Jewel Box® Kitchen is Featured on About.com Small Spaces!

Hi All!  Very excited because my kitchen is featured on About.com Small Spaces! Take a peak.  Just as important, Rue, I made the burritos from your post the other day and they were yummy!!!

Here is my original language I sent to About.com Small Spaces to use.  There definitely was some editing before the final version was published.  Thought you would get a kick out of the original.

My galley kitchen measures 8’ by 8’ and I love it!  How do I make a room this small work?  Especially a kitchen?  By maximizing space in ways that are both functional and visually appealing.  Many space saving tips get the job done, but are also – for lack of a better word – unattractive.  To make my list space-savers must accomplish their goal and look good in the room! 

Let me show you my favorite ways for maximizing space in a small  kitchen.

(1)         A folding step stool allows me to reach the top shelf of my kitchen cabinets without any problem.  At 5’2” on a good day, I need my step stool to function in the kitchen!  I has a false front that looks exactly like my kitchen drawers and folds easily for storage into the kick plate when not in use.  

(2)         Under shelf wire bins let me make use of the space above my dishes, glasses and mugs.  These sturdy bins hang from an upper shelf and come in various sizes to accommodate all types of kitchenware.

(3)         An over-the-sink-colander gives me a place for draining pasta or rinsing vegetables, when my single bowl kitchen sink is occupied.  It expands to fit over my sink whenever I need it, and when not being used, retracts for out-of-sight storage with my pot and pans. 

(4)         A two-oven range with dimensions identical to a standard single-oven range, doubles my ‘baking power’ without taking-up any more space than my original oven.  Heavy holiday baking was the reason I wanted a double-oven range, but I now use both ovens several times each week.  This a favorite appliance of mine and one of the biggest space-savers! 

 

Photo of my double oven that I spent so much time cleaning did not even make the cut!  LOL.

(5)         The large bay window, which I installed in place of double-hung sash windows, gave me much more counter space without taking away any floor space.   A unique feature of this bay window, and the reason it is so effective at maximizing space both functionally and visually, is the level surface from the back of the window to the front of the counter.   Since I spend so much time in the kitchen, more counter space means I always have room for flowers and fruit, two of the simple pleasures I enjoy most in life. 

Genevieve