year magazine called Small Kitchens. The last one I found I picked up right before Christmas, so it might still be available on some slower-moving news stands. Or if you have a used book store in your area that sells old magazines you might be able to find some back issues. Why they don't have an internet presence I'll never know.
Finally, I echo the suggestion that you hit an IKEA showroom. Their kitchen department is a wonder of storage solutions and cost-effective design.
I lived for quite a few years in an apartment with a kitchen identical in size to the one in your photos. While that one could have used redecorating, too, I have to say I cooked there just as well as I have anywhere else. Galleys are exceptionally efficient if you set them up with thought for how you work. I would note, too, that I've had both 24" stoves and 18" dishwashers before and they are fine if you don't have a family. I have a full-size dishwasher now for only two people and I never run it every day. I would just as soon have a smaller dishwasher and turn it on every night. Oddly enough, they're more expensive, I guess because they don't sell many. But if I were remodeling a galley, I wouldn't waste the space with a 24-inch dishwasher.
Yes, I have definitely been on AT before---my friend is obsessed with that site. Thanks for the info on the magazines and yes, many times like the DWs the 24" can be pricier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CheyDee
I would consider getting a refrigerator and freezer that are built into the cabinets, like these. That way the counter top could be extended to the back wall, providing more prep space and visual length to the room. The cabinet space you lose to the appliances could be replaced with overhead cabinets above the counter, where the refrigerator is now.
If you didn't want to go that route, at the very least I would get a cabinet depth refrigerator, which won't protrude beyond the cabinets, as shown here.
If you went for a dishwasher drawer, like this, it would keep things looking streamlined - which I think really helps such a small space. Some of them hold a surprisingly moderate amount of dishes and many are eco-friendly, which people tend to like (as far as resale goes).
After the renovation when it's time to decorate, I would mirror the back wall. Mirrors will make the space appear larger than it is. (Hang something pretty on the hallway wall opposite the mirror, so it has something pretty to reflect.)
Thanks for the info. I probably would nix the mirrors though not only because I don't like them but I currently have floor-to-ceiling ones that take up the entire width of my living room wall.
I think you could benefit from changing the layout. You can get more counter space (less floor space though) if you add cabinets at the end of the kitchen making it a U-shape. The range could be moved at the end wall, facing the doorway, and the fridge can be slid further down the wall it's on towards the door. So, it would be a U shaped kitchen with the range at the bottom of the U, the entrance doorway would be at the top open part of the U. The sink and dishwasher on one side, and the refrigerator on the other side. This way you can get a real size range. Under counter fridge and freezer would also add counter space and make the room visually appear larger.
What's on the other side of the kitchen walls? Can you provide a floor plan layout of the entire apartment? It's possible you could gain a little space elsewhere. Even a couple feet might make a huge difference.
I think you could benefit from changing the layout. You can get more counter space (less floor space though) if you add cabinets at the end of the kitchen making it a U-shape. The range could be moved at the end wall, facing the doorway, and the fridge can be slid further down the wall it's on towards the door. So, it would be a U shaped kitchen with the range at the bottom of the U, the entrance doorway would be at the top open part of the U. The sink and dishwasher on one side, and the refrigerator on the other side. This way you can get a real size range. Under counter fridge and freezer would also add counter space and make the room visually appear larger.
What's on the other side of the kitchen walls? Can you provide a floor plan layout of the entire apartment? It's possible you could gain a little space elsewhere. Even a couple feet might make a huge difference.
I actually really like your idea. I'm going to look into it a little more to see if the spacing/sizing would work. I think giving up the floor space will make it feel even tighter but it might be okay.
I do have kind-of-a-floor plan. I was trying to very quickly send the layout to a friend so I basically made something in five minutes in paint so it's not to scale and it's pretty crappy/not straight but the dimensions are there and probably mostly accurate. You can laugh:
The boxes behind the kitchen are closets. Since the place is small and one of the nice features about it was the fact that there were multiple closets, I would be hard-pressed to give them up. The one in the DR (not even used as a DR but used as an office) is actually small and I think there is something in the closet that probably couldn't be moved. (Pipes or something.)
Last edited by city living; 03-28-2016 at 06:01 AM..
If the placement of the walls is accurate, it looks like you can expand the kitchen back into the bedroom closets, and there would still be room to build new closets along the same wall. If you can do that, you'll have wider floor space so you can open things on one side or the other at the same time, and you'll gain room and counter space at the bottom of the U. The other advantage of widening the kitchen is that you could then open up the kitchen wall to the hallway, so it's not a little door going into the kitchen, which would also help make the space feel bigger.
I would consider getting a refrigerator and freezer that are built into the cabinets, like these. That way the counter top could be extended to the back wall, providing more prep space and visual length to the room. The cabinet space you lose to the appliances could be replaced with overhead cabinets above the counter, where the refrigerator is now.
Yes to this! Make the kitchen into a long U shape rather then a hallway to nowhere.
I would move the sink to the back wall. This will be your dish washing area and you can hang cabinets on either side of the sink for dishes with a pot rack hung above the sink in the middle. I would center the range on the left wall with a microwave hood on top. If moving the range is easier then moving the sink then just swap range for sink in the above scenarios. The right side would be continuous counter space with an undermount fridge.
Open up the wall between the kitchen and hall!
ETA: Oops, posted before seeing Hopes already suggested this.
If the placement of the walls is accurate, it looks like you can expand the kitchen back into the bedroom closets, and there would still be room to build new closets along the same wall. If you can do that, you'll have wider floor space so you can open things on one side or the other at the same time, and you'll gain room and counter space at the bottom of the U. The other advantage of widening the kitchen is that you could then open up the kitchen wall to the hallway, so it's not a little door going into the kitchen, which would also help make the space feel bigger.
Agree with all of this. If you can make the kitchen larger then it is worth doing so.
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