I had lived in my Columbia University graduate student apartment for about a year before I finally got the chance to makeover my kitchen. Long story short, my old roommates moved out and I am temporarily living on my own which means I can do what I want. I started with the bathroom, and now I’m sharing details on how I redecorated the kitchen!
Here’s a look at what the kitchen was like before:
My previous roommate had been in the apartment before me, and when she moved out she took practically everything with her so I was starting with a clean slate. Here’s what the kitchen looks like now:
First things first, I had to do some major cleaning and work that involved contacting my building superintendent/manager. I cleaned the window sill and asked for it to be repainted. Additionally, I asked for a new curtain to be installed. An incident with the heat pipe in my bedroom (it burned me!) led to the pipes in the entire apartment getting re-insulated. As you can see, that window area looks much better now.
The first thing I knew I wanted to do in order to create space was to get the dining table out of the kitchen. I moved it to the living room and created a breakfast nook of sorts. Stay tuned for my living room makeover! I got an under the sink trash bin to save space, but it was too large so I put it outside of the sink cabinet, which still looks much better and creates more space. (I like a smaller bin because it encourages throwing out the trash more frequently. I moved the larger bin to another corner of the kitchen and use that for recycling only.
Reversible Rug | “Kameron” Counter Stools (exact model sold out, linked VERY similar) | “Under the Sink” Trash Bin
As for the window area, it was the perfect place for greenery, both real and fake. I’m trying my luck at a herb garden. The set came with nine herbs but I’m starting slow with two. I hung a command floating shelf for spices. This was a great option for my most frequently used seasonings. Unfortunately, the wall where I placed this is very uneven and the shelves don’t stick properly as a result (RIP to my chili powder and red pepper flakes), so I currently have nothing on that wall. In another situation, I’d drill some floating shelves here, but for where I am it’s not worth the hassle.
Window Herb Garden Kit | Spice Jars and Labels | Command Picture Ledge | Faux Hanging Plant (Marshall’s)
Now on to the furniture. After searching for inspiration on Pinterest, I was set on creating more counter space through Kitchen Carts. Carts not only create more counter space, but they add storage space as well. I create an open pantry system for some dry goods on one shelf with glass jars and wooden boxes for things like plantains, yams, and potatoes. For the jars, I decided against labels and went with marker labeling because it would be more flexible and allow me to use them for different items later. The second cart has most of my appliances like my Instant Pot, water boiler, sheet pans, and mixing bowls. On top of the cart, I’ve got my lovely toaster oven air fryer.
“Forhoja” Kitchen Carts | Wooden Pantry Boxes | Pantry Jars (Marshall’s, but also available here (large) and here (small, similar) | Chalkboard Markers for Pantry Jars | Instant Pot Pressure Cooker| Electric Kettle (Marshall’s but available here)| Cuisinart Toaster Oven
Now for what’s on and above the carts. I included some cookbooks, a utensil cup, and a bamboo cutting tray along with some faux succulents. I wanted to place the cookbooks on a floating shelf but as I mentioned above that couldn’t work out (on top of that they are rather heavy). Above the cart, I included some kitchen themed prints. I think it really added a nice homey touch.
Cookbooks: Melba’s, Ayesha Curry, Chrissy Teigen| Faux Succulents | Desenio Prints (30 x 40 cm): “Bon Appetit”, Garlic, Mixing Utensils, Ginger Root| Ikea Ribba Frame
As for kitchen appliances, I knew I wanted to create more space so an over the dish sink rack did the trick. This cleared up space for my blender set. It’s also just smart because the water drains into the sink and not the countertop. Win-win.
Over the Sink Dish Rack |Microwave (not pictured)| Aqua Sky Kitchen Aid Utensil (Marshall’s but available here) | Threshold Plate and Mug Set| Cups and Wine Glasses (Marshall’s)| Bamboo Lid Glass Tupperware| Ninja Blender, Food Processor, and Smoothie Cup Set
Last but not least, I put my old garbage bin in the corner and hung up my mop and broom with a command broom holder.
That’s all for my kitchen tour! I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check out my bathroom makeover tour here. Now I guess it’s time for me to whip up a meal right?
“The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.” Psalm 121:8
