I love this idea. I live in a 1950's ranch-style house, and the kitchen cabinets were built by the original tenant. They're built to fit the space *exactly*. My partner and I have discussed a complete reno, but we always come back to what's already there--and what's already working. Had we been the original builders, might we have done things differently? Of course. Can we live happily with what's already there/been done for us? You bet.
My husband and I just had an offer for a house accepted and signed all the beginning paperwork about an hour ago. We are so excited! Reading this article really made me feel good about this 1000 sq ft fixer upper we are (inspection willing!) buying, especially the cute kitchen. When I got to the part about keeping wood cabinets, I went back to the listing pictures and confirmed that the kitchen does have wood cabinets! We want to make it our own but will definitely work with what is there. And buy some art instead of new countertops.
Congrats on your house; fingers cross all goes well with the inspection. I've had great success with Benjamin Moore's Advance paint (it's a waterborne alkyd) for kitchen cabinets, if you decide they need a fresh coat.
Hi, I’m a first time reader, here from Anne Helen Petersen’s group!
We renovated a 1905-ish commercial brick storefront, and recycled the office cabinetry for a from-scratch kitchen (where a toilet and small break room used to be, since that’s where the plumbing was). It was hard to decide how much of the space we should allot, but somewhat randomly ended up at approximately 12x18 feet.
All the cabinets from at least five small offices of a previous architectural business were taken into the basement for … a while. When we were ready, they were hauled up and set down nearby. We used about a dozen of them in the kitchen, and ended up with a ridiculously large island because of wanting to fit a couple additional cabinets in. I need a step stool to reach the middle 🤷🏽♀️.
Our contractor made a few custom pieces to fit them all together (corner sink, broom closet, and above the fridge), plus one that mimics a cupboard in a dear friend’s kitchen, glass on all three sides. Besides this one and the one above the refrigerator, there is one other upper cabinet. We found vintage glass doors with our last initial etched into them, so perfect!
The same friend (@ameliasaltsman) recommended a 3-1/2 ft wide space around the island and THAT is what makes this kitchen a dream to work in whenever you have more than one person in the kitchen. There’s lots of room to work back to back, and lots of room to pass. I miss dinner parties! We haven’t gotten back to it since Covid. There’s room for lots of cooks in my kitchen.
The point about "bigger isn't always better" is so true. I've cooked in many large and impressive kitchens, and I'm never as efficient as when I'm in a thoughtfully designed smaller space (like my own!). Too small is a challenge, of course. But you can do a lot with just one long expanse of counter-top (say 5-feet or so). Thanks for sharing this advice!
I am about to embark on a very overdue kitchen renovation in my studio apartment and I'm so nervous. I don't think it's been touched since the 80s and the cabinets are quite literally falling apart, but my resources are pretty limited. It's the first renovation that I've tackled myself and I'm definitely worried I'll just end up with something that's bland and likely to fall apart in a few years. The balance between not having much to spend and wanting to make sure it's done right is tricky!
Wishing you luck, Lizzie! If I were doing my small kitchen again, I'd definitely invest in better cabinets (not IKEA) and appliances and the additional electrical work for induction. If you live in an apartment building with similar units, it's always nice to see what other people did; if you can't snoop in person, you might be able to do it online. More kitchen thoughts here: https://food52.com/blog/27348-small-kitchen-renovation-ideas
I'm reading this four months too late. We just renovated our kitchen. Unfortunately, wood is very expensive, so that was out. And we live in a place with built in everything (Austria). The biggest challenge for us was replacing the appliances that had not been changed since 1975 (respect). The issue there is, then you need all new electricity circuits... and so it begins. It's still small and perfect, though. Which I love. Still going to buy the book....
Those 1970s appliances went the distance. When we bought our home the original 1970 dishwasher was still there and still working, but lord, it used a lot of water.
I just bought a fixer upper with an 11x11 kitchen that couldn’t be salvaged. It was hard for me to commit to a gut reno but the best things I did were put in an induction stovetop (it’s just a countertop when you’re not actively using it!) and interview contractors until I found one that understood my vision. I had a few contractors who encouraged me to go BIGGER AND OPEN but I kept going until I found one that thought my ideas would be an interesting challenge.
I love this idea in theory but my 1990s kitchen was 100% built by two straight guys who obviously never cooked. Our utensil drawer is right about the trash for goodness sakes. I paid an absurd amount to a luxury kitchen designer to design our similarly awfully laid out laundry room and it added 100% more functionality to our home. I don't agree with gutting just to do it but I would encourage people to work with design experts who can help you maximize your space to fit your own needs (imho this is almost never your contractor or builder!).
I am nearing the end of a long renovation of a little house in Venice. I had big plans for a big range (Italian ovens are toy sized) & new cabinets & a different layout. The sale took ages & we were able to live in the space for a few months before any work was done. What a gift. I discovered the kitchen was perfect. It is beautifully designed to work in. The style is dated but for now I am only changing the counter tops (They are being made from an old dining table from Zimbabwe that just won’t fit in this house) a new cooktop & a snazzy backsplash.
I’ve been debating buying this book as we start a renovation on our tiny kitchen, so I’m taking this as a sign to purchase it! I’m feeling somewhat conflicted about the reno, as our kitchen looks fine from a distance, but everything is just low enough quality to drive me crazy - sorry to all design blogs that recommend ikea cabinets, but ours have been more bad than good. So I am trying to be thoughtful about how we replace basically everything in a sustainable way… Love your book, and so happy to have discovered your substack today!
8 years in our IKEA cabinets are a disaster too--I should write an exposé! That said, could you reuse the boxes if the layout is good? New doors from Semihandmade?
Glad to have you reading here on Substack. If you're kitchen dreaming, I am IN LOVE with the show For The Love of Kitchens on discovery+ (it is totally worth subscribing for a month or two to watch it).
It’s old, but I realized I do have another one Terence Conrad’s kitchen book. Remodelista’s book also has a nice chapter on kitchens (I’m sure you could get that from the library).
My tiny kitchen is the just the right size! I love when kitchen designs reflect many uses and have places to eat, store books, or other multi-use examples. Excited to check out this book!
Loved this! I'm doing a small kitchen reno right now. I had a company come in and give me a quote, and they cast this big vision: new built ins! moving appliances and water lines and outlets! They were also way over my budget, and I found myself thinking "All I really want is to refinish the floor and swap out the sink side cabinets." So that's what I'm doing, with help from my handy brother!
And thanks for the Anne Helen Petersen link! I've been thinking about the role of temporary setups within the big permanent projects. Reassured to think about there not being one optimal way for space to be used!
Love that you are selectively renovating instead of starting over and doing it yourself. I read the Anne Helen Petersen piece and then went right back to the beginning and read it a second time!
Insightful post on why gut kitchen renovations are falling out of favor! Your content offers a fresh perspective on evolving trends in kitchen design. Thanks for shedding light on alternative approaches to remodeling. https://livinginnovations.ph/brands/#gaggenau
I love this idea. I live in a 1950's ranch-style house, and the kitchen cabinets were built by the original tenant. They're built to fit the space *exactly*. My partner and I have discussed a complete reno, but we always come back to what's already there--and what's already working. Had we been the original builders, might we have done things differently? Of course. Can we live happily with what's already there/been done for us? You bet.
My husband and I just had an offer for a house accepted and signed all the beginning paperwork about an hour ago. We are so excited! Reading this article really made me feel good about this 1000 sq ft fixer upper we are (inspection willing!) buying, especially the cute kitchen. When I got to the part about keeping wood cabinets, I went back to the listing pictures and confirmed that the kitchen does have wood cabinets! We want to make it our own but will definitely work with what is there. And buy some art instead of new countertops.
Congrats on your house; fingers cross all goes well with the inspection. I've had great success with Benjamin Moore's Advance paint (it's a waterborne alkyd) for kitchen cabinets, if you decide they need a fresh coat.
Hi, I’m a first time reader, here from Anne Helen Petersen’s group!
We renovated a 1905-ish commercial brick storefront, and recycled the office cabinetry for a from-scratch kitchen (where a toilet and small break room used to be, since that’s where the plumbing was). It was hard to decide how much of the space we should allot, but somewhat randomly ended up at approximately 12x18 feet.
All the cabinets from at least five small offices of a previous architectural business were taken into the basement for … a while. When we were ready, they were hauled up and set down nearby. We used about a dozen of them in the kitchen, and ended up with a ridiculously large island because of wanting to fit a couple additional cabinets in. I need a step stool to reach the middle 🤷🏽♀️.
Our contractor made a few custom pieces to fit them all together (corner sink, broom closet, and above the fridge), plus one that mimics a cupboard in a dear friend’s kitchen, glass on all three sides. Besides this one and the one above the refrigerator, there is one other upper cabinet. We found vintage glass doors with our last initial etched into them, so perfect!
The same friend (@ameliasaltsman) recommended a 3-1/2 ft wide space around the island and THAT is what makes this kitchen a dream to work in whenever you have more than one person in the kitchen. There’s lots of room to work back to back, and lots of room to pass. I miss dinner parties! We haven’t gotten back to it since Covid. There’s room for lots of cooks in my kitchen.
The point about "bigger isn't always better" is so true. I've cooked in many large and impressive kitchens, and I'm never as efficient as when I'm in a thoughtfully designed smaller space (like my own!). Too small is a challenge, of course. But you can do a lot with just one long expanse of counter-top (say 5-feet or so). Thanks for sharing this advice!
Agree 100-percent! I can't wait to see the next iteration of your kitchen, btw.
I am about to embark on a very overdue kitchen renovation in my studio apartment and I'm so nervous. I don't think it's been touched since the 80s and the cabinets are quite literally falling apart, but my resources are pretty limited. It's the first renovation that I've tackled myself and I'm definitely worried I'll just end up with something that's bland and likely to fall apart in a few years. The balance between not having much to spend and wanting to make sure it's done right is tricky!
Wishing you luck, Lizzie! If I were doing my small kitchen again, I'd definitely invest in better cabinets (not IKEA) and appliances and the additional electrical work for induction. If you live in an apartment building with similar units, it's always nice to see what other people did; if you can't snoop in person, you might be able to do it online. More kitchen thoughts here: https://food52.com/blog/27348-small-kitchen-renovation-ideas
I'm reading this four months too late. We just renovated our kitchen. Unfortunately, wood is very expensive, so that was out. And we live in a place with built in everything (Austria). The biggest challenge for us was replacing the appliances that had not been changed since 1975 (respect). The issue there is, then you need all new electricity circuits... and so it begins. It's still small and perfect, though. Which I love. Still going to buy the book....
Those 1970s appliances went the distance. When we bought our home the original 1970 dishwasher was still there and still working, but lord, it used a lot of water.
I just bought a fixer upper with an 11x11 kitchen that couldn’t be salvaged. It was hard for me to commit to a gut reno but the best things I did were put in an induction stovetop (it’s just a countertop when you’re not actively using it!) and interview contractors until I found one that understood my vision. I had a few contractors who encouraged me to go BIGGER AND OPEN but I kept going until I found one that thought my ideas would be an interesting challenge.
I love this idea in theory but my 1990s kitchen was 100% built by two straight guys who obviously never cooked. Our utensil drawer is right about the trash for goodness sakes. I paid an absurd amount to a luxury kitchen designer to design our similarly awfully laid out laundry room and it added 100% more functionality to our home. I don't agree with gutting just to do it but I would encourage people to work with design experts who can help you maximize your space to fit your own needs (imho this is almost never your contractor or builder!).
I am nearing the end of a long renovation of a little house in Venice. I had big plans for a big range (Italian ovens are toy sized) & new cabinets & a different layout. The sale took ages & we were able to live in the space for a few months before any work was done. What a gift. I discovered the kitchen was perfect. It is beautifully designed to work in. The style is dated but for now I am only changing the counter tops (They are being made from an old dining table from Zimbabwe that just won’t fit in this house) a new cooktop & a snazzy backsplash.
I love this story! And Venice: What a dream!
Ooh this books looks great!
I’ve been debating buying this book as we start a renovation on our tiny kitchen, so I’m taking this as a sign to purchase it! I’m feeling somewhat conflicted about the reno, as our kitchen looks fine from a distance, but everything is just low enough quality to drive me crazy - sorry to all design blogs that recommend ikea cabinets, but ours have been more bad than good. So I am trying to be thoughtful about how we replace basically everything in a sustainable way… Love your book, and so happy to have discovered your substack today!
8 years in our IKEA cabinets are a disaster too--I should write an exposé! That said, could you reuse the boxes if the layout is good? New doors from Semihandmade?
Glad to have you reading here on Substack. If you're kitchen dreaming, I am IN LOVE with the show For The Love of Kitchens on discovery+ (it is totally worth subscribing for a month or two to watch it).
So excited to learn about this book! Thank you!
I’ve been looking for a kitchen-only design book, especially one written from this unique perspective and focus on sustainability. Perfect timing!
It’s old, but I realized I do have another one Terence Conrad’s kitchen book. Remodelista’s book also has a nice chapter on kitchens (I’m sure you could get that from the library).
My tiny kitchen is the just the right size! I love when kitchen designs reflect many uses and have places to eat, store books, or other multi-use examples. Excited to check out this book!
Loved this! I'm doing a small kitchen reno right now. I had a company come in and give me a quote, and they cast this big vision: new built ins! moving appliances and water lines and outlets! They were also way over my budget, and I found myself thinking "All I really want is to refinish the floor and swap out the sink side cabinets." So that's what I'm doing, with help from my handy brother!
And thanks for the Anne Helen Petersen link! I've been thinking about the role of temporary setups within the big permanent projects. Reassured to think about there not being one optimal way for space to be used!
Love that you are selectively renovating instead of starting over and doing it yourself. I read the Anne Helen Petersen piece and then went right back to the beginning and read it a second time!
Insightful post on why gut kitchen renovations are falling out of favor! Your content offers a fresh perspective on evolving trends in kitchen design. Thanks for shedding light on alternative approaches to remodeling. https://livinginnovations.ph/brands/#gaggenau