genevievery's Profile

I really love the blue-green color in the living room pillows and ottomans (similar to the color of a Tiffany's bag). Could you please share your source for these (or the fabric)?

I'm with taritac - thank you for giving me a venue to vent about my small, poorly-designed kitchen. I love this site, but most of the kitchen solutions are totally beyond the realm of possibility given what I'm working with. This leaves me yearning for a larger and/or better-designed kitchen (someday - I'm hopeful). Any other tips/tricks for dealing with storage in tiny kitchens are welcome!

Gregory - I have exactly the same problem - two people cannot fit. No "two bums" here. My kitchen has 32"x45" of floor space (think: bathtub-size); wall-to-wall it measures 80"x45". Just measuring that gave me a bit of catharsis. On the left is a fridge, 12" of counter, and a stove (mercifully, with 4 rings & an oven beneath); on the right is a sink & 24" of counter space. Opening any of these precludes access to the kitchen (the fridge, the dishwasher - you aren't getting in or out til it's closed). The kitchen is sorely lacking shelving or storage - the oven and dishwasher (not my choice - I rent) dispense of all lower storage except for the cabinet under the sink and three very narrow drawers I use for cutlery and assorted kitchen doodads. There is limited cabinetry above - two 9" wide cabinets (!?), one three-shelf cabinet that holds my limited supply of crockery and glassware, and two broader 18" wide single-shelf cabinets that hold food (relatively high up - above the fridge/stove hood). The microwave, which only fits on top of the fridge, effectively blocks access to one of the food cabinets, and the pots/pans live on top of the microwave. I frequently store food in the fridge because it's the most efficient place for it. There is one major saving grace in my kitchen: my apartment has relatively high 9-foot ceilings, and since I'm tall, I have repurposed the area above the cabinets as extra storage (when I had a roommate, this drove her nuts) - so the kitchen is at least confined to the kitchen. I've been contemplating adding a shelf, but the only place that seems possible is above the doorway. Oh, did I mention the tile on the floor is super-uneven?

All that said, I have managed to cook many tasty meals in this kitchen over the four years I've lived in this apartment. The tiny space holds a full sink, stove, oven, fridge, dishwasher, food processor, microwave, kettle, toaster, ... It's inoffensively white (despite mildly offensive particle-board oak cupboards), and I can see my tv/living room while I'm cooking. I've been thinking about mild visual upgrades, maybe a backsplash/ wall feature like this old fashioned metal look from Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100521697&N=10000003 90401 501624

I saw Bittman's video & story about small kitchens and felt slightly better about myself. Until I tripped over my boyfriend while trying to check the stove. Gah.