I love my apartment. I really do, but in terms of amenities and space it is one step up from a dorm room. The "kitchen" area has the bare essentials: fridge, sink and stove. No counters even. The following tips have transformed it into something resembling a kitchen.
1. Hang a multi-tiered shower caddy on the wall near the sink. This can be your spice rack, hold your sponge (where the soap would be) and you can hang potholders or utensils from the hooks.
2. Invest in a large, high quality toaster oven. Put it on your Christmas or Birthday wish list if you can't afford it but it's an absolute must. It may sound counterintuitive to buy a big one but here's my reasoning: You'd buy a toaster anyways right? So why not buy one that does double duty? You can use your oven to store pots, pans and dishes. It's much more energy efficient, and conventional ovens can heat up a small apartment pretty quickly. You will be surprised at what you can cook, roast and bake in a toaster oven. Trust me on this one.
3. If you don't have counter space get a small desk. Check out craigslist for super cheap ones. In a pinch, save the desk chair and use the desk as your kitchen table. If there is room underneath the desk, it is a perfect place for recycling or even your trash can.
4. If you don't have good lighting, put a lamp in your kitchen. Even one of those clip on desk lamps will do.
5. Make it pretty. Arrange bottles and nice glasses so they can double as decoration. Buy some pretty and nice smelling soap. Get a small plotted plant or some herbs. Hang a photo or even cut out pictures of food on the wall.
6. Buy things with multiple uses like a wok and a loaf pan. Don't let Paula Deen or the Neeleys make you feel bad for not having a deep fryer. (Although they do make mini deep fryers now.) Asian supermarkets are honestly great places for buying basic kitchen gear on a budget. Also stock up on some great ingredients while you're there.
The bottom line is strip it down to the bare essentials and make it inviting.
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