Kitchen(s) of the Week: 10 Tiny NYC Kitchens from the Archives

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When I lived in New York City, I once looked at three apartments in one day. Option 1 had a support post directly in front of the kitchen sink. Option 2 had a microwave in lieu of an oven. And Option 3 sported a hot plate and a mini fridge. (I ended up going with a fourth option, which had a stall shower next to the fridge but—thankfully—a fully accessible sink.)

Anyone who’s lived in a small space knows: Every inch counts. Luckily, making a kitchen out of anything is among an apartment dweller’s niche skills. Some of these tiny kitchens are make-do solutions in rentals; others are the result of full overhauls—but all are proof that even small layouts can brim with function and personality.

Have a look:

The Marble Kitchen

just one of the small space tricks in this brooklyn heights galley kitchen? cab 17 — Above: Just one of the small-space tricks in this Brooklyn Heights galley kitchen? Cabinets that extend to the ceiling. “There’s no point in leaving tops open for dust—and, in New York City, it’s really about maximizing the storage,” says designer Claire Hung. See more in Every Inch Efficient: 10 Ideas to Steal from a 1,000-Square-Foot Brooklyn Apartment. Photograph by Seth Caplan.

The Creative Director’s Kitchen

from deep in the archives: this rehabbed galley kitchen is high on style (and s 18 — Above: From deep in the archives: This rehabbed galley kitchen is high on style (and still holds up, nine years later). Have a look at the space before and after in A Galley Kitchen Reinvented.

The DIY Kitchen

an old favorite: with the addition of a mobile island, a single wall kitchenett 19 — Above: An old favorite: With the addition of a mobile island, a single-wall kitchenette becomes a full-fledged room of its own. Take a look around the full flat in Small-Space Solutions: 17 Affordable Tips from an NYC Creative Couple. Photograph by Kate Sears.

The Shopkeeper’s Kitchen

sandeep salter brooklyn heights house jonathan pilkington 14 733x1026 20

sandeep salter room brooklyn heights house photo by jonathan pilkington styli 21

Above: The petite kitchen of Sandeep Salter (of Salter House) in Brooklyn Heights is filled with charm: enamel soap holders, a handy pot rack, a child’s broom. See more in A Modern Fairy-Tale Told in 800 Square Feet: Sandeep Salter’s Family Apartment. Photograph by Jonathan Pilkington and styling by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista.

The Top-of-the-Stairs Kitchen

architects maria berman and brad horn call their harlem kitchen a &#8\2\20; 22 — Above: Architects Maria Berman and Brad Horn call their Harlem kitchen a “stealth” one: Situated in a pass-through landing at the top of the stairs, it’s designed to “feel almost like a piece of furniture, so there are no upper cabinets but instead a rotating display of art and mirrors,” says Maria. See more of the space (and the rest of the house) in “Silly, Thrifty, and Not Too Serious”: Architects Maria Berman and Brad Horn at Home in Harlem. Photograph by Greta Rybus.

The High-Gloss Kitchen

dining room in park slope apartmeny by bhdm architects, photo by brian ferry 23

kitchen in park slope apartmeny by bhdm architects, photo by brian ferry 24

Above: Going dark might not be the first impulse in a small space, but in this Park Slope apartment, it adds gravitas. See Before & After: A “Not Too Brooklyn” Bachelor Pad in Park Slope, Transformed with Paint. Photograph by Brian W. Ferry, courtesy of BHDM Design.

The Chef’s Kitchen

the tiny apartment kitchen of chef david tanis is filled with trusy old fashion 25 — Above: The tiny apartment kitchen of chef David Tanis is filled with trusy old-fashioned tools and waste-conscious solutions, too. We photographed it years back: See Kitchen of the Week: Chef David Tanis’s Low-Tech, Economical, and Beautifully Soulful Kitchen in the East Village. Photograph by Heidi’s Bridge for Remodelista.

The Hallway Kitchen

every inch works double duty in this long and skinny pass through kitchen: just 26 — Above: Every inch works double duty in this long and skinny pass-through kitchen: Just take a look at Beneath the Surface: A Petite Manhattan Apartment with a Surprising Amount of Storage (and Small-Space Tricks). Photograph by Eric Petschek.

The Students’ Kitchen

one of the scrappiest kitchens we&#8\2\17;ve seen? this one in bushwick, ov 27 — Above: One of the scrappiest kitchens we’ve seen? This one in Bushwick, overhauled on a tiny budget. Read more: A Two-Week, $1,000, 500-Square-Foot Rental Overhaul by a Design Student in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Photograph courtesy of Kristina Line and Anton Bak.

The Reader’s Kitchen

remodelista reader (and westville owner) jay strauss&#8\2\17;s kitchen in a 28 — Above: Remodelista reader (and Westville owner) Jay Strauss’s kitchen in a former storefront is 250 square feet—”not tiny by NYC standards,” Jay says. Still, his DIYed pegboard made the space hyper efficient. Read more in Reader Rehab: An NYC Restaurateur’s DIY Pegboard for His Compact Kitchen. Photograph by Jay Strauss.

For more NYC inspiration, have a look at Kitchen(s) of the Week: 9 All-Time Favorites in Brooklyn.

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