My kitchen is approximately 10' X 15' 5". It is classic white cabinets/absolute black granite/stainless steel. The island measures 4'7" X 7'9" and is the center of all activity in the house.

Ours went from what we called a two butt kitchen to this. Love it! We got rid of a too small laundry room and an almost useless pantry (because the door opened into it there was only shelves at the end of the space) and just expanded the kitchen footprint into them. Our laundry is out in the garage that opens off the kitchen and since the garage is very nicely done with epoxy floors and cabinetry it's a good trade off. We went from approximately 48 sq. ft. to 162. The space we expanded into behind the old bar area was dead space anyway because you needed room for the stools to slide out. Now it holds the pantry and we were able to expand the size of the island. The first two pictures below are the same view/angle. Notice the fan and kitchen window are the same.

We have a 10'x12' kitchen we remodeled and gave a small kitchen more counter space and more cabinet space. It now is easier for 2 people to work in. We also took a dark unused coat closet in dining room and added shelves and a light and now it functions as a small appliance pantry to keep clutter off countertops. Here is before and after pics of the space and how nice it is now.

Wonderful, creative small kitchen designs. Not all my taste but each perfect for someone. Always enjoy seeing rooms that not cold and staged!

finndian Those are beautiful renos! Where did you find the sink in the second reno? It looks like the drain rack is part of the unit?

mariep, thank you! They were fun to redo... mainly because what was there was SO bad. Then finding 24" wide appliances was a chore... thats a motorhome microwave!

The sink in both units is KINDRED KGCRA8. Pretty easy to care for... if it does get a (rare) stain, a little sanding or bleach and its gone.

Irene Fortuna what are those cabinets made out of? I think they could look a lot nicer with different hardware- I'm not a fan of those lifeless knobs. If they're not particle-board, you could add new pulls that I think would liven up the space.

www.greenwoodframed.com

finndian Thanks so much! Wish I'd known about that sink when I renoed my rental. I ended up just putting in a single sink. Definitely saving this one for the next time!

I love seeing all the kitchens with no backsplashes! I was beginning to think i was the only one who has never had a backsplash.

Irene, i am thinking of doing this in my tiny non expandable kitchen. why not turn the entire end wall into one giant cabinet. you might even be able to eliminate some of the others, give your self more counter, and shelves perhaps, feel a little roomier.

@nnigrt -- I LOVE your baking annex!

My husband and I bought a three-bedroom bungalow in Florida three years ago. I'd done the bigger 4 bedroom house with finished basement thing in our previous home, and it was nice, but a lot of house to maintain. I discovered I really prefer smaller homes. So this is our kitchen now. It's pretty small, and I'm convinced it turned off a lot of potential buyers. What you see is literally all there is as far as footprint. In the bottom photo you can see the bubble-wrapped handles of the side-by-side fridge. Now, what makes this kitchen a jewel-in-disguise, is that the storage space is actually really, incredibly ample. All of the cupboards go to the ceiling, and on either side of the refrigerator are floor-to-ceiling pantries that are as deep so the fridge sits flush with them. We keep kosher and so have two sets of daily dishes, as well as two sets for Passover. So we keep four sets of dishes and four sets of pots and pans, and still have plenty of space for pantry items as well as plastic-ware, kid's water bottles, etc. These photos are from the online sale listing. The only thing we did to it was move in, and we just replaced the dishwasher (it was old and gave out) with a stainless one. We keep a four slice toaster and a coffeemaker on the counter in the space between sink and stove. The cupboard above that holds coffee, tea, mugs as well as some barware, like tumbers and shakers. The two shelves to the left of the sink hold cookbooks and mixing bowls within easy reach. The glass shelves above the dishwasher house wineglasses and our fancier crystal and glass serving pieces. I store everyday items down low, and items used for parties or for Passover are stored up higher. If I need the stepstool a handful of times a year, that's not a big deal for me. On a daily basis, the kitchen is neat and compact, and easy for 5' 4" me to navigate.

My modest 1300 square foot foursquare-style farmhouse in Baltimore County, Maryland, was constructed in 1862 and came with a 12-foot by 12-foot kitchen. Despite slightly sloping 1970s-era oak cabinets and a very simple island, the basic kitchen layout was adequate and I was (and still am) on a limited budget. So I used what was already there and simply enhanced the space with updated appliances and decor.

For instance, I ran propane across a patio into my basement from a guest house on the property so I could have a gas range in my kitchen, but I kept the valuable counter and cupboard space and stuck with a 30-inch duel-fuel Jenn-Aire range. As much as I wanted granite countertops, I couldn't afford them, so I changed the green laminate to black and added pops color by displaying my Le Creuset and Mauviel cookware instead of hiding them in cupboards.

I don't like chrome (or any of the silver metals) so as soon as I purchased my new gas range, I threw away its chrome oven door handles and designed new free-form handles in brass. Brass-colored spray paint took care of the stovetop knobs. I took up four layers of linoleum and one layer of masonite floor tile and refinished the original pine floorboards. I removed the perforated acoustic ceiling tile and installed embossed brass-colored tin ceiling tiles special-ordered from Home Depot. I liked the look so much I added them as a back splash, too.

I added a butcher-block top to my free-standing dishwasher and doubled its countertop space by installing hidden hinges in the beech so that it folds over on itself when I wheel the dishwasher to the sink to run it. Using a router, I created a hole in the butcher-block which allows me to slide vegetable cuttings and kitchen scraps into the garbage can/compost bin below.

My kitchen is colorful, to say the least, and the large, ancient windows are a bit awkwardly placed. But they let in a lot of light, and I smile every time I walk into the room. It is a joy to cook in my kitchen!

I love all the pictures.

This is 10' x 15' in an 1850s Charleston single. It was a treat to find the heart pine floors under the linoleum and plywood. We're thinking of replacing the door (backdoor) with a glass door because it gets beautiful morning and afternoon light. This is a downstairs unit and parking in back is shared with the upstairs unit. Any suggestions for glass and privacy?

@milokateoh: You can use spray paint in "frost" for windows to allow light, but add privacy. I did sprayed many windows on one side of my house where the neighbor is very close. I have sprayed them completely and sprayed over a stencil to give it some visual interest. I know there are films you can purchase rather than using the spray and some have patterns or stain glass designs.

lynell, i adore your kitchen! Especially the cabinet tops, a real working kitchen, i bet everything up there serves a purpose at some point. I think that is why the designed tops never look good. they are pointless.

Milo, i love the films, and you can get them for $30 or less. here are 2 examples.

Vines Privacy Window Film · More Info

Jeweled 3 Faux Privacy Stained Glass Clings and Window Films · More Info

Irene Fortuna, your tiny kitchen has tons of potential! I can see a 24" wide refrigerator on that back wall where the microwave is now, cabinets to the ceiling, tank-less water heater, venting microwave over a stove top, mirrored backsplash to reflect the view out the window across.

It looks like you have a wall next to the existing refrigerator that could come out and the counter can stick into the other room a bit to make a bar with plenty of room for a dishwasher and maybe a wine cooler! Possibly a corner sink if it will fit back there... with a mirrored wall over it so you are not staring at a cabinet 5 inches from your face. I faced a lot of the same problems with the kitchens I posted above that you are facing... take a look. Good luck!

nancyjacobs - I really like the stencil combined with the frosting spray. Very clever. Our eventual plan is actually a shared small garden courtyard between the back door and a recreated carriage house a short distance behind it. So I had envisioned something more like a roman shade to give privacy when desired from the door that looks out onto the courtyard. And also a living wall separating the view of the neighboring house on the left from the small porch going to the courtyard- a solution that actually allows you a full view into the garden when desired. It's dense urban space. Maybe that's not so practical with three units (upstairs, downstairs, carriage house) sharing the courtyard space.

Irene Fortuna - Is the hot water heater a tankless one? It is expensive but they can be installed on an outside wall and you have never-ending hot water.

guru and finn, do either of you have a tankless? I was all sold then i heard mixed reviews, mainly it seems not worth it if electric, and it is if it is gas? Although i would think that in a kitchen where it is not running for ages with showers and bath, and yet gives instant hot, might be worth it anyway? Another positive is i understood, you could hang high?

Milo - I am thinking you mean planted, when you say living? There is now a new product that looks like a vine covering. cool for when you want to have immediately as natural grows in, remove this one.

I have 3 tankless water heaters in my triplex... all gas. Two are on the roof above townhouse style apartments and the water can take about 90-120 seconds to travel down to the kitchen on the main floor. In my unit the tank is about 10 feet from my kitchen and laundry but its still about 20-30 seconds to get the heated water. The endless hot water just changes everything I grew up believing about hot water heaters... sudden blasts of cold water are a thing of the past. Including... when a toilet is flushed or if both showers are being used and the dishwasher and washing machine is on! I do not get temperature variations in the heated water no matter how much hot water is being used. The heaters do need to be flushed out every 2 years. Minerals build up in the coil and they need to be dissolved out. I do this myself with a vinegar solution and a pump.

thanks finn.

havingfun - Yes, I have had a gas tankless water heater for 15 years and still think that it is the best home improvement $s that I ever spent. Unlimited hot water and no big ol tank taking up precious space.

It replaced a huge tank that was placed right behind my bed and could be seen through an interior window from the bedroom into the laundry room where it lived. I know that it sounds crazy and it was - I have since remodeled the house and fixed that whole mess, but it had to happen soon after we moved in.

whoa look at that fridge....reminds me of the vans, cars, and busses being 'wrapped' with company advertising.....they look so great. maybe that could be a new thing, getting your fridge wrapped... its like a temporary tattoo.

Yes, nnigrt, that's exactly what I had done to my fridge! And we LOVE it!

Cool fridge wrap! I went looking on Houzz and there is a listing for someone who does these. I may need to investigate.

Custom design refrigerator wraps · More Info

Hey Jennifer K, you can also Google auto wraps, which is what I did. They came to the house and did it for me. Cool, huh?

@vegaspat: entirely cool!