Collection by Aileen Kwun

Solutions For Tiny Kitchens

No space? No problem—city dwellers know: It's possible to create a functional, full-service workstation in a tiny footprint.

Pros: Marble is elegant, heat resistant, and comes in a range of colors.

Cons: Its high price, especially for more unusual types like Calacatta marble (known for its purer white and bolder veining compared to more common marble like Carrara), means that it isn’t an option for everyone. It is also quite high maintenance, requiring regular resealing.
Pros: Marble is elegant, heat resistant, and comes in a range of colors. Cons: Its high price, especially for more unusual types like Calacatta marble (known for its purer white and bolder veining compared to more common marble like Carrara), means that it isn’t an option for everyone. It is also quite high maintenance, requiring regular resealing.
With clever storage and a retractable skylight, a London apartment designed by metalworker and owner Simone ten Hompel and Roger Hynam of Rogeroger Design Solutions feels larger than its 576 square feet. The team worked in a uniquely collaborative way, with Ullmayer Sylvester planning the space, Hynam creating the built-in storage and the kitchen island, and ten Hompel making models and scrawling on the wall to better envision their proposals. The kitchen island features a compact cooktop by Whirlpool and an integrated drainboard incised into the countertop for easy cleaning.
With clever storage and a retractable skylight, a London apartment designed by metalworker and owner Simone ten Hompel and Roger Hynam of Rogeroger Design Solutions feels larger than its 576 square feet. The team worked in a uniquely collaborative way, with Ullmayer Sylvester planning the space, Hynam creating the built-in storage and the kitchen island, and ten Hompel making models and scrawling on the wall to better envision their proposals. The kitchen island features a compact cooktop by Whirlpool and an integrated drainboard incised into the countertop for easy cleaning.
Bovee and Kirkpatrick eat at the table he designed. The cooktop, oven, and dishwasher are by Bosch; Bren Reis of Earthbound industries made the cabinets.
Bovee and Kirkpatrick eat at the table he designed. The cooktop, oven, and dishwasher are by Bosch; Bren Reis of Earthbound industries made the cabinets.
In the living and dining area, what appear to be walls are actually specially designed cabinets and black glass. The television is mounted on a central pole, allowing it to be swiveled around and viewed from all parts of the home—even the outside deck. “Everything is connected,” Zusman explains. “One can step into any room from the other.”
In the living and dining area, what appear to be walls are actually specially designed cabinets and black glass. The television is mounted on a central pole, allowing it to be swiveled around and viewed from all parts of the home—even the outside deck. “Everything is connected,” Zusman explains. “One can step into any room from the other.”
Goolrick reoriented the kitchen and chose sleek stainless steel countertops and bright white walls and cupboards to create the illusion of space.
Goolrick reoriented the kitchen and chose sleek stainless steel countertops and bright white walls and cupboards to create the illusion of space.
A drop-down countertop conceals dishware and other kitchen belongings.
A drop-down countertop conceals dishware and other kitchen belongings.
Garber and Robertson replaced walls and doors with translucent Panelite, which draws sunlight deep into the apartment.
Garber and Robertson replaced walls and doors with translucent Panelite, which draws sunlight deep into the apartment.
Even in the Stonorovs’ tiny first-floor room, the curse of the kitchen as the inevitable gathering place lives on—–though the two-foot space between the sink and metal island is less than ideal for the family of three and their blue heeler, Oscar.
Even in the Stonorovs’ tiny first-floor room, the curse of the kitchen as the inevitable gathering place lives on—–though the two-foot space between the sink and metal island is less than ideal for the family of three and their blue heeler, Oscar.
Who says kitchen islands can’t work in small spaces too? A design-minded pair ensures that their tiny seaside getaway in Hampshire, England, is shipshape. At 538 square feet, this home is efficiently designed, with an interior that was influenced by the compact housing that you see in Japan. The kitchen and island have been sized to fit the small space, but the island’s minimal finishings keep it feeling appropriate.
Who says kitchen islands can’t work in small spaces too? A design-minded pair ensures that their tiny seaside getaway in Hampshire, England, is shipshape. At 538 square feet, this home is efficiently designed, with an interior that was influenced by the compact housing that you see in Japan. The kitchen and island have been sized to fit the small space, but the island’s minimal finishings keep it feeling appropriate.
The designers fabricated everything in the house, down to the quarter-sawn pine and macrocarpa-wood kitchen cabinetry and concrete floor. “Physically the most challenging part of the build was wrestling an incredibly slippery concrete pump up the muddy driveway in the rain!” says designer Ben Mitchell-Anyon. The enamel pendant light is vintage. Photo by: Paul McCredie
The designers fabricated everything in the house, down to the quarter-sawn pine and macrocarpa-wood kitchen cabinetry and concrete floor. “Physically the most challenging part of the build was wrestling an incredibly slippery concrete pump up the muddy driveway in the rain!” says designer Ben Mitchell-Anyon. The enamel pendant light is vintage. Photo by: Paul McCredie
Give your IKEA furniture a quick facelift with these DIY tips—guaranteed to transform your basic pieces into custom, eye-catching furniture in less than an hour, tops.
Give your IKEA furniture a quick facelift with these DIY tips—guaranteed to transform your basic pieces into custom, eye-catching furniture in less than an hour, tops.
Mami and Ishii Hideaki (a friend and .......Research employee) prepare lunch in the cozy main building. The room is rustic and utilitarian, with a double-decker wood-burning stove, tons of open storage, and a sink fashioned from galvanized buckets. But there’s an underlying high-design ethos: The wire baskets are handmade classics from Korbo, a Swedish company, and what looks like a paper-wrapped box in front of the stove is actually a leather cushion by Japanese artist Nakano.
Mami and Ishii Hideaki (a friend and .......Research employee) prepare lunch in the cozy main building. The room is rustic and utilitarian, with a double-decker wood-burning stove, tons of open storage, and a sink fashioned from galvanized buckets. But there’s an underlying high-design ethos: The wire baskets are handmade classics from Korbo, a Swedish company, and what looks like a paper-wrapped box in front of the stove is actually a leather cushion by Japanese artist Nakano.
"I think that small spaces inherently demand inventiveness," architect Michael Chen says. So when a client presented him with a brief to create a multi-functional element that was kitted out with refrigeration, storage, a beer tap, a humidor, and a dining area, Chen created what he calls a magic box. It boasts an army of features, but discreetly hides them all when not in use. "Sometimes we call them architectural appliances or transformers because that’s what they do," Chen says. "Conceptually they are appliances; experientially we like to think of them as magic boxes because they’re fun in that way."
"I think that small spaces inherently demand inventiveness," architect Michael Chen says. So when a client presented him with a brief to create a multi-functional element that was kitted out with refrigeration, storage, a beer tap, a humidor, and a dining area, Chen created what he calls a magic box. It boasts an army of features, but discreetly hides them all when not in use. "Sometimes we call them architectural appliances or transformers because that’s what they do," Chen says. "Conceptually they are appliances; experientially we like to think of them as magic boxes because they’re fun in that way."
The Box Kitchen contains two burners, a ventilation hood, a sink, a dishwasher, and a microwave. A fold-down laminated countertop creates a prep surface.
The Box Kitchen contains two burners, a ventilation hood, a sink, a dishwasher, and a microwave. A fold-down laminated countertop creates a prep surface.
As the most common type of kitchen sink, the top-mount sink is installed by inserting the sink into a pre-cut hole in the countertop. The wide rim around the sink supports it on top of the countertop, and is then caulked in place with silicone for a water-tight fit.
As the most common type of kitchen sink, the top-mount sink is installed by inserting the sink into a pre-cut hole in the countertop. The wide rim around the sink supports it on top of the countertop, and is then caulked in place with silicone for a water-tight fit.
Molineus designed all of the storage units in the apartment, including the lacquered medium-density fiberboard cabinets under the kitchen sink, which is outfitted with a Vola faucet.
Molineus designed all of the storage units in the apartment, including the lacquered medium-density fiberboard cabinets under the kitchen sink, which is outfitted with a Vola faucet.
The kitchen is equipped with a custom Statuario marble countertop, shelf, and sink.
The kitchen is equipped with a custom Statuario marble countertop, shelf, and sink.

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