Budget-y or OT: kitchen reno?

[Gigi22]

Briefly, we are downsizing to a condo with a galley kitchen. I cook a lot, and I have seriously reduced the amount of kitchen equipment I own. No time or desire to renovate now. This kitchen is in near original condition (built 1990) and is very badly planned, so how to I inexpensively squeeze some cupboard space without embarking on a renovation at this time?

There is a small space in the adjacent breakfast nook where I could put a kitchen cart or small pantry/pie safe.

I am considering storing some less frequently used items in the vanity of the guest bathroom. There is also some storage space in our locker, but it is really practical to store items that I only use a few times a year there.

Any storage products in particular you would recommend?

 

[Judique]

Briefly, we are downsizing to a condo with a galley kitchen. I cook a lot, and I have seriously reduced the amount of kitchen equipment I own. No time or desire to renovate now. This kitchen is in near original condition (built 1990) and is very badly planned, so how to I inexpensively squeeze some cupboard space without embarking on a renovation at this time?

There is a small space in the adjacent breakfast nook where I could put a kitchen cart or small pantry/pie safe.

I am considering storing some less frequently used items in the vanity of the guest bathroom. There is also some storage space in our locker, but it is really practical to store items that I only use a few times a year there.

Any storage products in particular you would recommend?

The word 'briefly' is throwing me. Are you saying that you are just going to be in a condo for a short time?

If the condo is long term I'd probably turn the whole breakfast nook into storage and put up a breakfast bar (also storage) with a couple of stools.

 

[barkley]

are you looking to store appliances, small utensils or a mix of the two? if you HAVE to put something out in the open you might look at a baker's rack. mine has a wire rack on the top, a wider one on the bottom, and a wooden (same width as bottom shelf) in the middle. it's not so deep that a person might not be able to still get a small table and chairs into a breakfast nook. I would put the appliances on bottom and middles-then get some storage baskets (like the entirely fabric, not lidded type sold for closets-I've gotten them inexpensively at bb&beyond) on the top shelf. smaller items could be broken into type (baking, cutting, specialty items) and put into gallon ziplock bags (keeps the dust off) that are stored into the baskets. between the height of the rack/height of the baskets no one will see what's inside-so it won't look cluttered. if you go with fabric-give each a treatment w/scotchguard first-that way if they start to look dusty/get oil residue from cooking, you can wipe them clean.


i'll float another idea though-do you have a linin closet in the condo? I've found that it's ALLOT easier to store extra towels, bedding and stuff than my extra appliances (and like you I've got 3 categories-always using, somewhat frequently using, once/twice a year using) so I use my linen closet for my extra appliances. there are plastic under the bed containers (they slide, usually used for storing sweaters and other off season clothing) that work fine for storing the extras you don't need AND you could find a wicker or other type of open style shelf to put extra towels and such in the bathroom (I actually have wicker racks in my laundry room that hold all the extra linens and such just b/c I like to use my linen closet for all my extra appliances/some serving items I don't need cluttering up my cabinets).

 

[Narnia_girl]

I have really embraced a minimalist approach to our home this past year. In doing so, I've read a lot of articles on storage/decluttering/minimalism. Here is one that gives an actual visual tour of a kitchen: http://nourishingminimalism.com/tour-my-minimalist-kitchen

And how to set up a minimalist kitchen. http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/04/how-to-setup-a-minimalist-kitchen-part-1-things-to-avoid/

Of course this looks differently for everyone, and I'm not suggesting you toss out everything you own. But these articles (or a Google search of 'minimalist kitchen') might give you a fresh perspective. Good luck!

 

[Gigi22]

The word 'briefly' is throwing me. Are you saying that you are just going to be in a condo for a short time?

If the condo is long term I'd probably turn the whole breakfast nook into storage and put up a breakfast bar (also storage) with a couple of stools.

In this case, it means I was trying to be brief. The condo will be long term.

 

[auralia]

I'd look up ikea's website and look through their kitchen stuff. They have amazing storage solutions and you can remodel a kitchen at a reasonable price on your own if you decided to go that route as well. Truly great storage ideas there.

 

[tina.tina]

You called it a nook. Is it a recessed area that you could build a wall/frame a door for? That's what I would do. If you have space over the top of your cabinets, you could use the fabric bins there, too.

 

[havaneselover]

I have a tiny kitchen with a ton of storage. It was done by either HD or Lowes with kraftmaid cabinets. It was the only thing the people I bought from updated and took care of but I really like it despite it being very small.

 

[Gigi22]

You called it a nook. Is it a recessed area that you could build a wall/frame a door for? That's what I would do. If you have space over the top of your cabinets, you could use the fabric bins there, too.

It is designed as an eating area at one end of the galley kitchen. There is no doorway between the galley and the nook. Putting a doorway in would just reduce the space. It currently contains a fixed pantry and a small moveable triangular shelf. One side of the nook has sliding doors to the balcony (the only access to the balcony) and one side has windows. There are electric heaters just above the floor on the balcony and window sides of the room. The one solid wall has a wall mounted telephone for the apt. entry system, at a height of about 4 ft., and a thermostat about 6 in. away. Because of the phone and thermostat, inexpensive options for new cabinets on the one solid wall are quite limited.

The top cupboards in the kitchen go all the way up to the ceiling. The top shelves in all the cupboards are so high they are virtually inaccessible.

 

[tina.tina]

It is designed as an eating area at one end of the galley kitchen. There is no doorway between the galley and the nook. Putting a doorway in would just reduce the space. It currently contains a fixed pantry and a small moveable triangular shelf. One side of the nook has sliding doors to the balcony (the only access to the balcony) and one side has windows. There are electric heaters just above the floor on the balcony and window sides of the room. The one solid wall has a wall mounted telephone for the apt. entry system, at a height of about 4 ft., and a thermostat about 6 in. away. Because of the phone and thermostat, inexpensive options for new cabinets on the one solid wall are quite limited.

The top cupboards in the kitchen go all the way up to the ceiling. The top shelves in all the cupboards are so high they are virtually inaccessible.

It's so frustrating to work around existing issues. I have a pipe that has been pretty much impossible to work around in my master bathroom and closet. Moving it is just not worth all the work and cost. You could do a freestanding cabinet. I bought this metal cabinet for one of my offices once. It holds a ton of stuff. They have cabinets like this in all kinds of finishes including wood.

If you need a lower budget item, you could do something with open shelves and use bins.

 

[leebee]

Depending on the layout of the galley, you could always go up. I have a friend with a very small galley kitchen. She had a pot rack installed on the ceiling above the sink, with long hooks on which to hang her pots. That freed up quite a bit of her cabinet space.

 

[Gigi22]

Thanks for that! Will have to check the ceiling to see if I have any space for a pot rack over the sink.