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sue_ct

Please share photos of small kitchens

sue_ct
16 years ago

I would love to see what others have done with smallish kitchens. Would you please post photos of your kitchens for me? I am particularly interested in kitchens 14 x 16 or smaller, and/or with ceiling heights of 8' or less. It very hard using large kitchens with high ceilings for ideas when the space you have to work with is so different. If you use photobucket or a similar site, if you like, you can just copy the line under the photo called "html" and paste it into your message and the photos will show up without having to click on links. If not, links are fine. Basic information on the approximate size of the room and ceiling height would be helpful if you know it.

With so many people out there remodeling older homes or living in condos and other small places I am sure many, many people would be find it very helpful.

Thank you!

Sue

Comments (99)

  • oofasis
    16 years ago

    Barbie, what did you use on your backsplash and where did you find it? What's it made out of? I love it. And please tell me about your tiles - what are they and who makes them.

    This is one of the "prettiest" threads in a long time. If anyone were to ask me to choose my favorite kitchen, I don't think I could do it!

  • steve-va
    16 years ago

    thanks so much vjrnts!

    sue ct the counter-top is granite. the color of the cabinets in BM Lancaster White & the paint was Impervo Low luster alkyd . the glaze on the cabinets was a custom mix to match some of the darker areas in the granite. the glaze was brushed on & whipped off to leave color in the crevices.

    the design was worked out with me, the cabinet maker & customer. no designer was involved. i do all the specialty finishes for the cabinet maker & also help with design. but all i am is a painter with a few skill at drafting & cad :) i am just trying to catch up to the world & see what else is out there so thats why i am here in these forums.

    i think i will post another here since i know how now!

    cherry island with antique glaze.

  • shibababy
    16 years ago

    hi barbie, I would love to know what color paint you have in your kitchen. Thanks!

  • steve-va
    16 years ago

    take 2

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Wow that is a beautiful island.
    "the design was worked out with me, the cabinet maker & customer"
    Is this your kitchen then or one you have worked on? I love the color of the cabinets, but the lighter color of the island really brings out the wood.

    Sue

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    You have a lovely kitchen. The island is especially nice. It looks like a great surface for baking. I can see myself kneading dough or rolling out pie crust there!

    Sue

  • celticmoon
    16 years ago

    Here is a sneak peek at SIL Barrelhaus' nearly done gem. Many of you helped with this design struggle in April. This shows the narrowed window that allowed the SubZero to fit to the right, and the shallow pantry unit in the darker stain. Opposite is the sink run with soapstone, Shaw farm sink and glass uppers backed with beadboard. Island is moveable and expandable.

    Very exciting to see it all coming together. It suits the house perfectly. She promises to post pix soon.

  • barbie08075
    16 years ago

    Hi shibaby & oophasis,

    My backsplash is part of the Sonoma tile collection, the bronze meddalion was part of the Sonoma Estate metal collections. My husband installed it saving us $$.

    The wall color is Benjamin Moore "Guesthouse". The island granite is kashmir gold which was really difficult to co-ordinate the right color gold. The kitchen
    was painted twice before we got it right.

    We have a 1970's track house with small chopped up rooms and 8 ft. ceilings. A huge kitchen hanging off the back would have looked stupid, this kitchen looks as though the house should have been built like this. A contractor added only 6 ft x 14ft. of space out the back of the house, the contractor said he never added such a tiny amount of space onto a home. The cost would not have differred much had we went larger but it would have been out of scale with the rest of the house.

    Thanks for the kind remarks. I am partial to all these efficient small kitchens.

  • deniseandspike
    16 years ago

    JGarner, I love your kitchen. Do you mind if I copy your layout? My kitchen is a little smaller than yours (9'10x11'5) and I've been trying to fit everything in without taking down the walls we've put up (after the PO took them down). We also have a 1920 or earlier home and are trying to keep period. I think by flipping your layout (my doorway is on the other side) I will be able to fit in the max amount of storage space.

    De

  • shibababy
    16 years ago

    Thank you barbie for the color. Your kitchen is very beautiful. I could move right in.

  • bayareafrancy
    16 years ago

    Wow Vicki! You already got tired of that soapstone and redid your kitchen! I know, I know, kitchen remodel is so much fun. You were feeling jealous of all the work I have ahead of me, and so decided to get in on the fun!

    ;-P

    (no, she didn't--was just helping someone post a photo of his kitchen.)

    Francy

  • basketchick
    16 years ago

    Barbie, I love your look! And the medallion is EXACTLY what I had been looking for and couldn't find. :( We ended up using smaller square ones on the diagonal throughout, but I had really wanted one for over the stove. With a microhood, it is difficult to find something that will fit and look nice. Congrats on a job well done!

  • caflowerluver
    16 years ago

    Ours is 14x12 with 8'ceilings. You can go to the Finished Kitchen blog and look it up under Aatosca. Or click on this link aptosca.

  • vjrnts
    16 years ago

    Wow Vicki! You already got tired of that soapstone and redid your kitchen! I know, I know, kitchen remodel is so much fun.

    Dear, soapstone just screams July, 2007, doesn't it. So dated, so yesterday!

    One does what one can to keep up, you know.

  • fnmroberts
    16 years ago

    Linked from "My Page" are photos of our basement in which we built a Kitchen/Bar.

    Only a bar sink because we have a larger sink adjacent when bigger clean-up in required.

    The space is 10' x 10' including the inset for the refrigerator.

    Of course no dishwasher because the space is not used for daily food prep. We have prepared for and served more than 30 people with minimal confusion.

  • pkirkha1
    16 years ago

    Here is ours:

  • steve-va
    16 years ago

    Unfortunately Sue its not my kitchen :) just one me & my carpenter buddies slapped together. Here is a vanity that I did using the same color glaze but I mixed 25% mahogany & 75% cherry (Old Masters) & both the island & vanity were made with solid cherry. Its a bit dusty but then again I am a painter & not the best photographer.

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Wow, that vanity is gorgeous! Traditional is more my style and I would kill for that in my bath! You do beautiful work. Do you get to know who makes the pieces? Was that one custom? Please say no and tell me where I can get it, unfinished preferably, so I can try your color recipe on it!

    Sue

  • andrea345
    16 years ago

    9x11 with 8' ceilings. NKBA doesn't even have a classification for kitchens that small. We actually like it b/c it's easy to get around in. The triangle is really a triangle - everything's within easy reach. However, we have had 4 cooks working in there at the same time.

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Wow Andrea, very striking, you certainly made the most of each square foot of kitchen, both functionally and visually! Hope you don't mind:

    Sue

  • andrea345
    16 years ago

    Thank you, Sue. Yep, we're quite pleased about this room works even now.
    -a

  • steve-va
    16 years ago

    Sue this vanity was custom built. I am not sure about the rules here & what is considered advertising. The guys that made this are an Austrian family that immigrated to the USA about 35 years ago & are one of the best around in the Shenandoah valley & I work very closely with them. I am sure that there is a local cabinet maker in your area that could make this.....just show em a picture. The front legs may be a bit difficult to make but I could get those made for you.

  • robin_d
    16 years ago

    Mine's 12 1/2' x 14 1/2' and it's not finished yet (after a year, lol) - still needs the u/c lights, ceiling trim and the swinging door to the DR rehung, not to mention a backsplash, window coverings, etc. We'll get around to finishing it eventually. :-)

    Here's the floorplan - pics are linked below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Eventually Almost Mostly Finished Craftsman Kitchen

  • jgarner53
    16 years ago

    dktrahan--

    ((JGarner, I love your kitchen. Do you mind if I copy your layout? ))

    Not at all. :-) I'm flattered. Let me know if you'd like to see a floor plan, and I can email you a PDF with my floorplan & elevations. I worked really hard to make every inch count and make my storage efficient for my needs (just two of us).

  • brutuses
    16 years ago

    steve, would you mind posting photo's of your entire red bath? I'm doing one of mine in red and like to see others. Thanks

  • kamla
    16 years ago

    This is not in the league of the other gorgeous kitchens at all. But, it fits into the category - 14'x14' with 8' ceilings - only never thought it small - especially when we cook lunch and dinner everyday from scratch, teenagers forever baking or trying out recipes and extensive jam/pickle making in summers and have to deal with cleaning it all up after every cooking session :-) :-).

    The house was built in 1990 and we remodeled the first time in 17 years by replacing tile countertops with concrete/butcherblock, sink, stove and rather nice track lights with recessed lights because we wanted to have an open/airy look. We kept our original cabinets, the flooring, the ovens, the refrigerator and of course the layout.

    One thing, I would like to mention that we first used alzak clear trim for the recessed lighting and found it very shiny and reflective for the 8' ceiling - we just used plain white trim instead, although we loved the alzak trim in the showroom.

    Here is part of the kitchen, almost finished. Hope this helps.

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    If you have a dining area, or separate dining room it is not small. Mine is an eat in kitchen with no dining room and is not open to any other area, and for that it is small. Certainly too small to put an island in for instance, or there would be no room for a kitchen table!

    Sue

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Very nice kitchen, by the way, the U shape gives you great counter space and looks spacious.

    Sue

  • kamla
    16 years ago

    Yes, we do have a separate breakfast nook as well as a dining room and maybe that is why the kitchen does not feel small. And as I said it is definitely large enough to make frequent cleaning a pain.

    Sue, this thread has been great. Lots of good ideas and beautiful kitchens to look at. Look forward to seeing your finished kitchen... Good luck.

    Kamla.

  • budge1
    16 years ago

    Sue don't dismiss that island so quickly (if you'd like one). We found many in the FKB that combined seating for 4 in a table like layout with some shelving. We used those for inspiration and built ours to meet our specific needs. We use ours for meals 3x a day and there is even room for a 5th person when one of the kids brings home a friend.

    I couldn't live without our island. It is about 3ft by 5ft of clear counter space in a kitchen that would otherwise have only two small landing areas on either side of the sink.

    If you look at our pictures above, you can see that we also have 3 doorways in our 11x 11 kitchen so if we can make it work (almost) anyone can.

  • deniseandspike
    16 years ago

    Jennifer (jgarner53),

    I sent you an email yesterday with my address--I'd love to have a copy of your floor plan.

    Thanks!

    De

  • naturalstuff
    16 years ago

    vizslalover - I have the same type of peninsula but without the cabinets on either side. Do you have support for the counter overhang there? I have a 7" overhang on both sides and the template guy told me I need supports. :(

  • cooperbailey
    16 years ago

    My kitchen morphed from a 5x9 kitchen yeah no kidding, into a 14x9 kitchen when DH took out a pantry wall in our 1923 house. The frig lives in another pantry(decided not to take the wall down, wouldnt accomplish much compared to the cost) because I have always dreamed of having an eat in kitchen. The chestnut table, a family heirloom just fits. I love it that DH can sit there and chat as I fix dinner. We are totally DIY except we didn't make the cabinets or install the granite. We refinished the original pine floor. As you can see the kitchen is not yet done as we took a break this summer. More custom work will be done by DH and Moi on a hutch I am renovating. And another bottom cab that DH will build. We want to use soapstone for the hutch tops. ( thanks to Vizlover we know we can DIY it.) We will put in beadboard backsplash with tin ceiling tile behind the rangeand paint it all in a cream color. New windows still need to be custom made. I have chandeliers picked out but think we need to get everything else done first.
    one pic w/out granite installed. Can't get a good perspective for pics- the wall keeps getting in my way.! But it is way bigger now than what I used for 20 some years!! I love it.
    Sue







  • rachelrachel
    16 years ago

    susulo - be still my beating heart! How lovely and dramatic. What inspired you, magazines, books? Did you design yourself?

    My kitchen is 11 x 11.5. I borrowed countertop space from the laundry/utility room as I didn't want all the small appliances taking up the limited counter space. Looking back it was such a dynamic time replacing a 1948 starter home kitchen.

    Here is a link that might be useful: 11 x 11.5 Kitchen

  • tucgran
    16 years ago

    Robin D
    Your kitchen is lovely. I like the way you have stayed true to the style of your home. I am so excited because your layout is very close to mine and it looks beautiful. I have such a hard time visualizing what a plan on paper will look like so I really appreciate your pics.
    We are adding a new kitchen to a 1927 art deco bungalow in the southwest with 12 inch cabinets on the side wall for the pantry. I have been struggling (obsessing) with an island layout that hasn't felt right in the space. My KD is in the process of putting together something similar to your layout and looking at your kitchen I am convinced that this will work for us.
    Has the 38" in front of the frig worked for you. Also, where is your trash, I can't seem to find it on the layout?

  • kitchenkelly
    16 years ago

    My small kitchen is about 13 x 12 which is good for me because I am not a big cook. I really wanted an island but it wouldn't fit!

  • SusuLo
    16 years ago

    Sue_Ct, don't let the pristine look fool you!! I do admit, I like a clean kitchen but DH and I are totally guilty of coming in from gardening with dirty hands and shoes (too lazy to remove them prior to coming in and I were crocs or flip flops!) to grab drinks! Plus, we have two large labs that cut corners, rubbing against the cabinets and they also slobber! But with the cabinets being white, I can easily see where the dirt is and just wipe it off with a damp sponge. So don't be afraid, be brave!!

    And what a great thread! It so nice to see that there are so many beautiful small kitchens out there! I don't feel so alone :)

    RachelRachel, Are you sure youÂre speaking of my kitchen?!! Wow, thanks! But it looks like we have similar tastes for b&w!! Yours looks great and that backsplash is very cool! For your kitchen only being a bit bigger than mine, it looks huge! Our house is a starter home as well and it was built in 1936. So what inspired me? Well, a lot of magazines (I have a binder loaded up with stuff), this forum with all the beautiful kitchens and a good friend of mineÂs beautiful white kitchen. I hated our "old" kitchen, but since we donÂt plan on staying in this house for a long time (at least I weÂre hope not, too small), we wanted to update it just enough to make it nice and functional w/out spending a ton of money. So we moved our back door to an adjacent wall so we could add a dw (we had an old ugly portable one), we added a window, added two new cabinets and the rest of the cabinets are the originals so we just changed the doors and hardware. IÂve always liked the shaker style, so thatÂs how I ended up with the cabinet doors, plus it sort of matched the old built-in ironing board door! And since the cabinets had been a cream color, we figured weÂd just go with white, as our kitchen is on the back of the house and is somewhat on the dark side so I wanted it bright. Plus IÂve always liked white cabinets with dark counter tops. I think even if we had ripped out everything, I still may have gone for white. Although IÂve seen some really nice distressed black and espresso colored cabinets that IÂm really starting to like and wished I had done. But thatÂll be my next kitchen! HereÂs what my ("OLD") kitchen used to look like.



  • 3katz4me
    16 years ago

    Boy - some of these "small kitchens" look big to me. Here's the galley end of my kitchen - which is 7 feet wide. Since we converted the former dining space into part of the kitchen I guess my kitchen no longer qualifies as "small" - it's now basically a 24 foot long galley....

    {{!gwi}}

  • robin_d
    16 years ago

    Tucgran,

    Thank you for your kind words - some day we may actually get around to finishing it! :-)

    The clearance between the peninsula and fridge has not been a problem. It's a FD fridge, so the doors aren't wide. Granted, if someone is standing in front of the fridge they need to step aside to allow someone else through, but it hasn't been a problem. My #1 priority was to be able to cook without others getting in my way. With this plan my DS and DH can get to the fridge, sink, microwave, dishwasher, dishes etc. without entering the "cooking zone" - the cabs around the range and to the left of the sink hold "ingredients" and cookware - no ready-to-eat stuff. There's plenty of room for "helpers" without them getting in my way, and I'm no longer alone in the kitchen while everyone else visits in another room - the seating at the peninsula took care of that. It's really been an excellent solution for the way we live in this one-cook household.

    One thing I should mention though - we installed doorstops on the hinges of the doors and bumpers on the floor to keep the doors from opening far enough to bang into the pantry wall cabinets.

    My trash is in a freestanding can under the sink. We may add a pullout for it, but having the can "loose" under there isn't a problem. I wanted storage more than I wanted a dedicated trash cabinet.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Eventually Almost Mostly Finished Budget Craftsman Kitchen

  • evan_nj
    16 years ago

    Our kitchen is 11 x 16. Pictures and details are on the finished kitchens blog under evan_nj.

    The most interesting thing about our small kitchen was that we chose to not run the cabinets flush to the windows and doorways but rather hold them back 4 inches or so to have a color contrast. Made the space look a lot bigger, somewhat to our surprise.

    Other big discovery was that extra deep counters and cabinets are fantastic. 11 feet is not wide enough for an island so we took advantage of the extra width by making one wall extra deep (27 lower, 15 upper). If I had that choice in small kitchen, I would go for extra depth. It is a fantastic improvement on usability.

    Here is a link that might be useful: finished kitchens blog

  • bloominwhereplanted
    16 years ago

    kitchenkelly - Please do share what color green you used in your kitchen - it's gorgeous! Thanks - bloomin...

  • kitchenkelly
    16 years ago

    bloominwhereplanted, doesn't surprise me that you are a green fan. The paint is Moss by Devine. I really like the color and the paint. Goes on like yogurt. I know Hirshfields carries it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Devine Paint

  • bloominwhereplanted
    16 years ago

    Thanks for the paint color, Kelly! I've never heard of Devine paint, or Hirshfields for that matter! Must be a west coast thing...? sigh... I'll have to see if I can find something close in Benjamin Moore - I'm looking at Dry Sage or Saybrook Sage right now...

    Sorry for the hijack -- back to your previously scheduled program: Small Yet Beautiful Kitchens!!

    bloomin...

  • barb59
    16 years ago

    Here's my contemporary kitchen. The long wall is 12'. I think the ceilings are 8'.

    Here is a link that might be useful: small contemporary kitchen

  • lobsterbird
    16 years ago

    Already posted pictures of the small kitchen in my older home, but I thought it might be fun to show these pics, too. We have a condo with a very small kitchen -- I don't know its measurements but it feels about the same size as my 9 x9 kitchen at home. It's sorely lacking in storage. We did an economical sprucing of the room, keeping the original white wood-grained formica cabinets and formica countertops ("butcher block" pattern) but changed the hinges and knobs. Other improvements were new appliances from the local Sears' scratch & dent place, tile floor, and wallpaper. Wallpapers are closeouts that we got a great price on. There wasn't enough of the blue paper to to do the whole room, so we found a yellow that coordinated. Curtains haven't been changed yet. We have a retro thing going on in the place, so it's just a fun kitchen. Nothing like the beautiful renovations shown on this thread, but thought I'd include it for variety.

    I've enjoyed seeing all the wonderful kitchens here. I agree with the poster who said this is one of the prettiest threads. I think I actually prefer a smaller kitchen!

    Tina

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    A very bright and cheerful little kitchen! I bet it makes you smile when you go in to make your coffee in the morning! Thanks for sharing, its nice to see such a variety, there is something for everyone.

    Sue

  • amsunshine
    16 years ago

    Here's mine: Early 50's house with galley kitchen, open on both ends, 13 X 8 feet and 8 foot ceilings. It's hard to get a good photo because of the small size and galley layout, but here goes:

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

  • sue_ct
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Bump.

    Hope everyone doesn't think its too tachy to bump my own thread, but so many people contributed such great kitchens to this thread, I thought others just starting small kitchens might find it useful.

    My own cabinets go in next week.

    Thank you, everyone!

    Sue

  • lmhall2000
    16 years ago

    Here's an angled shot...we opened a previously galley kitchen to the great room...now it's an L shaped with island...much easier flow on our larger family...

    Tara

  • sienne_c
    16 years ago

    I think this thread was started before I finished my kitchen. It's 8 x 10.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Finished kitchen photos