These 14 Compact Kitchen Renovations Start With the Best Ingredients
When space is at a premium, a tastefully designed kitchen boils down to clever design solutions—like innovative storage, multifunctional surfaces, and retractable cooktops.
When space is at a premium, a tastefully designed kitchen boils down to clever design solutions—like innovative storage, multifunctional surfaces, and retractable cooktops.
From converted airstreams to accessory dwelling units, many homes simply lack the space for all the bells and whistles of a so-called "dream kitchen"—oversized islands, six-burner cooktops, or dishwashers are out of the question. In spite of their size constraints, the projects below prove that those features aren’t always necessary when designing a really great kitchen. In fact, sometimes having to pare back is a blessing in disguise.
A Globetrotting Architect Maximizes Space in the Kitchen of Her Tiny Warsaw Flat
Warsaw-born Karolina Howorko, director and founder of the design firm Studio Hoka, is based in Amsterdam—but she spends ample time in her homeland, too. When she does, it’s at Studio H, a compact flat in Warsaw’s Old Town that she transformed to feel light and spacious. When designing the kitchen, she reflected on her experiences living in other spaces. "I didn’t like having images of food in my head while trying to work," she explained, "so, I visually cut off the kitchen from the main space with a curtain." Beside the kitchen is a sculptural block staircase, and a table pulls out for a quick breakfast or impromptu glass of wine. A refrigerator, drawers, and storage space are also cleverly tucked into the side of the staircase.
Photo by Magda Motrenko & Maciej Sawczak
For years, architect Aimée O’Carroll had kept an eye on her current building in Seattle, hoping one of the units would come up for sale. After viewing several units in the building that weren’t quite right, Aimée had nearly given up when something caught her eye—a friend eventually posted a photo of his condo for sale. As luck would have it, it was the same unit Aimée’s parents had rented several years earlier. She took the plunge, and after giving the fifth-floor apartment a new coat of paint and refinishing the parquet wood floors, she set her sights on updating the kitchen. Despite it being a small space—it’s an eight-by-eight-foot galley kitchen—Aimée liked the existing flow to the main living areas and didn’t want to knock down any walls. "I’m a bit over the idea of total open-plan living," she says. "Having these little zones actually feels pretty good." Instead, Aimée selectively updated appliances, fixtures, finishes, and flooring. She also flipped the oven placement for more usable counter space.
Photo by Kyle Johnson
For a nine-year-old who loves pirates and science fiction, Jonah Finger thinks of his family’s apartment as make-believe come true. His parents, Michael Finger and Joanne Kennedy, completed the renovation of their 640-square-foot walk-up in Manhattan’s East Village in May of 2008. The kitchen sits along one wall of the connective passage between the living room and the rear of the apartment. Finger had initially envisioned an all-black, showroom-style kitchen, but ultimately they went with CaesarStone and a gray color scheme, which kept the kitchen from dominating. Though the area is narrow, there’s still enough room for Jonah to set up a battleground for several brigades of army figurines near his father’s collection of lime green Le Creuset pots. Pantry goods are stored in a narrow sliding shelving unit that doubles as a screen when extended fully.
Photo: Raimund Koch
See the full story on Dwell.com: These 14 Compact Kitchen Renovations Start With the Best Ingredients
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