Living in a studio apartment mean that you have to embrace creative problem solving in order to find solutions to the challenges that you encounter within your place of residence. One of the areas within the apartment that you have to creatively solve your problems is within the kitchen. Because studio apartment have limited square footage, you have to ensure that your kitchen area is both functional enough to prepare real meals, yet also does not feel cramped or chaotic when using the kitchen area.
By using the right ideas and suggestions, it is possible to transform your tiny kitchen corner into a functional kitchen and a charming kitchen. The key to success in your studio apartment is using solutions that work harder than average solutions for the kitchen. By using the following ten approaches, you will be able to transform your tiny kitchen into a beautiful and functional area that you will enjoy using every day.
Each of these suggestions has worked for numerous studio apartment renters, and each of these suggestions will help the apartment owners to stop fighting their floor plan and enjoy there floor plan.
Ten Creative Ideas For Your Studio Kitchen
1. Reconsider Vertical Space with Open Shelving
One of the first suggestions is to reconsider how you use the vertical space in your kitchen. For instance, install open shelving that goes from the countertops to the ceiling.
Installing floating wooden shelves in warm tones will add warmth to your kitchen and allow you to store your dinnerware. Using open shelving will make your kitchen feel lighter and less crowded than if you used many upper cabinets. While you will lose some hidden storage by using this type of shelving, you can utilize the shelves to display your favorite mugs and spice jar.
Additionally, the visibility of these items will encourage you to cook more often. To make sure the open shelving looks great in your kitchen, ensure that it is always clean and free of excess clutter. Instead of purchasing numerous kitchen containers, use matching kitchen containers to create a decorative element in your kitchen.
2. Use a Rolling Kitchen Cart
Another approach to transforming your tiny kitchen is to use a rolling kitchen cart. For example, purchase a slim kitchen cart that features a butcher block counter and wire basket underneath. Place the cart beside your refrigerator, and use it to store your pots on the cart, cutting boards in the middle of the cart, and use the counter on top of the cart as a prep area for your recipes.
Using the cart will make it easy for you to change how your kitchen is arranged, depending on what you are cooking for dinner. Additionally, purchase a cart with lockable wheels so that it will not move when you are chopping vegetables on the cart. The only downside to a rolling kitchen cart is that you should of remember to lock the cart prior to begin to slice your vegetables.
3. Install Magnetic Knife Strips
Installing magnetic knife strips on one of the walls will save you space in your cabinets, and will also allow you to find and access your kitchen knives quickly. For example, install a sixteen-inch strip of oak wood that is loaded with strong neodymium magnets that will hold your knives. This will allow you to find the knives that you need for your recipes without having to search your drawers.
Additionally, mount the strip on the wall so that your knives will not interfere with your cooking on the counter. By installing such a strip, you will have a prep area that is ready for your use.
4. Add a Pull Out Pantry Cabinet
Another idea is to install a pull-out pantry cabinet in your kitchen.
For instance, purchase a pantry cabinet that is no wider than ten inches in size. These pantries has narrow shelves that slide out of the cabinet, allowing you to store foods in the pantry. You can use this pantry to store the foods that you use the most in your kitchen.
Additionally, choose a pantry that allows you to adjust the height of the shelves within the pantry so that different sized food products can be stored. Once installed, you will wonder how you ever cooked without purchasing the pull-out pantry cabinet.
5. Adjust Kitchen Lighting
Adjusting the lighting in your kitchen will make or break the mood of your compact kitchen.
For example, install LED lighting beneath the counters in your kitchen. Additionally, install a pendant light above the sink, and install a slim track lighting system along the ceiling of your kitchen. Use the track lighting to aim spotlights onto the foods that you are chopping in your kitchen.
Choose warm white bulbs with approximately 2700 Kelvin to provide adequate lighting while still maintaining the cozy feel of your kitchen. Additionally, good lighting will make the remainder of your studio apartment feel larger. You will no longer have dark corner in your apartment.
6. Include a Compact Kitchen Island
Another idea for your studio apartment is to sacrifice a bit of your floor space to include a compact island in your kitchen. For instance, purchase an island that is two feet in width by three feet in length. Include a built-in cutting board and island on a stand that allows you to roll the island against one of the walls in your kitchen when it is not being used.
Additionally, some islands include a drop-leaf that allows for two people to have seating in your kitchen. While you will have to learn to navigate around the island when using your kitchen, most people adjust to the presence of the island within one week of purchasing it.
7. Install a Foldable Wall Table
One of the best ideas is to install a foldable table on the wall.
For instance, foldable tables have drop-leaf tables that are anchored in place to the wall. The drop-leaf table can be used when you need it, but folded against the plaster wall of your apartment when you do not require the table for your cooking activities. Additionally, anchor the foldable table to the wall near one of the windows in the apartment.
This will allow you to have natural light shine onto your table while you eat breakfast. Use slim stools that can hang from the table when you are not using them. This solution will provide you with a location where you can eat or use your laptop.
Make sure the table features sturdier hardware so that it will not wobble when you are using it. Otherwise, you will drive yourself crazy.
8. Purchase Appropriate Size Appliances
Another of the best suggestions is to purchase appliances that are appropriate for the size of your kitchen.
For instance, purchase a slim twenty-four-inch refrigerator and a compact cooktop with two burners. Additionally, the cooktop can be a drawer-style dishwasher. Many kitchen appliance manufacturers have manufactured appliances that are sized for apartment dwellers.
Additionally, the cooktop will provide more counter space within your kitchen. While you may miss using the giant oven in the kitchen, a countertop convection oven can perform most of your baking needs. These appliances will make your kitchen feel intentional.
9. Utilize Reflective Surfaces
Reflective surfaces will help to make your kitchen feel larger by reflecting the light in the kitchen. For instance, use stainless steel shelves behind the sink in your kitchen. The stainless steel will reflect the remainder of the kitchen, making the countertop appear deeper.
Place a mirrored panel on one of the upper cabinets, and use glossy white subway tiles on the walls of the kitchen. These reflective products will help to reflect the natural light into the apartment. While you may have limited natural light in your apartment, using these types of products will still have an impact on the appearance of your kitchen.
10. Use Open Concept Storage Solutions
The trick to using these types of appliances is to ensure that the kitchen does not excessively glare with the reflected light. Use the appliances judiciously. One of the most effective ideas is to use an open concept storage solution.
For instance, use a large sheet of pegboard that can be hung above one of the countertops in your kitchen. Use the pegboard to create hooks, shelves, and baskets for your utensils. The advantage of the pegboard solution is that your utensils will not be on every counter in the kitchen.
Another benefit is that you can reorganize your kitchen based on your cooking activities. Additionally, if you paint the pegboard the same color as the wall in your kitchen, the pegboard will blend in until you need it. This strategy will force you to only purchase those appliances and utensils that you actualy use in the kitchen.
Because everything will be visible on the pegboard, you will find that your cooking activities will be improved over time. These ten ideas will make your studio kitchen area transform from an area that fights against you to one that supports the life that you live in your apartment. The next time you enter your apartment, look at your tiny kitchen corner.
By making these kinds of improvements to your apartment, you will have a kitchen that you will find to be surprisingly spacious and entirely yours.
