Seems as though yesterday’s post about a small kitchen really set off a firestorm. Not because the kitchen was small, but because it was untidy.
Well. We all know that cluttered counters are an indication of depravity.
I saw a bossy basic client not too long ago, and while the focus of my visit was elsewhere, I was charmed by the tiny kitchen.
Each wall has a different function and an assortment of cabinetry. Natural cherry and white on the sink wall, green painted cabinets surrounding the fridge…
The only tile in the room is on the stove wall, with a little red stripe for fun.
The overall effect is quite pleasing. And according to the client, it’s perfect for her. She travels a lot, and even when she’s home, she doesn’t cook much.
I loved the eensy-weensy kitchen I renovated in my husband’s and my first condo together.
We replaced dark brown laminate (NEVER in style, from what I can gather) with grey concrete; a peeling vinyl floor with Marmoleum tile; and random appliances in varying states of decay with spiffy but inexpensive white fixtures.
(Look! A phone with a cord! Isn’t that quaint?) The kitchen was small, but everything had a place. And it was efficient: a step or a pivot let you reach anything you needed.
It’s a myth that having a big, fancy kitchen will make you a better chef. Mark Bittman, the NYT’s food writer, has a miniscule kitchen, evidently.
My kitchen now has 80’s oak cabinets and salmon-colored Formica counters. But it’s not that tiny, and the layout makes sense. Even though I desperately want to remodel, a new kitchen won’t make me a more inspired cook.
If Mark Bittman can slog through and live to tell the tale, well, I suppose I can, too.
Picture of Mr. Bittman braising turkey breasts by Kelly Doe for the New York Times.