Kitchen Update

I have an ugly little kitchen.


Pros:
3 lovely windows
a gas stove
a double sink


Cons:
the ubiquitous contractor grade wooden cupboards
a cheap linoleum floor
28 inches of counter-top
It measures 5'9"x 11'2". That's a whopping 64.5 square feet.
2 doors (no usable wall space for a shelf or rack)
a landlord's prohibition of paint.

I've spent the last 2 years trying to de-uglify the room while improving its function. I'm a poor student who likes to eat well. This means I cook. A lot.

Here's a photo of the 'before', taken a few months after I moved in.  I had already hung a fruit basket and added a little shelf over the sink. But, hideous, right?

 

This weekend, I finally tackled the cupboards with a roll of white contact paper and a packet of mirror tiles from Ikea.

It's still pretty ugly but much lighter and not so 'wood in your face'. I took the cupboard doors off and stored them in that weird gap to the right. The gap is about 3 inches wide, too narrow for any shelving unit. I jimmy-rigged a sling to hold the sleeves of coffee pods and set the wooden bowls over the gap.

The curtain on top (secured with a tension rod) hides the less used equipment, grandma's punch bowl, extra plateware for parties and my modem/router.

The slate cheese board doubles as a trivet and cutting surface for quick jobs.

 Hanging the pans and lids near the stove freed up an entire bottom cupboard- now holding my blender, casserole dishes and mixing bowls. A shelving unit on the fridge is home to my pie pans, the microwave, cutting boards, bulk spices and the cast iron pans.

Cooking utensils and salt/pepper on the back of the stove. 

Burlap bags on the wall hold tupperware, paper towels, napkins, towels and reusable grocery bags.

Olive oil and Vinegar is stored on the windowsill. The lace in the window belonged to my mother.