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New York apartment living is big on style and small on space, and nowhere more than in the kitchen. You do not have to renovate to make a small kitchen look and work better. Everything below can be done without moving a pipe or a wall. That keeps it out of the permit office and, in most buildings, out of the board’s review, though it is always worth asking first.
An eye-catching backsplash
The backsplash is the one surface in a small kitchen where you can afford to be bold. It covers only a few square feet, so even a costly tile is a small purchase, and a small area of it adds a good deal of character. We like tile with some texture or a little sparkle, which catches the light under the cabinets. Keep the rest of the room quiet and let this be the one thing the eye goes to.
A place for everything
Clutter makes a small kitchen feel smaller than it is. The cure is a home for every item, and two fittings do most of the work.
- Pull-out shelves and drawers. They bring the back of a cabinet to you. Shallow ones organize spices, knives and silverware, and deep ones hold pots. Many can be fitted into the cabinets you already have.
- An appliance garage. A cabinet at counter height with its own door hides the toaster and the coffee maker and leaves the counter clear.
Being able to put things out of sight matters. When too much sits on the counter, the room looks messy and you lose the space you work on.
Look at the kitchen doorway too. Open shelves around it turn dead wall into storage for cutting boards, coffee cups and mixing bowls. Leave a little room for something that is only there to be liked: a small plant, a few cookbooks.
Glass door fronts
Many people do not know that cabinet doors can be replaced with glass ones without replacing the cabinets. It costs somewhat more than a plain door, and it makes a small kitchen feel more open, because the eye travels past the door to the back of the cabinet. It also keeps you tidy, since everyone can see in. Use glass on two or three upper cabinets, the ones that hold your better dishes and glasses, and leave the rest solid.
Removable wall coverings
Peel-and-stick coverings can be tacky. Chosen well they are also the quickest way to put your own stamp on a kitchen, and they come off again, which makes them the renter’s friend. A marble pattern this year can be something else the next. Keep them away from the wall directly behind the range, where heat and grease will lift the edges.
A rolling cart
A cart on wheels is extra counter and extra storage that can be pushed out of the way, which suits a small New York kitchen exactly. Hang a short curtain from it to add a color and to hide what is stored below. Measure before you buy. The National Kitchen and Bath Association recommends a walkway at least 36 inches wide (NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines), so the cart needs a parking place that leaves the path through the room open.
What needs permission and what does not
- The city. Painting, plastering and installing new cabinets are on the Department of Buildings’ list of work that needs no permit.
- A co-op or condo. Painting and small cosmetic changes normally need no approval. Ask the managing agent before you drill into walls or tile, because some buildings restrict it.
- A rental. Ask the landlord before fixing anything to the walls. Coverings and carts that leave no mark are the safe choices.
- Lighting. Plug-in or battery lights under the cabinets are yours to add. Lights wired into the wall are electrical work, which needs a permit and a licensed electrical contractor.
When decorating is not enough
Decoration improves a kitchen whose bones are sound. It cannot fix a layout that does not work or cabinets that are falling apart. If that is your kitchen, our small kitchen renovation ideas are the next thing to read. Fitted storage is covered on our custom storage page, new doors and cabinets under custom cabinets, and the full job under kitchen renovation in NYC.
Want pull-outs, glass doors or an appliance garage fitted to the kitchen you have? Call us, and we will look at what your cabinets can take.
Questions people ask
Can I update my kitchen without board approval?
Decorative changes usually need none. Painting and small cosmetic changes are normally outside a co-op’s approval process, and the city requires no permit for painting or new cabinets. Check with your managing agent before drilling or changing anything fixed, since every building’s rules differ.
What is an appliance garage?
It is a cabinet that sits at counter height with a door of its own, where small appliances such as a toaster or coffee maker live. Close the door and the counter is clear.